🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants.

✅ Best for

  • Students drawn to Health Professions or Business, Management, & Marketing (the two biggest majors)
  • Families wanting a small liberal-arts experience

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 980, or ACT below 18 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
M1: Master's - Larger Programs
Total enrollment
1,585
1,000 - 4,999
In-state tuition
$43,234
sticker, before aid
Tuition
$43,234
flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)
Admit rate
73.2%
Accessible
SAT middle 50%
980–1190
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
18–25
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$54,143
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$45,767
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$54,143
4-year completion
60%
Median debt (completers)
$26,889
Cost of attendance
$57,130
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
34%

💰 True ROI

6.0× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)
$90,304
$22,576/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$138,216
vs sticker $228,520
10-yr earnings total
$541,430
$54,143/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
1.7 yrs
at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At Capital University, the average net price is $22,576/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$19,062/yr
Family income $30-48k
$18,574/yr
Family income $48-75k
$20,331/yr
Family income $75-110k
$23,348/yr
Family income $110k+
$27,299/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use Capital University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Capital University →

Opens on Capital University's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Capital University

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Capital University actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Health Professions
95 degrees · 28.6%
Typical career outcomes
Registered Nurse $86k Physician Assistant $130k Pharmacist $136k Physical Therapist (post-DPT) $100k
Highest-paying group on this list, but most careers require additional training beyond a 4-year degree.
2. Business, Management, & Marketing
85 degrees · 25.6%
Typical career outcomes
Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
3. Education
72 degrees · 21.7%
Typical career outcomes
Elementary School Teacher $64k Secondary School Teacher $65k School Principal $101k Special Education Teacher $66k
Teaching is the largest path. Salary depends heavily on district + state.
4. Psychology
40 degrees · 12.0%
Typical career outcomes
HR Specialist $68k Market Research Analyst $75k Clinical Psychologist (post-PhD) $93k Social Worker $58k
Most undergrad psych grads go into non-clinical roles. Clinical/counseling psych requires a master's or doctoral.
5. Social Sciences
40 degrees · 12.0%
Typical career outcomes
Economist $118k Political Scientist $130k Sociologist $93k Market Research Analyst $75k
Economics + poli sci sub-disciplines pay much more than sociology + anthropology.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at Capital University

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Business/Managerial Economics. Bachelor's Degree 7 $59,203 $84,669
Accounting and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 5 $60,405 $79,157
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. Bachelor's Degree 81 $70,365 $77,807
Business Administration, Management and Operations. Bachelor's Degree 45 $47,811 $71,710
Marketing. Bachelor's Degree 21 $50,572 $66,462
Biology, General. Bachelor's Degree 25 $36,709 $61,416
Political Science and Government. Bachelor's Degree 14 $39,807 $56,686
Social Work. Bachelor's Degree 28 $44,344 $55,078
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas. Bachelor's Degree 28 $32,597 $51,851
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication. Bachelor's Degree 7 $45,235 $49,426

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Capital University

CS degrees (annual)
14
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Capital University vs. another college

Type the college you want to compare against. We'll show admit rates, net price by your family income, top majors with career outcomes, and merit aid — all in one side-by-side view.

Alternatives to Capital University

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options
These similar-selectivity schools have published auto-merit grids that Capital University doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
31 auto-merit scholarships on file
Mississippi State University
MS · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Alabama at Birmingham
AL · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Louisville
KY · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Arkansas
AR · Public
15 auto-merit scholarships on file
💰 Better out-of-state value
For families paying $110k+ income tuition, these schools cost meaningfully less than Capital University.
Christian Brothers University
TN · Private nonprofit
$5,843/yr for $110k+ families ($21,456 less)
Fairmont State University
WV · Public
$6,945/yr for $110k+ families ($20,354 less)
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr for $110k+ families ($18,131 less)
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus
NM · Public
$9,996/yr for $110k+ families ($17,303 less)
College of the Ozarks
MO · Private nonprofit
$10,426/yr for $110k+ families ($16,873 less)
🛡️ Safer in-state options
Same state, similar SAT band, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.
Wright State University-Main Campus
OH · Public
95% admit rate (vs 73% here)
University of Toledo
OH · Public
95% admit rate (vs 73% here)
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
OH · Public
88% admit rate (vs 73% here)
Kent State University at Kent
OH · Public
87% admit rate (vs 73% here)
Ohio University-Main Campus
OH · Public
85% admit rate (vs 73% here)

Building a college list?

Use these to fit Capital University into your overall strategy:

See your admit odds → Improve your score → Find merit aid →