🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants.

✅ Best for

  • Solid academic profile (SAT 960–1190 · ACT 18–28 middle 50% + typically a 3.7+ unweighted GPA in rigorous coursework)
  • Students drawn to Health Professions or Business, Management, & Marketing (the two biggest majors)
  • Families wanting a small undergraduate experience

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 960, or ACT below 18, 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
M1: Master's - Larger Programs
Total enrollment
2,603
1,000 - 4,999
In-state tuition
$38,900
sticker, before aid
Tuition
$38,900
flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)
Admit rate
66.9%
Accessible
SAT middle 50%
960–1190
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
18–28
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$53,213
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
$49,278
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,213
4-year completion
61%
Median debt (completers)
$25,000
Cost of attendance
$51,981
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
38%

💰 True ROI

6.4× 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)
$82,916
$20,729/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$125,008
vs sticker $207,924
10-yr earnings total
$532,130
$53,213/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 Olivet Nazarene University, the average net price is $20,729/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$17,232/yr
Family income $30-48k
$15,056/yr
Family income $48-75k
$18,019/yr
Family income $75-110k
$23,218/yr
Family income $110k+
$25,580/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 Olivet Nazarene University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Olivet Nazarene University →

Opens on Olivet Nazarene 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 Olivet Nazarene University

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

1. Health Professions
91 degrees · 29.4%
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.
2. Business, Management, & Marketing
79 degrees · 25.6%
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.
3. Education
61 degrees · 19.7%
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
41 degrees · 13.3%
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. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, & Firefighting
37 degrees · 12.0%
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 Olivet Nazarene 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
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. Bachelor's Degree 87 $67,670 $84,705
Engineering, General. Bachelor's Degree 51 $66,394 $82,632
Accounting and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 9 $77,132
Economics. Bachelor's Degree 18 $54,169 $68,935
Biology, General. Bachelor's Degree 12 $33,908 $58,864
Business Administration, Management and Operations. Bachelor's Degree 59 $47,435 $57,973
Marketing. Bachelor's Degree 21 $40,829 $56,787
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication. Bachelor's Degree 19 $56,435
Social Work. Bachelor's Degree 23 $31,720 $52,114
Criminal Justice and Corrections. Bachelor's Degree 23 $34,877 $51,300

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

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Olivet Nazarene University

CS degrees (annual)
4
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Olivet Nazarene 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 Olivet Nazarene 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 Olivet Nazarene University doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
31 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
University of Arkansas
AR · Public
15 auto-merit scholarships on file
💰 Better out-of-state value
For families paying $110k+ income tuition, these schools cost meaningfully less than Olivet Nazarene University.
Christian Brothers University
TN · Private nonprofit
$5,843/yr for $110k+ families ($19,737 less)
Fairmont State University
WV · Public
$6,945/yr for $110k+ families ($18,635 less)
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr for $110k+ families ($16,412 less)
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus
NM · Public
$9,996/yr for $110k+ families ($15,584 less)
College of the Ozarks
MO · Private nonprofit
$10,426/yr for $110k+ families ($15,154 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 67% here)
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
IL · Public
90% admit rate (vs 67% here)
Illinois State University
IL · Public
89% admit rate (vs 67% here)
University of Illinois Springfield
IL · Public
84% admit rate (vs 67% here)
University of Illinois Chicago
IL · Public
78% admit rate (vs 67% here)

Building a college list?

Use these to fit Olivet Nazarene University into your overall strategy:

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