🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Affordable on average — net price runs around $19,216/yr. Major value play for in-state residents.

✅ Best for

  • In-state residents (tuition ~$14,626 — major value play)
  • Students focused on Business, Management, & Marketing (the school's signature program)
  • 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
M1: Master's - Larger Programs
Total enrollment
3,153
1,000 - 4,999
In-state tuition
$14,626
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$25,566
+$10,940 vs in-state
Admit rate
91.0%
Accepts the majority
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$57,304
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
$46,466
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$57,304
4-year completion
52%
Median debt (completers)
$26,000
Cost of attendance
$29,644
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
28%

💰 True ROI

7.5× 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)
$76,864
$19,216/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$41,712
vs sticker $118,576
10-yr earnings total
$573,040
$57,304/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 Plymouth State University, the average net price is $19,216/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$14,676/yr
Family income $30-48k
$14,714/yr
Family income $48-75k
$17,030/yr
Family income $75-110k
$21,157/yr
Family income $110k+
$23,020/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 Plymouth State University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Plymouth State University →

Opens on Plymouth State 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 Plymouth State University

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

1. Business, Management, & Marketing
183 degrees · 41.6%
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.
2. Health Professions
76 degrees · 17.3%
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.
3. Education
64 degrees · 14.5%
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. Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness
62 degrees · 14.1%
Typical career outcomes
Athletic Trainer $58k Fitness Trainer / Coach $46k Recreation Director $65k
Coaching, athletic training, public-sector recreation, fitness industry.
5. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, & Firefighting
55 degrees · 12.5%
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 Plymouth State 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
Computer Science. Bachelor's Degree 19 $59,203 $96,494
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. Bachelor's Degree 28 $72,906 $85,709
Marketing. Bachelor's Degree 47 $46,649 $76,631
Business Administration, Management and Operations. Bachelor's Degree 20 $40,902 $74,912
Accounting and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 8 $54,209 $72,824
Finance and Financial Management Services. Bachelor's Degree 18 $50,006 $69,367
Business/Commerce, General. Bachelor's Degree 75 $41,714 $67,069
Biology, General. Bachelor's Degree 21 $40,088 $63,159
Criminal Justice and Corrections. Bachelor's Degree 70 $39,171 $59,937
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other. Bachelor's Degree 32 $31,495 $55,773

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

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Plymouth State University

CS degrees (annual)
8
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Plymouth State University vs. another college

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