Simmons University — admissions, outcomes, merit aid & scholarships

🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants.

✅ Best for

Solid academic profile (SAT 1230–1390 · ACT 26–31 middle 50% + typically a 3.7+ unweighted GPA in rigorous coursework)
Students focused on Health Professions (the school's signature program)
Families wanting a small liberal-arts experience

🎯 The reality

Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1230, 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

Doctoral/Professional Universities

Total enrollment

1,670

5,000 - 9,999

In-state tuition

$46,874

sticker, before aid

Tuition

$46,874

flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)

Admit rate

66.0%

Accessible

SAT middle 50%

1230–1390

EBRW + Math composite

ACT middle 50%

26–31

composite

Test policy

Test-optional

2023

10-yr earnings

$63,494

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

$61,420

Earnings, 10 yrs after entry

$63,494

4-year completion

72%

Median debt (completers)

$24,840

Cost of attendance

$63,460

sticker price, not net

Pell-eligible students

33%

💰 True ROI

6.3× 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)

$101,060

$25,265/yr avg net

Aid that hides behind the sticker

$152,780

vs sticker $253,840

10-yr earnings total

$634,940

$63,494/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 Simmons University, the average net price is $25,265/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k

$18,027/yr

Family income $30-48k

$15,810/yr

Family income $48-75k

$22,139/yr

Family income $75-110k

$24,714/yr

Family income $110k+

$32,777/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 Simmons University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Simmons University →

Opens on Simmons 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 Simmons University

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

1. Health Professions

163 degrees · 54.5%

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. Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness

47 degrees · 15.7%

Typical career outcomes

Athletic Trainer $58k Fitness Trainer / Coach $46k Recreation Director $65k

Coaching, athletic training, public-sector recreation, fitness industry.

3. Social Sciences

36 degrees · 12.0%

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.

4. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

27 degrees · 9.0%

Typical career outcomes

Project Manager $99k Management Analyst $99k Research Analyst $79k

Often paired with another field (data + biology, design + tech). Outcomes match the second discipline.

5. Psychology

26 degrees · 8.7%

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.

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 Simmons 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
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness.	Bachelor's Degree	23	$48,876	$76,569
Communication and Media Studies.	Bachelor's Degree	11	$42,256	$71,138
Biology, General.	Bachelor's Degree	9	—	$68,251
Nutrition Sciences.	Bachelor's Degree	—	—	$68,021
Public Health.	Bachelor's Degree	11	$45,331	$64,514
Social Work.	Bachelor's Degree	19	$34,496	$62,992
Political Science and Government.	Bachelor's Degree	19	$39,657	$55,069
Psychology, General.	Bachelor's Degree	26	—	$51,474

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

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Simmons University

CS degrees (annual)

9

CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Simmons 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 Simmons 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 Simmons 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