Capital University
Columbus, Ohio · Private Nonprofit · 70.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 44/100 · Poor Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Capital University earns an overall ROI score of 44 (Poor Value) 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. Median 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 Poor Value, but program selection materially changes the individual outcome.
The data raises concerns about Capital University
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score44/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 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 |
| Median 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. Here's the part that matters - almost nobody pays that. 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.
Most students borrow to get here. The median graduate leaves owing $26,889 in federal loans, which works out to about $285 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Hold that up against the $54,143 the typical graduate earns ten years out: the debt-to-earnings ratio comes to 0.74, 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 | $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 - one of the few schools where the second bracket is the cheapest. 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. Ohio teaching salaries are below the national median and Capital's debt load is heavy for the discipline. Students committed to teaching as a career should price-compare against Ohio publics where the teaching credential costs significantly less.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 69.6% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 73.8% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 73.5% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 77.5% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Capital University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2023).
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.
Capital's peers on CampusROI include Caldwell University, Ouachita Baptist University, Felician University, and two smaller faith-based privates. Caldwell and Felician are East Coast Catholic privates with similar discount-heavy pricing; Ouachita Baptist is a Southern Baptist liberal arts college with stronger overall completion. These are all private nonprofits in roughly the same $20K-$25K net-price band - meaning Capital's results are sector-typical rather than uniquely weak.
| 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: The Numbers Don't Add Up
We'll be straight with you: the numbers at Capital University are a real concern. With a net cost of $22,576 per year and the typical graduate earning only $54,143 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds 12 years. For most students, the financial return does not justify the cost - go in with your eyes open.
What to keep an eye on: high debt relative to what graduates earn.
Median debt of $26,889 against $54,143 in earnings is reasonable, though your major matters a lot here. Graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
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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.