🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Affordable on average — net price runs around $17,887/yr. Major value play for in-state residents.

✅ Best for

  • In-state residents (tuition ~$14,784 — major value play)
  • Families wanting a small undergraduate 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
Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields
Total enrollment
2,699
1,000 - 4,999
In-state tuition
$14,784
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$26,840
+$12,056 vs in-state
Admit rate
89.1%
Accepts the majority
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$54,368
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
$46,649
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$54,368
4-year completion
60%
Median debt (completers)
$25,749
Cost of attendance
$29,993
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
26%

💰 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)
$71,548
$17,887/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$48,424
vs sticker $119,972
10-yr earnings total
$543,680
$54,368/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 Keene State College, the average net price is $17,887/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$12,192/yr
Family income $30-48k
$12,536/yr
Family income $48-75k
$16,045/yr
Family income $75-110k
$18,004/yr
Family income $110k+
$22,928/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 Keene State College's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Keene State College →

Opens on Keene State College'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 Keene State College

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

1. Engineering Technologies
84 degrees · 24.9%
Typical career outcomes
Electrical Engineering Tech $72k Industrial Engineering Tech $64k Mechanical Engineering Tech $64k
Technician-track engineering roles. Strong wages, faster ramp than full engineer path.
2. Visual & Performing Arts
82 degrees · 24.3%
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.
3. Education
62 degrees · 18.4%
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
56 degrees · 16.6%
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. Business, Management, & Marketing
53 degrees · 15.7%
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.

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 Keene State College

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
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians. Bachelor's Degree 72 $63,479 $87,710
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. Bachelor's Degree 24 $74,915 $82,061
Computer and Information Sciences, General. Bachelor's Degree 9 $48,003 $78,965
Biology, General. Bachelor's Degree 23 $43,624 $72,593
Business Administration, Management and Operations. Bachelor's Degree 61 $47,847 $69,674
Economics. Bachelor's Degree 14 $68,634
Communication and Media Studies. Bachelor's Degree 30 $34,372 $63,995
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other. Bachelor's Degree 15 $46,715 $61,991
Architecture. Bachelor's Degree 38 $43,448 $61,304
Natural Resources Conservation and Research. Bachelor's Degree 26 $36,423 $58,065

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

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Keene State College

CS degrees (annual)
13
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Keene State College vs. another college

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