Rowan University — admissions, outcomes, merit aid & scholarships

🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants.

✅ Best for

Solid academic profile (SAT 1100–1310 · ACT 26–30 middle 50% + typically a 3.7+ unweighted GPA in rigorous coursework)
Students drawn to Business, Management, & Marketing or Psychology (the two biggest majors)
Research-curious students (R2 — active research output)

🎯 The reality

Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1100, 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

15,841

10,000 - 19,999

In-state tuition

$16,574

sticker, before aid

Out-of-state tuition

$26,932

+$10,358 vs in-state

Admit rate

77.8%

Accessible

SAT middle 50%

1100–1310

EBRW + Math composite

ACT middle 50%

26–30

composite

Test policy

Test-optional

2023

10-yr earnings

$59,988

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

$50,705

Earnings, 10 yrs after entry

$59,988

4-year completion

67%

Median debt (completers)

$20,500

Cost of attendance

$35,842

sticker price, not net

Pell-eligible students

33%

💰 True ROI

6.7× 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)

$89,632

$22,408/yr avg net

Aid that hides behind the sticker

$53,736

vs sticker $143,368

10-yr earnings total

$599,880

$59,988/yr median, 10 yrs out

Years to recoup actual cost

1.5 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 Rowan University, the average net price is $22,408/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k

$15,305/yr

Family income $30-48k

$15,264/yr

Family income $48-75k

$19,245/yr

Family income $75-110k

$27,580/yr

Family income $110k+

$30,378/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 Rowan University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Rowan University →

Opens on Rowan 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 Rowan University

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

1. Business, Management, & Marketing

669 degrees · 31.0%

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. Psychology

512 degrees · 23.7%

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.

3. Engineering

376 degrees · 17.4%

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. Communication, Journalism, & Related

306 degrees · 14.2%

Typical career outcomes

Public Relations Specialist $67k Marketing Manager $158k Writer / Editor $75k Reporter / Journalist $58k

Media, PR, marketing communications. Salary spread is wide.

5. Biological & Biomedical Sciences

297 degrees · 13.8%

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.

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 Rowan 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	58	$79,612	$104,215
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	Bachelor's Degree	83	$84,859	$97,116
Chemical Engineering.	Bachelor's Degree	36	$61,045	$95,769
Mechanical Engineering.	Bachelor's Degree	97	$66,909	$90,084
Computer and Information Sciences, General.	Bachelor's Degree	150	$67,278	$86,475
Biomedical/Medical Engineering.	Bachelor's Degree	35	$67,609	$84,059
Chemistry.	Bachelor's Degree	25	$53,607	$79,695
Civil Engineering.	Bachelor's Degree	112	$67,362	$78,834
Accounting and Related Services.	Bachelor's Degree	125	$52,363	$76,524
Finance and Financial Management Services.	Bachelor's Degree	153	$51,486	$75,697

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

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Rowan University

CS degrees (annual)

207

CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Rowan 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 Rowan 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 Rowan University 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