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, against $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.
How Cleveland University-Kansas City 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.
- Payback period16.4 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 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 |
| Average 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, 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 $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.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $12,500, which works out to about $133 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($41,700) 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 | 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 income-tier analysis cannot be done 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. 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 | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 50.0% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 52.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 57.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 50.9% | 72.8% |
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.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| 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. The four-year total cost is $143,056.
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. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years. 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, a three-year loan repayment rate of 52.4% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $12,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $41,700 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.
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. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does Cleveland University-Kansas City 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 $35,764 a year, or roughly $143,056 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 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. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Cleveland University-Kansas City graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $12,500, against average earnings of $41,700 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 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.