🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Affordable on average — net price runs around $13,946/yr. Major value play for in-state residents.

✅ Best for

  • In-state residents (tuition ~$13,135 — major value play)
  • Students drawn to Business, Management, & Marketing or Engineering (the two biggest majors)
  • Research-curious students (R2 — active research output)

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 950, or ACT below 18 (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
9,052
10,000 - 19,999
In-state tuition
$13,135
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$20,815
+$7,680 vs in-state
Admit rate
70.9%
Accessible
SAT middle 50%
950–1190
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
18–25
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$46,600
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
$42,269
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$46,600
4-year completion
52%
Median debt (completers)
$23,250
Cost of attendance
$26,284
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
29%

💰 True ROI

8.4× 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)
$55,784
$13,946/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$49,352
vs sticker $105,136
10-yr earnings total
$466,000
$46,600/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
1.2 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 University of Akron Main Campus, the average net price is $13,946/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$10,413/yr
Family income $30-48k
$10,131/yr
Family income $48-75k
$13,519/yr
Family income $75-110k
$17,800/yr
Family income $110k+
$20,226/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 University of Akron Main Campus's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from University of Akron Main Campus →

Opens on University of Akron Main Campus'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 University of Akron Main Campus

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

1. Business, Management, & Marketing
336 degrees · 26.9%
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. Engineering
330 degrees · 26.4%
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.
3. Health Professions
294 degrees · 23.6%
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.
4. Education
159 degrees · 12.7%
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.
5. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, & Firefighting
129 degrees · 10.3%
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 University of Akron Main Campus

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 37 $77,622 $97,875
Computer Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 35 $69,070 $96,791
Chemical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 60 $71,873 $90,279
Mechanical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 170 $71,448 $87,752
Computer Programming. Bachelor's Degree 35 $64,311 $86,965
Mathematics and Computer Science. Bachelor's Degree 34 $68,137 $85,968
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician. Bachelor's Degree 21 $66,780 $85,391
Civil Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 52 $66,820 $82,547
Biomedical/Medical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 51 $61,226 $82,540
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians. Bachelor's Degree 42 $61,835 $80,611

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

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at University of Akron Main Campus

CS degrees (annual)
10
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

University of Akron Main Campus 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 University of Akron Main Campus

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 University of Akron Main Campus 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 University of Akron Main Campus.
Christian Brothers University
TN · Private nonprofit
$5,843/yr for $110k+ families ($14,383 less)
Fairmont State University
WV · Public
$6,945/yr for $110k+ families ($13,281 less)
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr for $110k+ families ($11,058 less)
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus
NM · Public
$9,996/yr for $110k+ families ($10,230 less)
College of the Ozarks
MO · Private nonprofit
$10,426/yr for $110k+ families ($9,800 less)
🛡️ Safer in-state options
Same state, similar SAT band, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.
Wright State University-Main Campus
OH · Public
95% admit rate (vs 71% here)
University of Toledo
OH · Public
95% admit rate (vs 71% here)
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
OH · Public
88% admit rate (vs 71% here)
Kent State University at Kent
OH · Public
87% admit rate (vs 71% here)
Ohio University-Main Campus
OH · Public
85% admit rate (vs 71% here)

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