🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Major value play for in-state residents.

✅ Best for

  • In-state residents (tuition ~$8,244 — major value play)
  • Students drawn to Education or Health Professions (the two biggest majors)
  • Families wanting a small liberal-arts experience

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
M2: Master's - Medium Programs
Total enrollment
1,456
1,000 - 4,999
In-state tuition
$8,244
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$10,620
+$2,376 vs in-state
Admit rate
81.9%
Accepts the majority
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$43,459
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
$35,194
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$43,459
4-year completion
37%
Median debt (completers)
$19,500
Cost of attendance
$27,385
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
46%

💰 True ROI

4.6× 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)
$93,620
$23,405/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$15,920
vs sticker $109,540
10-yr earnings total
$434,590
$43,459/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
2.2 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 Henderson State University, the average net price is $23,405/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$23,386/yr
Family income $30-48k
$23,208/yr
Family income $48-75k
$25,051/yr
Family income $75-110k
data suppressed
Family income $110k+
data suppressed

🔎 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 Henderson State University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Henderson State University →

Opens on Henderson State 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 Henderson State University

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

1. Education
79 degrees · 27.7%
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.
2. Health Professions
69 degrees · 24.2%
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.
3. Business, Management, & Marketing
63 degrees · 22.1%
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.
4. Liberal Arts, Humanities, & General Studies
38 degrees · 13.3%
Typical career outcomes
Management Analyst $99k Marketing Specialist $75k HR Specialist $68k
Flexible degree → many paths. Real outcomes depend on the second skill (data, coding, teaching cert).
5. Visual & Performing Arts
36 degrees · 12.6%
Typical career outcomes
Graphic Designer $59k Art Director $106k Multimedia Artist / Animator $99k Musician / Singer $39k
Highly variable. Steady-pay roles cluster in design, illustration, production. Performance careers have very wide income distributions.

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 Henderson State 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
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. Bachelor's Degree 64 $72,326 $68,733
Accounting and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 25 $62,161
Business/Commerce, General. Bachelor's Degree 63 $36,606 $48,955
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities. Bachelor's Degree 34 $32,875 $46,783
Social Work. Bachelor's Degree 15 $22,458 $42,453
Psychology, General. Bachelor's Degree 38 $21,846 $41,112
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods. Bachelor's Degree 43 $36,511 $40,226

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

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Henderson State University

CS degrees (annual)
4
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Henderson State 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.

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