🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Affordable on average — net price runs around $17,028/yr.

✅ Best for

  • Students drawn to Business, Management, & Marketing or Computer & Information Sciences (the two biggest majors)

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 990, or ACT below 22 (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
4,015
5,000 - 9,999
In-state tuition
$39,200
sticker, before aid
Tuition
$39,200
flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)
Admit rate
72.7%
Accessible
SAT middle 50%
990–1220
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
22–26
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$66,099
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
$56,095
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$66,099
4-year completion
67%
Median debt (completers)
$21,500
Cost of attendance
$47,313
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
33%

💰 True ROI

9.7× 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)
$68,112
$17,028/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$121,140
vs sticker $189,252
10-yr earnings total
$660,990
$66,099/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
1.0 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 Lewis University, the average net price is $17,028/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$10,382/yr
Family income $30-48k
$11,712/yr
Family income $48-75k
$12,178/yr
Family income $75-110k
$19,908/yr
Family income $110k+
$25,035/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 Lewis University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Lewis University →

Opens on Lewis 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 Lewis University

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

1. Business, Management, & Marketing
196 degrees · 30.0%
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. Computer & Information Sciences
142 degrees · 21.7%
Typical career outcomes
Software Developer $132k Data Scientist $108k Information Security Analyst $120k Web Developer $85k
High-paying tech roles dominate. Median software roles cluster in the $90k-$130k range.
3. Transportation & Materials Moving
115 degrees · 17.6%
4. Health Professions
106 degrees · 16.2%
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.
5. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, & Firefighting
94 degrees · 14.4%
Typical career outcomes
Police Officer $72k Federal Special Agent $102k Detective / Investigator $91k
Public-sector careers in law enforcement, corrections, security. Strong pensions, modest base.

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 Lewis 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
Air Transportation. Bachelor's Degree 104 $39,228 $87,197
Management Information Systems and Services. Bachelor's Degree 5 $86,275
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management. Bachelor's Degree 6 $57,984 $86,015
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. Bachelor's Degree 111 $76,766 $85,320
Computer Science. Bachelor's Degree 114 $60,726 $82,159
Human Resources Management and Services. Bachelor's Degree 20 $50,361 $76,485
Physics. Bachelor's Degree 16 $76,122
Accounting and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 29 $47,616 $72,812
Business Administration, Management and Operations. Bachelor's Degree 99 $53,793 $71,987
Finance and Financial Management Services. Bachelor's Degree 19 $52,742 $71,831

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

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Lewis University

CS degrees (annual)
418
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Lewis 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 Lewis 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 Lewis University doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
31 auto-merit scholarships on file
The University of Alabama
AL · Public
23 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
💰 Better out-of-state value
For families paying $110k+ income tuition, these schools cost meaningfully less than Lewis University.
Christian Brothers University
TN · Private nonprofit
$5,843/yr for $110k+ families ($19,192 less)
Fairmont State University
WV · Public
$6,945/yr for $110k+ families ($18,090 less)
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr for $110k+ families ($15,867 less)
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus
NM · Public
$9,996/yr for $110k+ families ($15,039 less)
College of the Ozarks
MO · Private nonprofit
$10,426/yr for $110k+ families ($14,609 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 73% here)
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
IL · Public
90% admit rate (vs 73% here)
Illinois State University
IL · Public
89% admit rate (vs 73% here)
University of Illinois Springfield
IL · Public
84% admit rate (vs 73% here)

Building a college list?

Use these to fit Lewis University into your overall strategy:

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