Briar Cliff University
Sioux City, Iowa · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 46/100 · Below Average Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Briar Cliff University scores 46 (Below Average Value), with the strongest single sub-score being a healthy 82.3% three-year repayment rate - graduates do service their debt. The drag is completion: 47.5% finish, one of the lower numbers in the dataset. The 20.4% earnings premium is mediocre, the 0.628 debt-to-earnings ratio reflects $23,250 median debt against $37,000 median 6-year earnings, and the 12.1-year payback period is acceptable but unspectacular. Sticker tuition is $36,956 with a net price of $23,907 - meaningful discounting. Median earnings climb to $54,475 at 10 years, which is decent. Briar Cliff is a small (624 students) Franciscan-Catholic private in Sioux City, Iowa, with 53.2% Pell - a notably high share for a small private. The three reported programs (business, kinesiology, social work) span the typical small-private range, with business posting the cleanest C+ grade and social work earning a D because of unusually high debt ($37,564) for the field. Without a high-earning anchor program like nursing or engineering, Briar Cliff's institutional ROI score reflects the structural challenge of small-private liberal arts pricing in a regional market.
Briar Cliff University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $36,956/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $36,956/yr |
| Average net price | $23,907/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $95,628 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $54,475 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $37,000 |
| Median debt at graduation | $23,250 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $246 |
| Estimated payback period | 12.1 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 47.5% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 624 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $36,956/year. Here's the part that matters - almost nobody pays that. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $23,907/year, or roughly $95,628 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $17,764/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $27,328/year.
Most students borrow to get here. The median graduate leaves owing $23,250 in federal loans, which works out to about $246 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Hold that up against the $54,475 the typical graduate earns ten years out: the debt-to-earnings ratio comes to 0.63, within the range advisors call workable but worth keeping an eye on.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $17,764 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $14,604 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $25,516 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $30,156 |
| $110,001+ | $27,328 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $17,764 net annually, but the $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays substantially less ($14,604) - one of the more pronounced inverted patterns in the dataset, likely reflecting how Pell stacks with state and institutional grants in the second tier. For low-income families, the cash math is workable on paper, but the 47.5% completion rate is the dominant risk.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) pay $25,516 - significantly more than both lower brackets - and the $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays the highest of all ($30,156), exceeding the top bracket ($27,328). This is a classic squeezed-middle aid pattern. The middle tier faces the toughest absolute math: $102K over four years against $54K median 10-year earnings.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Top-bracket families ($110,001+) pay $27,328 net annually - notably less than the $75,001-$110,000 bracket. This unusual pattern likely reflects merit-based scholarships flowing more readily to high-stat applicants regardless of need. Over four years that's $109K, and Iowa high-income families weighing Briar Cliff against Iowa State or UNI face a steep value gap unless mission fit drives the choice.
Earnings by Major
Top 3 most popular majors at Briar Cliff University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $63,150 | C+ |
| Social Work | $50,315 | D |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $50,286 | C+ |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration (21 graduates) is Briar Cliff's strongest reported program: $55,784 first-year earnings - notably high for a small Iowa private - climb to $63,150 at four years. Median debt of $25,191 yields a 0.452 ratio (C+ grade). The first-year earnings figure suggests strong placement into the Sioux City regional employer base. This is the most defensible mainstream financial bet on campus.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology (9 graduates) earns a C+ grade with $50,286 four-year earnings against $27,000 median debt (0.537 ratio). First-year earnings aren't reported. As at most schools, this is a feeder program for graduate study (PT, OT, athletic training); terminal-bachelor's earnings are typically modest. The Briar Cliff program scale is small, suggesting limited internship and placement infrastructure.
Social Work
Social Work (12 graduates) shows the structural value trap: $42,935 first-year earnings against $37,564 median debt - the highest debt on campus - yields a 0.875 ratio and a D grade. Four-year earnings of $50,315 don't redeem the borrowing. Social work is mission-driven by design, but the debt level here is unusually high for the field; students should examine the aid package carefully and consider lower-debt state alternatives.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 79.0% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 82.3% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 74.0% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 76.6% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Briar Cliff University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Enrollment | 624 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 53.2% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,888 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data, and SAT/ACT score ranges are also unavailable. This pattern is common for small private institutions that admit predominantly via holistic review and have moved test-blind. The lack of selectivity data combined with a 47.5% completion rate suggests a school admitting widely and finishing fewer than half - a pattern worth flagging for prospective students who should ask the admissions office directly about retention support.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Peers include Buena Vista University and Central College (Iowa private regionals), Randolph College, Monmouth College, and Dakota Wesleyan University. Within the Iowa peer set, Briar Cliff's 10-year earnings of $54,475 outperform Dakota Wesleyan and roughly match Buena Vista. Central College tends to post stronger numbers driven by stronger admissions selectivity. The peer set confirms that Briar Cliff competes in the rural-Midwest small-private segment where ROI math is structurally challenging absent a flagship-earning program.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Briar Cliff University (this school) | 46 | $23,907 | $54,475 |
| Central College | 49 | $23,377 | $54,317 |
| Monmouth College | 46 | $17,133 | $51,110 |
| Dakota Wesleyan University | 45 | $19,735 | $53,728 |
| Randolph College | 45 | $15,921 | $53,409 |
| Buena Vista University | 39 | $18,846 | $49,156 |
Who Thrives Here
With 624 students and 53.2% Pell, Briar Cliff serves a heavily lower-income, locally-rooted Iowa/Nebraska/South Dakota student body. Best fit: students drawn to the Franciscan mission, small classes, and a deliberately accessible private. The 47.5% completion rate is a genuine concern that prospective students should weigh - half of entering students leave without a credential, and borrowed-and-not-finished is the worst financial outcome at this price point. Students entering business or specific allied health pipelines find the strongest ROI; broad humanities and social work tracks face structurally tough math.
The Verdict: Proceed With Caution
The money case for Briar Cliff University is mixed, and worth a hard look before you commit. At $23,907 per year after aid, the typical graduate earns $54,475 ten years after entry, which means it takes about 12.1 years to earn the cost back - slower than most four-year schools. Whether it's worth it comes down to your major and your aid package.
What it has going for it: high loan repayment success. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 47.5% graduation rate, high debt relative to what graduates earn.
Median debt of $23,250 against $54,475 in earnings is reasonable, though your major matters a lot here. Graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Briar Cliff University: Common Questions
Is Briar Cliff University worth it?
In our view, the money case is mixed and worth a hard look before you commit. Briar Cliff University scores 46/100 on our ROI scale. At $23,907 a year after aid the typical graduate earns $54,475 ten years after entry, so it takes about 12.1 years to earn the cost back - slower than most four-year schools.
How much does Briar Cliff University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - what students actually pay after grants and scholarships - is about $23,907 a year, or roughly $95,628 over four years. That is the number to plan around, not the sticker price. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Briar Cliff University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $54,475 ten years after enrolling, roughly $12,675 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Briar Cliff University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 12.1 years for Briar Cliff University. Most four-year schools we track land between 4 and 10 years.
How much debt do Briar Cliff University graduates take on?
Median debt at graduation is about $23,250, against $54,475 in typical earnings a decade out. That is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Briar Cliff University?
The six-year graduation rate is 47.5%, below the 64% national average (NCES, 2022) - and not finishing is the fastest route to a poor return. Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.