Davenport University
Grand Rapids, Michigan · Private Nonprofit · 97.8% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 28/100 · Poor Value
Davenport University, a Grand Rapids, Michigan private nonprofit focused on business, tech, and health career fields, posts a Poor Value ROI score of 28/100. The headline ratios are tough: 20.9-year payback period, debt-to-earnings of 0.741 (more than 70 cents of debt for every dollar of early earnings), and a 56.9% repayment rate that flags real difficulty servicing loans. Tuition runs $24,466 per year with a $17,707 net price after aid - roughly $70,828 over four years. Median earnings six years after entry are $35,100, climbing modestly to $45,099 at ten years. The earnings premium over a high-school graduate is only 14.3%, which is the core problem: students borrow at private-college rates and earn at near-public-associate levels. The bright spot is completion - at 56.6%, Davenport finishes more students than many open-admission peers. The school's nursing and computer programs deliver materially better outcomes than the institution-wide picture, and prospective students should treat Davenport less as a single brand and more as a portfolio of program-specific bets where the technical and clinical majors carry the financial case.
The data raises concerns about Davenport University
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score28/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
- Payback period20.9 years - Most 4-year schools we track have payback periods of 4-10 years.
Davenport University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $24,466/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $24,466/yr |
| Average net price | $17,707/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $70,828 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $45,099 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $35,100 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $276 |
| Estimated payback period | 20.9 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 56.6% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 3,134 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The sticker price at Davenport University is $24,466/year. But sticker price isn't what most students pay. After grants, scholarships, and financial aid, the average student pays a net price of $17,707/year, or roughly $70,828 over four years.
That net price varies significantly by family income. The lowest-income families (under $30,000/year) pay an average of $16,700/year, while families earning over $110,000 pay $28,703/year.
The median graduate leaves with $26,000 in federal loan debt, translating to an estimated monthly payment of $276 on a standard 10-year repayment plan. Against median earnings of $45,099 ten years out, the debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.74 - within the recommended range but worth monitoring.
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 | $16,700 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $22,376 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $22,856 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $24,420 |
| $110,001+ | $28,703 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Lower-income families ($0-$30,000) pay $16,700 per year net - actually the cheapest bracket, suggesting Pell and institutional aid stack reasonably well at the bottom. Over four years that is about $66,800. The bracket structure inverts above this: the $30,001-$48,000 group pays more at $22,376, a flag worth raising. Lower-income families should still scrutinize whether the program-specific ROI justifies the cost.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income households face the inverted aid problem most acutely. The $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $22,376, the $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $22,856, and the $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $24,420 - approaching the sticker price. Four-year cost lands at $89,000-$98,000 for this group. Unless targeting nursing or computer science specifically, the math is hard to justify.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $28,703 per year net, which exceeds the published $24,466 tuition figure. That inversion - net price higher than tuition - reflects room, board, and fees being captured in the net-price calculation while the tuition figure is tuition-only. Four-year all-in approaches $115,000, and the financial case requires a high-earning program choice.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Davenport University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $78,357 | C |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $71,344 | C+ |
| Marketing | $60,463 | C |
| Accounting | $68,792 | C+ |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration | $73,487 | C |
| Computer Science | $76,469 | C+ |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $64,247 | D |
| Human Resources Management | $67,854 | C |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $54,729 | D |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications | $69,737 | 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.
Registered Nursing
Nursing is Davenport's flagship by volume - 188 graduates a year - earning $72,486 at one year and $78,357 at four years. Median debt is high at $46,829, pushing the debt-to-earnings ratio to 0.646 and a C ROI grade. The earnings are strong for a Michigan nursing program; the wrinkle is the debt load, which is materially higher than at public nursing programs. Students should confirm clinical placement quality and NCLEX pass rates before signing on.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
The second-largest program at 174 graduates posts $51,384 first-year earnings rising to $71,344 at four years, with $27,898 median debt and a 0.543 debt-to-earnings ratio - a C+ ROI grade. The four-year earnings ramp is solid, suggesting the program does prepare students for managerial pay over time. Better positioned than soft-business programs at many peer schools.
Computer Science
Computer Science (43 grads) earns $60,031 at year one and $76,469 at year four, with $32,500 median debt and a 0.541 debt-to-earnings ratio yielding a C+ ROI grade. These are workmanlike outcomes - below big-school CS programs but well above Davenport's institutional median. For students priced out of selective CS programs, this is a defensible regional option.
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications
Networking and telecom is the standout: 27 grads earning $57,502 at year one and $69,737 at year four, with only $24,146 median debt and a 0.42 debt-to-earnings ratio - a B ROI grade, the best at Davenport. The combination of solid earnings and restrained debt is exactly what a career-focused private should produce. A small but quietly excellent program.
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Health admin grads (36/yr) earn $52,603 at year one and $64,247 at year four - decent numbers - but median debt is $50,407 and debt-to-earnings hits 0.958, the highest in Davenport's reported mix, yielding a D ROI grade. The debt load is the problem; students paying near $50k for an administrative credential should consider lower-cost paths to the same job.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 49.5% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 56.9% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 38.0% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 44.1% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 97.8% |
| Enrollment | 3,134 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 33.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,047 |
Davenport admits 97.84% of applicants, essentially open-admission. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported in current Scorecard data, consistent with a test-optional or test-blind posture for adult and career-focused learners. Open access matters here because Davenport draws many working adults and transfer students; the 56.6% completion rate is actually above average for an open-admission private, suggesting reasonable institutional support, though far from selective-college territory.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Scorecard peers include Adrian College, Albion College, Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico, Oral Roberts University, and Charleston Southern University. Davenport's 28 ROI score trails the small Michigan liberal-arts pair (Adrian, Albion) and sits near faith-based regional privates like Oral Roberts and Charleston Southern. The Puerto Rico polytechnic comparison is structurally unusual - it shares a career-focused profile but operates in a very different cost and labor-market context. Among this peer set, Davenport's nursing and tech outcomes are competitive; its broad business cohort is middle-of-pack.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davenport University (this school) | 28 | $17,707 | $45,099 |
| Albion College | 65 | $14,301 | $58,799 |
| Adrian College | 39 | $25,368 | $55,504 |
| Oral Roberts University | 29 | $25,365 | $46,885 |
| Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico | 27 | $17,540 | $47,540 |
| Charleston Southern University | 24 | $21,666 | $45,898 |
Who Thrives Here
Davenport enrolls 3,134 students with a 33.8% Pell rate, indicating a meaningful working-class and lower-income base. The school fits Michigan-region adult learners, career-changers, and traditional students targeting nursing, IT, computer science, or accounting - programs where the labor market in West Michigan is genuinely strong. Students drawn to softer majors like kinesiology or general business should weigh the institution-wide weak earnings against in-state public alternatives such as Grand Valley State or Ferris State.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
The financial data raises serious concerns about Davenport University. With a net cost of $17,707 per year and median graduate earnings of only $45,099 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds 20.9 years. For most students, the financial return does not justify the cost.
Areas of concern include weak earnings relative to cost and high debt relative to what graduates earn and concerning loan repayment rates and a long payback period.
Median debt of $26,000 against $45,099 in earnings is reasonable, though major choice matters significantly. Students in higher-earning programs will see better returns.
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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.