Capital University
Columbus, Ohio · Private Nonprofit · 70.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 44/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Capital University earns an overall ROI score of 44 (Below Benchmark) on CampusROI's framework. The Lutheran-affiliated school in Columbus, Ohio carries published tuition of $43,234 with an average net price of $22,576 - a typical heavy-discount private model where sticker is roughly twice what most families actually pay. Four-year cost runs $90,304. Capital's profile is one of strong program-level outcomes mixed with weak overall debt math. Earnings hit $36,400 six years out and $54,143 at 10 years, payback runs 12 years, and completion is a respectable 60.3%. The drag is debt-to-earnings at 0.739 - $26,889 median debt on relatively modest early-career wages. Repayment is solid at 73.8% three-year. The major variance is program: nursing, computer science, and accounting graduates hit B-level outcomes, while liberal arts and education tracks pull D grades. The institutional score averages out to Below Benchmark, but program selection materially changes the individual outcome.
How Capital University scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score44/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
Capital University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $43,234/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $43,234/yr |
| Average net price | $22,576/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $90,304 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $54,143 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $36,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,889 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $285 |
| Estimated payback period | 12 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 60.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,585 |
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: $43,234/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $22,576/year, or roughly $90,304 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 $19,062/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $27,299/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $26,889, which works out to about $285 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($36,400) and comes to 0.74, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
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 | $19,062 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $18,574 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $20,331 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $23,348 |
| $110,001+ | $27,299 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30K pay $19,062 net, and the 30-48K bracket is actually slightly lower at $18,574. Pell plus institutional aid takes a meaningful bite out of sticker. Four-year cost lands around $76K-$74K. Workable for nursing or CS pathways; risky for liberal arts.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 48-75K bracket pays $20,331 and the 75-110K bracket pays $23,348. This is the typical 'donut hole' band where families are too wealthy for major need-based aid but too constrained to absorb full sticker comfortably. Four-year cost runs $81K-$93K. Nursing and STEM graduates can justify the spend; humanities tracks cannot.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families over $110K pay $27,299 - still well below the $43,234 sticker but the smallest discount. At $109K four-year, the value question hinges entirely on program: a Capital nursing degree is defensible at this price; a Capital music or kinesiology degree is not.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Capital University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $77,807 | B |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $71,710 | C+ |
| Psychology | $48,958 | D |
| Teacher Education, Subject-Specific | $51,851 | D |
| Music | $43,125 | D |
| Teacher Education | $46,055 | C |
| Biology | $61,416 | D |
| Political Science and Government | $49,041 | D |
| Special Education and Teaching | $45,924 | C |
| Computer Science | $62,806 | B |
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.
Registered Nursing
Nursing is Capital's flagship financial story - a B grade with 81 graduates per cycle, the largest program at the school. Graduates earn $70,365 one year out and $77,807 at four years against $27,000 median debt. The 0.384 debt-to-earnings ratio is comfortably within healthy bounds. For students entering Capital with nursing intent, the institutional ROI score understates the actual financial outcome these graduates achieve.
Computer Science
Computer Science earns a B with 20 graduates. First-year earnings of $62,806 against $27,000 debt produces a 0.43 debt-to-earnings ratio. The four-year earnings figure is suppressed but the trajectory is clear: this is a defensible track. Columbus has an active tech employer base, and CS graduates from Capital plug into that pipeline.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration is the largest non-nursing program at 53 graduates, pulling a C+ grade. Graduates earn $47,811 one year out and $71,710 at four years against $25,500 median debt - a 0.533 debt-to-earnings ratio. The four-year earnings jump is strong and suggests Columbus-market business graduates compound well after the first job.
Psychology
Psychology graduates 43 students per cycle - one of the largest programs - and pulls a D grade. Earnings of $34,041 first-year against $27,000 debt produces a 0.793 debt-to-earnings ratio. This is the canonical example of a major where Capital's pricing simply does not work without graduate school plans and even then the undergraduate debt load is heavy.
Teacher Education, Subject-Specific
Teacher Education (subject-specific) pulls a D with 37 graduates. First-year earnings of $32,597 against $27,000 debt produces a 0.828 ratio.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 69.6% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 73.8% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 73.5% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 77.5% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Capital 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
| Acceptance rate | 70.2% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 460-590 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 450-590 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 18-25 |
| Enrollment | 1,585 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 33.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,673 |
Capital admits 70.2% of applicants - broadly accessible but not open. SAT mid-ranges are 460-590 math and 450-590 reading; ACT mid-range is 18-25. These are modest preparation levels, and the 60.3% completion rate reflects an institution that admits students with mixed academic readiness and gets most but not all of them across the finish line. Better-prepared admits in the top of those ranges should expect to complete; the lower band is more variable.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital University (this school) | 44 | $22,576 | $54,143 |
| Ouachita Baptist University | 47 | $22,409 | $51,673 |
| Caldwell University | 40 | $24,691 | $53,843 |
| Felician University | 40 | $40,045 | $57,602 |
| Allegheny Wesleyan College | 29 | $5,355 | $37,453 |
| Art Academy of Cincinnati | 9 | $34,253 | $34,368 |
Who Thrives Here
Capital fits Ohio students drawn to private-college experience with strong professional programs, particularly nursing and computer science. Pell rate is 33.9% and enrollment is 1,585 - mid-size for a regional private. The fit case is strongest for nursing (B-grade, 81 graduates, $70,365 first-year earnings) and CS. Students choosing liberal arts, education, or social work tracks should price-in the debt-to-earnings reality: at this cost structure, those majors do not produce competitive ROI.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Capital University scores 44/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $22,576 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $54,143 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 12 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.74 (median across the schools we score: 0.61).
Median debt of $26,889 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $36,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.74. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Capital University: Common Questions
Is Capital University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Capital University scores 44/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $22,576 a year after aid against $54,143 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 12 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Capital University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $22,576 a year, or roughly $90,304 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Capital University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $54,143 ten years after enrolling, roughly $12,343 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 Capital 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 years for Capital University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Capital University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,889, against average earnings of $36,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.74. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Capital University?
The six-year graduation rate is 60.3%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). 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.