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 peers, the 7.3-year payback period, and the 0.49 debt-to-earnings ratio against $23,716 in median federal debt all sit in the upper third of the dataset. Median earnings six years after entry are $48,800 and reach $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, which is below average and pulls the completion sub-score down to 32. 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 |
| Median 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. Here's the part that matters - almost nobody pays that. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $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.
Most students borrow to get here. The median graduate leaves owing $23,716 in federal loans, which works out to about $251 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Hold that up against the $64,876 the typical graduate earns ten years out: the debt-to-earnings ratio comes to 0.49, 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, but at this price tier the comparison versus a state nursing program (UNMC, etc.) becomes tighter.
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. This is one of the better nursing outcomes in the dataset and reflects both the clinical strength of the Omaha medical-corridor placements and the structural premium on RN credentials. 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 | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 74.8% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 80.1% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 76.9% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 81.0% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Clarkson College’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 | 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.
Peer schools include Bellevue University, Bryan College of Health Sciences, Kettering College, Notre Dame of Maryland University, and Baptist Health Sciences University. Bryan College of Health Sciences and Baptist Health Sciences University are the closest comparables, both small private nonprofits focused almost entirely on nursing and allied health, and both produce similar earnings outcomes. Kettering College is also closely comparable. Bellevue University is a larger online-heavy adult school with somewhat different student demographics. Notre Dame of Maryland is a traditional liberal-arts school not really comparable. Among the true clinical peers, Clarkson is roughly mid-pack on ROI.
| 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. That's roughly average - not a bargain, not a mistake.
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 against $64,876 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.