🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Affordable on average — net price runs around $19,608/yr. Major value play for in-state residents.

✅ Best for

  • In-state residents (tuition ~$10,568 — major value play)
  • Students drawn to Health Professions or Business, Management, & Marketing (the two biggest majors)

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 980, or ACT below 19 (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
6,788
5,000 - 9,999
In-state tuition
$10,568
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$14,676
+$4,108 vs in-state
Admit rate
74.6%
Accessible
SAT middle 50%
980–1190
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
19–25
composite
Test policy
Required
2023
10-yr earnings
$53,032
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
$45,398
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,032
4-year completion
66%
Median debt (completers)
$25,000
Cost of attendance
$25,537
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
31%

💰 True ROI

6.8× 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)
$78,432
$19,608/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$23,716
vs sticker $102,148
10-yr earnings total
$530,320
$53,032/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 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, the average net price is $19,608/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$12,555/yr
Family income $30-48k
$13,401/yr
Family income $48-75k
$16,990/yr
Family income $75-110k
$21,972/yr
Family income $110k+
$24,121/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 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania →

Opens on Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania'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 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

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

1. Health Professions
337 degrees · 34.0%
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
184 degrees · 18.5%
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. Engineering Technologies
176 degrees · 17.7%
Typical career outcomes
Electrical Engineering Tech $72k Industrial Engineering Tech $64k Mechanical Engineering Tech $64k
Technician-track engineering roles. Strong wages, faster ramp than full engineer path.
4. Education
169 degrees · 17.0%
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.
5. Computer & Information Sciences
126 degrees · 12.7%
Typical career outcomes
Software Developer $132k Data Scientist $108k Information Security Analyst $120k Web Developer $85k
High-paying tech roles dominate. Median software roles cluster in the $90k-$130k range.

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 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

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 39 $79,156 $86,557
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians. Bachelor's Degree 157 $67,072 $84,783
Computer and Information Sciences, General. Bachelor's Degree 56 $59,430 $78,096
Information Science/Studies. Bachelor's Degree 13 $49,369 $71,672
Economics. Bachelor's Degree 9 $69,371
Accounting and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 29 $46,359 $63,186
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General. Bachelor's Degree 113 $27,347 $63,001
Finance and Financial Management Services. Bachelor's Degree 35 $49,248 $62,805
Geography and Cartography. Bachelor's Degree 11 $62,659
Marketing. Bachelor's Degree 43 $44,207 $61,322

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

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

CS degrees (annual)
34
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania 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 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

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 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania 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 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.
Christian Brothers University
TN · Private nonprofit
$5,843/yr for $110k+ families ($18,278 less)
Fairmont State University
WV · Public
$6,945/yr for $110k+ families ($17,176 less)
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr for $110k+ families ($14,953 less)
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus
NM · Public
$9,996/yr for $110k+ families ($14,125 less)
College of the Ozarks
MO · Private nonprofit
$10,426/yr for $110k+ families ($13,695 less)
🛡️ Safer in-state options
Same state, similar SAT band, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.
University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg
PA · Public
98% admit rate (vs 75% here)
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona
PA · Public
97% admit rate (vs 75% here)
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks
PA · Public
97% admit rate (vs 75% here)
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg
PA · Public
96% admit rate (vs 75% here)
University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown
PA · Public
96% admit rate (vs 75% here)

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