🎓 College profile

Northland College

WI · Private nonprofit · Remote town · 894 applicants 2023

🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants.

✅ Best for

  • Solid academic profile (SAT 1096–1318 · ACT 21–25 middle 50% + typically a 3.7+ unweighted GPA in rigorous coursework)
  • Students drawn to Natural Resources & Conservation or Biological & Biomedical Sciences (the two biggest majors)
  • Families wanting a small liberal-arts experience

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1096, or ACT below 21, or unweighted GPA below ~3.50 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)
  • High upfront cost (~$56,889/yr net for families above $110K income) — verify the major's earnings track record before committing

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
269
Under 1,000
In-state tuition
$44,403
sticker, before aid
Tuition
$44,403
flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)
Admit rate
71.8%
Accessible
SAT middle 50%
1096–1318
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
21–25
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$44,560
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
$35,819
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$44,560
4-year completion
50%
Median debt (completers)
$25,450
Cost of attendance
$56,889
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
32%

💰 True ROI

3.1× 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)
$144,476
$36,119/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$83,080
vs sticker $227,556
10-yr earnings total
$445,600
$44,560/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
3.2 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 Northland College, the average net price is $36,119/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$16,842/yr
Family income $30-48k
$22,695/yr
Family income $48-75k
$21,581/yr
Family income $75-110k
$47,714/yr
Family income $110k+
$56,889/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 Northland College's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Northland College →

Opens on Northland 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 Northland College

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

1. Natural Resources & Conservation
26 degrees · 38.8%
Typical career outcomes
Environmental Scientist $79k Conservation Scientist / Forester $67k Wildlife Biologist $71k
Forestry, environmental science, conservation work — often public-sector or NGO.
2. Biological & Biomedical Sciences
12 degrees · 17.9%
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. Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness
12 degrees · 17.9%
Typical career outcomes
Athletic Trainer $58k Fitness Trainer / Coach $46k Recreation Director $65k
Coaching, athletic training, public-sector recreation, fitness industry.
4. Psychology
9 degrees · 13.4%
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. Physical Sciences
8 degrees · 11.9%
Typical career outcomes
Chemist $85k Physicist $147k Geoscientist $93k Materials Scientist $100k
Chemistry, physics, geology — strong wages especially in industry roles.

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 Northland 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
Biology, General. Bachelor's Degree 21 $24,540 $45,396

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

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Northland College 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 Northland College

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 Northland College doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.
University of Alabama in Huntsville
AL · Public
39 auto-merit scholarships on file
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
💰 Better out-of-state value
For families paying $110k+ income tuition, these schools cost meaningfully less than Northland College.
Christian Brothers University
TN · Private nonprofit
$5,843/yr for $110k+ families ($51,046 less)
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr for $110k+ families ($47,721 less)
College of the Ozarks
MO · Private nonprofit
$10,426/yr for $110k+ families ($46,463 less)
Indiana University-Kokomo
IN · Public
$10,593/yr for $110k+ families ($46,296 less)
Texas A & M International University
TX · Public
$10,697/yr for $110k+ families ($46,192 less)

Building a college list?

Use these to fit Northland College into your overall strategy:

See your admit odds → Improve your score → Find merit aid →