🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants.

✅ Best for

  • Solid academic profile (SAT 1190–1360 · ACT 26–31 middle 50% + typically a 3.7+ unweighted GPA in rigorous coursework)
  • Students drawn to Business, Management, & Marketing or Biological & Biomedical Sciences (the two biggest majors)
  • Research-curious students (R2 — active research output)
  • Strong long-term ROI — median 10-yr earnings of $78,257 against an average net cost of ~$31,487/yr

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1190, or ACT below 26, or unweighted GPA below ~3.50 (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
R2: Doctoral - High Research Activity
Total enrollment
7,660
10,000 - 19,999
In-state tuition
$51,170
sticker, before aid
Tuition
$51,170
flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)
Admit rate
87.4%
Accepts the majority
SAT middle 50%
1190–1360
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
26–31
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$78,257
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
$65,241
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$78,257
4-year completion
83%
Median debt (completers)
$23,940
Cost of attendance
$66,768
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
18%

💰 True ROI

6.2× 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)
$125,948
$31,487/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$141,124
vs sticker $267,072
10-yr earnings total
$782,570
$78,257/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
1.6 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 Marquette University, the average net price is $31,487/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$22,269/yr
Family income $30-48k
$18,916/yr
Family income $48-75k
$27,378/yr
Family income $75-110k
$32,374/yr
Family income $110k+
$36,813/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 Marquette University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Marquette University →

Opens on Marquette 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 Marquette University

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

1. Business, Management, & Marketing
390 degrees · 29.3%
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. Biological & Biomedical Sciences
326 degrees · 24.5%
Typical career outcomes
Biological Scientist $87k Medical & Clinical Lab Tech $61k Pharmaceutical Rep $82k Physician (post-MD) $239k
Many bio majors → med school / grad school. Direct-employment bio roles are lower-paid than that pipeline.
3. Engineering
232 degrees · 17.5%
Typical career outcomes
Mechanical Engineer $100k Electrical Engineer $107k Civil Engineer $93k Chemical Engineer $112k
Engineering majors land high-paying technical roles. Top-earning sub-disciplines: petroleum, chemical, computer engineering.
4. Health Professions
203 degrees · 15.3%
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. Social Sciences
178 degrees · 13.4%
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 Marquette 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
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 26 $81,797 $106,686
International Business. Bachelor's Degree 16 $59,255 $102,306
Real Estate. Bachelor's Degree 46 $58,246 $99,583
Accounting and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 77 $67,665 $99,086
Computer and Information Sciences, General. Bachelor's Degree 67 $70,530 $98,108
Finance and Financial Management Services. Bachelor's Degree 175 $67,888 $97,719
Computer Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 30 $69,664 $97,608
Biomedical/Medical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 80 $73,526 $95,728
Mechanical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 81 $73,049 $93,764
Biology, General. Bachelor's Degree 253 $28,555 $88,921

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

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Marquette University

CS degrees (annual)
66
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Marquette University vs. another college

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