Chamberlain University-Ohio
Columbus, Ohio · Private For-Profit · 87.5% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 73/100 · Fair Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Chamberlain University-Ohio earns an overall ROI score of 73 (Fair Value). The Columbus campus is part of the national Chamberlain nursing chain and runs essentially one program at scale: BSN nursing. Published tuition is $19,975 but average net price exceeds tuition at $31,544, reflecting limited institutional aid plus required living and program costs. Four-year cost runs $126,176. Where Chamberlain shines is on the back end: average six-year earnings are $69,800, rising to a median $92,405 at 10 years. Payback is just 4.6 years and debt-to-earnings is a healthy 0.3 on $20,919 median debt. The single weakness is completion at 28.6% - the typical for-profit attrition story. Repayment of 66.5% three-year reflects that the cohort of completers does well but the larger group of non-completers struggles. The school is a focused nursing-credential machine: if you finish the BSN, the financial outcome is outstanding. If you do not, you owe meaningful debt with no credential.
How Chamberlain University-Ohio 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.
- 6-year graduation rate28.6% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
Chamberlain University-Ohio
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $19,975/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $19,975/yr |
| Average net price | $31,544/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $126,176 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $92,405 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $69,800 |
| Median debt at graduation | $20,919 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $222 |
| Estimated payback period | 4.6 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 28.6% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 257 |
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: $19,975/year, which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $31,544/year, or roughly $126,176 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 $30,389/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $20,919, which works out to about $222 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($69,800) and comes to 0.30, which in our view is comfortably manageable.
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 | $30,389 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | N/A |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $32,700 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30K pay $30,389 net - effectively the same as the 48-75K bracket. Aid is thin. Four-year cost is roughly $122K. Workable only if the student finishes the BSN, because the $83,188 first-year nursing earnings absorb the debt comfortably. Risk concentrates entirely on completion.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 30-48K and 75-110K brackets are not reported. The 48-75K bracket pays $32,700 - the highest reported figure. The flat pricing across reported brackets suggests Chamberlain runs minimal need-based aid and treats this as a straightforward tuition-for-credential transaction.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Net price by income for the over-110K bracket is not reported. Given the flat pricing pattern across the brackets that are reported, families across all income levels should plan on net prices near $30K-$33K per year. The financial proposition is identical across the income spectrum.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at Chamberlain University-Ohio with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $96,132 | 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.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing is effectively Chamberlain's only program at 148 graduates per cycle. It earns a C+ at the program level (slightly lower than the institutional ROI score because program-level grading weights debt more heavily). First-year earnings of $83,188 are exceptional, and four-year earnings of $96,132 confirm continued growth. Median debt is $39,146 - meaningfully higher than the institutional median because program-loan packaging differs - but the 0.471 debt-to-earnings ratio remains comfortable. For BSN-bound students who complete, the financial case is robust.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 62.3% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 66.5% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 65.0% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 69.6% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Chamberlain University-Ohio’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 | 87.5% |
| Enrollment | 257 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 50.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,978 |
Chamberlain admits 87.5% of applicants. SAT and ACT data are not reported. The relatively open admission combined with the 28.6% completion rate means the school is easy to enter and hard to finish. Prospective students should self-assess academic readiness for an accelerated nursing curriculum with rigorous clinical requirements.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
The Chamberlain network produces remarkably consistent outcomes campus-to-campus: strong nursing earnings and weak completion.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chamberlain University-Ohio (this school) | 73 | $31,544 | $92,405 |
| Chamberlain University-Florida | 74 | $31,269 | $92,405 |
| Chamberlain University-Texas | 73 | $32,209 | $92,405 |
| West Coast University-Ontario | 71 | $49,590 | $102,672 |
| Baptist Health Sciences University | 69 | $11,212 | $72,529 |
| Galen College of Nursing-Louisville | 64 | $18,540 | $61,480 |
Who Thrives Here
Chamberlain fits adult and career-changer students with a clear commitment to nursing as a destination. Pell rate is 50% and enrollment is small (257) at this campus. The fit case is narrow and specific: you want a BSN, you can handle accelerated academic pacing, and you are confident you can finish. Traditional 18-year-old students seeking a broader college experience should not choose Chamberlain; this is a credential factory, and that is not a criticism - it is the right tool for the right user.
The Verdict: A Reasonable Bet - With Caveats
Chamberlain University-Ohio is a fair-value bet, but how well it pays off depends a lot on you. At $31,544 a year after aid ($126,176 over four years), with the typical graduate earning $92,405 a decade out, the cost takes about 4.6 years to earn back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
What it has going for it: a strong earnings premium over high school graduates, manageable debt relative to earnings. What to keep an eye on: its 28.6% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 66.5% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%).
Median debt of $20,919 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $69,800 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.30, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Chamberlain University-Ohio: Common Questions
Is Chamberlain University-Ohio worth it?
In our view, it's a fair-value bet - whether Chamberlain University-Ohio is worth it depends a lot on your major and aid package. It scores 73/100 on our ROI scale. At $31,544 a year after aid ($126,176 over four years) against $92,405 in typical earnings a decade out, the cost takes about 4.6 years to earn back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does Chamberlain University-Ohio 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 $31,544 a year, or roughly $126,176 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 Chamberlain University-Ohio graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $92,405 ten years after enrolling, roughly $50,605 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 Chamberlain University-Ohio?
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 4.6 years for Chamberlain University-Ohio. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Chamberlain University-Ohio graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $20,919, against average earnings of $69,800 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.30. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Chamberlain University-Ohio?
The six-year graduation rate is 28.6%. 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.