🎯 Parent/student verdict

Match

Solid match for academically prepared students. Affordable on average — net price runs around $18,558/yr.

✅ Best for

  • Students focused on Business, Management, & Marketing (the school's signature program)
  • Families wanting a small liberal-arts experience

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 860, or ACT below 16 (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
M3: Master's - Smaller Programs
Total enrollment
708
1,000 - 4,999
In-state tuition
$31,360
sticker, before aid
Tuition
$31,360
flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)
Admit rate
63.1%
Accessible
SAT middle 50%
860–1080
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
16–23
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$56,313
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
$45,374
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$56,313
4-year completion
60%
Median debt (completers)
$25,000
Cost of attendance
$43,137
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
39%

💰 True ROI

7.6× 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)
$74,232
$18,558/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$98,316
vs sticker $172,548
10-yr earnings total
$563,130
$56,313/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
1.3 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 Judson University, the average net price is $18,558/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$15,701/yr
Family income $30-48k
$18,010/yr
Family income $48-75k
$17,079/yr
Family income $75-110k
$21,124/yr
Family income $110k+
$21,515/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 Judson University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Judson University →

Opens on Judson 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 Judson University

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

1. Business, Management, & Marketing
63 degrees · 44.4%
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.
2. Psychology
28 degrees · 19.7%
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.
3. Architecture
24 degrees · 16.9%
Typical career outcomes
Architect $93k Landscape Architect $79k Urban / Regional Planner $82k
Path to becoming a licensed architect requires graduate degree + experience.
4. Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness
18 degrees · 12.7%
Typical career outcomes
Athletic Trainer $58k Fitness Trainer / Coach $46k Recreation Director $65k
Coaching, athletic training, public-sector recreation, fitness industry.
5. Public Administration & Social Services
9 degrees · 6.3%
Typical career outcomes
Social Worker $58k Social / Community Service Mgr $77k Urban / Regional Planner $82k
Government, nonprofit, social work. Mission-driven; lower wages than private sector but stable.

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 Judson 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
Architecture. Bachelor's Degree 27 $41,033 $63,846
Business Administration, Management and Operations. Bachelor's Degree 57 $45,731 $63,153
Psychology, General. Bachelor's Degree 31 $34,964 $46,816
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods. Bachelor's Degree 12 $45,830
Human Services, General. Bachelor's Degree 13 $37,671 $38,639

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

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Judson University

CS degrees (annual)
2
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Judson 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 Judson 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 Judson University doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.
University of Louisville
KY · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Arkansas
AR · Public
15 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Mississippi
MS · Public
15 auto-merit scholarships on file
West Virginia University
WV · Public
11 auto-merit scholarships on file
Oklahoma State University-Main Campus
OK · Public
9 auto-merit scholarships on file
💰 Better out-of-state value
For families paying $110k+ income tuition, these schools cost meaningfully less than Judson University.
Fairmont State University
WV · Public
$6,945/yr for $110k+ families ($14,570 less)
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus
NM · Public
$9,996/yr for $110k+ families ($11,519 less)
Indiana University-Kokomo
IN · Public
$10,593/yr for $110k+ families ($10,922 less)
Texas A & M International University
TX · Public
$10,697/yr for $110k+ families ($10,818 less)
East Central University
OK · Public
$10,702/yr for $110k+ families ($10,813 less)
🛡️ Safer in-state options
Same state, similar SAT band, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
IL · Public
97% admit rate (vs 63% here)
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
IL · Public
90% admit rate (vs 63% here)
Illinois State University
IL · Public
89% admit rate (vs 63% here)
University of Illinois Springfield
IL · Public
84% admit rate (vs 63% here)

Building a college list?

Use these to fit Judson University into your overall strategy:

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