Clarkson College
Omaha, Nebraska · Private Nonprofit · 78.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 71/100 · Fair Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Clarkson College earns a CampusROI score of 71 out of 100, landing in the Fair Value tier. As a small Omaha-based private nonprofit specializing in nursing and allied health, Clarkson posts a strong financial profile that reflects the labor-market premium attached to clinical credentials. The earnings premium of 38.8% over high-school-only workers, the 7.3-year payback period, and the 0.49 debt-to-earnings ratio against $23,716 in median federal debt are the core strengths. Average earnings six years after entry are $48,800 and reach a median $64,876 by year ten, well above the typical regional private nonprofit. The repayment rate of 80.1% is also above average and reflects a graduate population that mostly lands stable healthcare jobs immediately. The drag on the score is the 46.7% completion rate. That figure likely reflects the school's mix of accelerated, transfer-in, and part-time working-adult programs in nursing, where federal completion methodology can undercount students who graduate via non-traditional pathways. Sticker tuition is $16,104 per year, average net price is $19,241, and four-year cost lands at $76,964. For students who finish, particularly in nursing, this is a defensible price.
Clarkson College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $16,104/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $16,104/yr |
| Average net price | $19,241/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $76,964 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $64,876 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $48,800 |
| Median debt at graduation | $23,716 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $251 |
| Estimated payback period | 7.3 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 46.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 622 |
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: $16,104/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 $19,241/year, or roughly $76,964 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 N/A/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $20,262/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $23,716, which works out to about $251 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($48,800) and comes to 0.49, 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 | N/A |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $19,222 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $17,312 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $20,003 |
| $110,001+ | $20,262 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Net price for the under-$30,000 bracket is not reported, leaving a data gap. The 30,001 to 48,000 bracket pays $19,222 per year, totaling roughly $76,900 across four years. With ten-year median earnings of $64,876, this works for low-income students who finish a nursing or allied-health credential, but the upfront cost requires careful federal-aid stacking and likely some borrowing.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001 to $75,000 bracket actually pays slightly less at $17,312 per year, suggesting institutional aid is concentrated in this lower-middle bracket. The $75,001 to $110,000 bracket steps up to $20,003. Four-year totals are $69,200 to $80,000. For middle-income families with a student bound for nursing, the cash math is workable given the strong post-graduation earnings.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $20,262 per year, with four-year cost approaching $81,000. The aid curve flattens here, meaning higher-income families are paying near sticker. The price still pencils out for nursing-bound students given $73,835 in year-one earnings for the Registered Nursing program.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at Clarkson College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $81,508 | B |
| Allied Health Diagnostic and Treatment | $76,592 | 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 the dominant program at Clarkson, graduating 105 students per cohort and driving most of the school's overall ROI. Year-one earnings of $73,835 climb to $81,508 by year four. Median debt of $31,289 against those earnings produces a strong 0.42 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B ROI grade. Graduates clear their debt on standard repayment in well under ten years.
Allied Health Diagnostic and Treatment
Allied Health Diagnostic and Treatment programs (sonography, radiography, etc.) graduate 25 students per cohort with year-one earnings of $61,222 climbing to $76,592 by year four. With $29,258 in median debt, the 0.48 debt-to-earnings ratio earns a C+ ROI grade. This is a solid secondary track for students who don't pursue RN but still want clinical credentials. Earnings sit modestly below nursing but well above general-degree benchmarks.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 74.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 80.1% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 76.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 81.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Clarkson College’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 | 78.2% |
| Enrollment | 622 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 40.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,775 |
Clarkson admits 78.2% of applicants. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported, consistent with a clinical-focused college where admissions emphasize healthcare-program prerequisites, prior coursework, and clinical readiness over standardized tests. The 78.2% admit rate combined with a 46.7% completion rate suggests the academic screen is moderate; nursing programs typically have additional progression checkpoints (GPA thresholds, NCLEX-prep cutoffs) that are not captured in the headline admit rate.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarkson College (this school) | 71 | $19,241 | $64,876 |
| Bryan College of Health Sciences | 78 | $26,919 | $70,845 |
| Kettering College | 75 | $21,650 | $67,492 |
| Notre Dame of Maryland University | 69 | $19,169 | $65,344 |
| Baptist Health Sciences University | 69 | $11,212 | $72,529 |
| Bellevue University | 65 | $17,550 | $61,289 |
Who Thrives Here
Clarkson serves about 622 students with a 40.1% Pell rate, marking it as a working-class private clinical school. The fit case is clear: students committed to a healthcare credential (nursing, radiography, sonography, or allied health) who want a small, clinical-immersion environment in Omaha and proximity to Nebraska Medicine for clinical placements. Career-changing adults and second-degree nursing students are particularly well-served. Anyone considering general liberal-arts study should look elsewhere; the school's value proposition is concentrated in clinical pipelines.
The Verdict: A Reasonable Bet - With Caveats
Clarkson College is a fair-value bet, but how well it pays off depends a lot on you. At $19,241 a year after aid ($76,964 over four years), with the typical graduate earning $64,876 a decade out, the cost takes about 7.3 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 46.7% graduation rate.
Median debt of $23,716 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $48,800 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.49, 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.
Clarkson College: Common Questions
Is Clarkson College worth it?
In our view, it's a fair-value bet - whether Clarkson College is worth it depends a lot on your major and aid package. It scores 71/100 on our ROI scale. At $19,241 a year after aid ($76,964 over four years) against $64,876 in typical earnings a decade out, the cost takes about 7.3 years to earn back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does Clarkson College 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 $19,241 a year, or roughly $76,964 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 Clarkson College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $64,876 ten years after enrolling, roughly $23,076 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 Clarkson College?
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 7.3 years for Clarkson College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Clarkson College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $23,716, against average earnings of $48,800 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.49. 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 Clarkson College?
The six-year graduation rate is 46.7%. 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.