Cleveland University-Kansas City
Overland Park, Kansas · Private Nonprofit · 69.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 50/100 · Below Average Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Cleveland University-Kansas City presents a deeply unusual data profile. ROI score is 50 (Below Average Value), with components pulling in opposite directions: a perfect 100% completion rate (subscore 99), an excellent 0.3 debt-to-earnings ratio (subscore 94), and very low $12,500 median debt sit alongside a 52.4% repayment rate (subscore 10) and a 16.4-year payback period (subscore 34). Tuition is just $14,400 but the average net price is reported at $35,764, far higher than tuition, meaning fees, supplies, and living costs at this primarily chiropractic-focused institution drive the all-in cost up sharply. Total four-year cost works out to $143,056, the highest in our dataset, against just $52,304 in median 10-year earnings. The 95-student enrollment makes most metrics small-sample noisy. The school's very low debt and 100% completion are real signals, but the weak earnings and repayment rate raise questions about how typical these outcomes are.
The data raises concerns about Cleveland University-Kansas City
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- Payback period16.4 years - Most 4-year schools we track have payback periods of 4-10 years.
Cleveland University-Kansas City
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $14,400/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $14,400/yr |
| Average net price | $35,764/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $143,056 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $52,304 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $41,700 |
| Median debt at graduation | $12,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $133 |
| Estimated payback period | 16.4 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 100.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 95 |
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: $14,400/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 $35,764/year, or roughly $143,056 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 N/A/year.
Most students borrow to get here. The median graduate leaves owing $12,500 in federal loans, which works out to about $133 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Hold that up against the $52,304 the typical graduate earns ten years out: the debt-to-earnings ratio comes to 0.30, 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 | N/A |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | N/A |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $35,764 |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Net price by income data is sparse here, only the $75,001-$110,000 bracket reports a value ($35,764). The other brackets, including low-income, show null. This is a data limitation, not a price floor, but it makes income-tier analysis impossible from the public Scorecard data. Prospective low-income students should use the school's net price calculator directly to get a personal estimate.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Only the $75,001-$110,000 bracket reports a net price ($35,764, identical to the institution average), suggesting either small sample reporting or that this bracket is the dominant family-income profile on campus. Other middle-income brackets do not report values. Four-year cost at the reported figure is $143,056.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The $110,001-plus bracket reports null in current data. Without a published high-income net price, prospective applicants in this tier should run the school's calculator. Given that tuition is only $14,400, the high net price reflects significant fees and indirect costs that may be partially recoverable for residential students.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at Cleveland University-Kansas City with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | $54,153 | 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.
Biology
Biology is the only undergraduate program with reported data and earns a B ROI grade with 39 graduates, the dominant cohort on the small campus. First-year earnings of $39,724 grow to $54,153 by year four, modest but reasonable. The standout figure is just $16,625 in median debt and a 0.419 debt-to-earnings ratio, much lower than typical private-college biology programs. This program likely serves as a pre-chiropractic feeder into the school's doctoral program, with biology majors taking on relatively little undergraduate debt before the much larger professional-school investment.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 50.0% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 52.4% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 57.1% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 50.9% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Cleveland University-Kansas City’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 | 69.2% |
| Enrollment | 95 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 53.5% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,918 |
Cleveland University-KC admits 69.2% of applicants. SAT and ACT mid-50% bands are not reported in current Scorecard data, which is consistent with a graduate-and-professional-skewed institution where standardized test scores are less central to admissions. The school's chiropractic program orientation typically draws students who already hold a bachelor's degree, so undergraduate selectivity metrics are less applicable than at conventional four-year colleges.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
The peer set assembled by the algorithm is mostly small Christian and Catholic privates: Baker University, Benedictine College, Thomas More College of Liberal Arts, Baptist University of the Americas, and Hobe Sound Bible College. Cleveland's profile differs sharply from these conventional liberal-arts peers, its $52,304 median earnings, perfect completion rate, and unusually high net price reflect a specialty health-sciences institution rather than a residential undergrad college. Direct ROI comparisons are not particularly meaningful given the structural differences.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland University-Kansas City (this school) | 50 | $35,764 | $52,304 |
| Baptist Health Sciences University | 69 | $11,212 | $72,529 |
| Galen College of Nursing-Louisville | 64 | $18,540 | $61,480 |
| AdventHealth University | 63 | $30,135 | $72,282 |
| Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe | 36 | $31,681 | $34,657 |
| Arizona College of Nursing-Las Vegas | 35 | $30,921 | $34,657 |
Who Thrives Here
With just 95 students enrolled and a 53.5% Pell rate, Cleveland University-Kansas City is a tiny specialty institution. It primarily serves prospective and current chiropractic students, with its modest undergraduate biology pipeline feeding into the doctor-of-chiropractic program. The school fits a narrow population: students committed to chiropractic or health-sciences careers in the Kansas City area willing to absorb high all-in costs in exchange for direct pathway to professional credentialing. General-purpose undergrads should look elsewhere given the $143,056 four-year total cost.
The Verdict: Proceed With Caution
The money case for Cleveland University-Kansas City is mixed, and worth a hard look before you commit. At $35,764 per year after aid, the typical graduate earns $52,304 ten years after entry, which means it takes about 16.4 years to earn the cost back - slower than most four-year schools. Whether it's worth it comes down to your major and your aid package.
What it has going for it: its 100.0% graduation rate, manageable debt relative to earnings. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, concerning loan repayment rates, a long payback period.
On debt, you can breathe a little easier here. A median $12,500 owed against $52,304 in annual earnings is very manageable - comfortably inside the advisor rule of thumb that total debt should not exceed first-year salary.
Cleveland University-Kansas City: Common Questions
Is Cleveland University-Kansas City worth it?
In our view, the money case is mixed and worth a hard look before you commit. Cleveland University-Kansas City scores 50/100 on our ROI scale. At $35,764 a year after aid the typical graduate earns $52,304 ten years after entry, so it takes about 16.4 years to earn the cost back - slower than most four-year schools.
How much does Cleveland University-Kansas City cost after financial aid?
The average net price - what students actually pay after grants and scholarships - is about $35,764 a year, or roughly $143,056 over four years. That is the number to plan around, not the sticker price. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Cleveland University-Kansas City graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $52,304 ten years after enrolling, roughly $10,504 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 Cleveland University-Kansas City?
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 16.4 years for Cleveland University-Kansas City. Most four-year schools we track land between 4 and 10 years.
How much debt do Cleveland University-Kansas City graduates take on?
Median debt at graduation is about $12,500, against $52,304 in typical earnings a decade out. That is very manageable - comfortably inside the advisor rule of thumb that total debt should stay under a year of salary.
What is the graduation rate at Cleveland University-Kansas City?
The six-year graduation rate is 100.0%, at or above the 64% national average for four-year schools (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.