Friends University
Wichita, Kansas · Private Nonprofit · 55.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 35/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Friends University earns an overall ROI score of 35, in the Below Benchmark tier. The school is a small Wichita-based Quaker-affiliated private with a high sticker price ($34,192) and meaningful but limited discounting (net price $27,715, four-year cost $110,860). Median debt of $25,000 against six-year earnings of $42,300 produces a 0.591 debt-to-earnings ratio, which is elevated, and a 14.7-year payback period that signals slow returns on the investment. Ten-year earnings rise to $52,113, indicating modest career-trajectory growth. Repayment behavior is correspondingly soft, with only 63.4% of borrowers reducing principal three years out. The earnings premium of 15.4% is positive but small. The data describes a school where business and accounting graduates do reasonably well but a substantial share of enrollees never reach graduation, and where the price tag asks too much of the typical wage outcomes the institution produces.
How Friends University 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.
- ROI Score35/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
Friends University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $34,192/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $34,192/yr |
| Average net price | $27,715/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $110,860 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $52,113 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $42,300 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $265 |
| Estimated payback period | 14.7 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 43.4% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,048 |
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: $34,192/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $27,715/year, or roughly $110,860 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 $21,714/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $31,471/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $25,000, which works out to about $265 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($42,300) and comes to 0.59, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
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 | $21,714 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $23,992 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $25,517 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $29,377 |
| $110,001+ | $31,471 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $21,714 per year. Four-year cost of roughly $87,000 is steep relative to typical post-graduation earnings of $42,300. The discount from sticker is real but the absolute cost remains high.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$110,000) pay $25,517 to $29,377 per year. Four-year cost lands in the $102,000-$118,000 range, very high for this demographic. Typical debt is $25,000.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households over $110,000 pay $31,471 per year - approximately $126,000 across four years. The financial case for Friends at full freight is weak.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Friends University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $74,063 | C |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $41,734 | D |
| Psychology | $48,375 | C |
| Accounting | $63,701 | C |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $42,940 | F |
| Genetics | $39,329 | D |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $59,387 | - |
| Teacher Education | $45,032 | C |
| Information Science | $70,999 | - |
| Human Resources Management | $54,539 | D |
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.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business administration is the largest program at 44 graduates yearly. Median first-year earnings of $54,090 and four-year earnings of $74,063 are strong. Median debt of $33,875 is high, however, and produces a 0.626 debt-to-earnings ratio and a C grade. Career outcomes cluster in Wichita-area corporate, aviation industry support roles (Wichita is the air-capital aerospace hub), and family business management.
Accounting
Accounting graduates 16 students yearly with $54,393 first-year and $63,701 four-year earnings. Median debt of $31,250 produces a 0.575 ratio and a C grade. The earnings figures are strong but the debt level pulls the grade down. Wichita's mid-size corporate ecosystem (aviation, agricultural commodities, distribution) provides reliable demand for accounting graduates, particularly those pursuing CPA licensure.
Psychology
Psychology produces 22 graduates yearly with $32,760 first-year and $48,375 four-year earnings on $21,527 of debt. The 0.657 ratio earns a C grade. The trajectory from year-1 to year-4 is meaningful, suggesting graduate-school throughput. Students entering this program should plan a master's-level credential to make the math work over the long run.
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Liberal arts produces 27 graduates yearly with $41,734 first-year earnings on $31,500 of debt - a 0.755 ratio earning a D grade. The four-year earnings figure is not reported, making trajectory analysis difficult.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology produces 16 graduates yearly with $24,870 first-year earnings on $26,500 of debt - a 1.066 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F grade. This is the worst-performing program by ROI on the campus. Four-year earnings recover to $42,940, indicating graduate-degree pathways drive most of the wage gain. Students should not enter this program without a clear DPT, OT, or PA-school plan.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 55.1% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 63.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 60.8% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 65.1% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Friends University’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 | 55.2% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 460-560 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 500-530 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 15-28 |
| Enrollment | 1,048 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 30.2% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,013 |
Friends University admits 55.2% of applicants - moderately selective on paper. SAT mid-ranges of 460-560 Math and 500-530 Reading and ACT 15-28 indicate substantial variability among test-takers, with the lower bound of the ACT range (15) signaling some students enter notably under-prepared.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friends University (this school) | 35 | $27,715 | $52,113 |
| Baker University | 65 | $25,301 | $63,855 |
| Benedictine College | 45 | $27,891 | $53,175 |
| Geneva College | 38 | $25,890 | $50,004 |
| Our Lady of the Lake University | 35 | $16,442 | $48,675 |
| University of Pikeville | 33 | $20,311 | $48,231 |
Who Thrives Here
Friends fits Wichita-area students seeking a small (1,048 enrollment) Quaker-affiliated private with personalized teaching and faith-integrated programs. Pell rate is 30.2%, indicating a meaningful share of low-income students. Outcomes are strongest for accounting and business administration graduates - both with $54,000+ first-year earnings. Students drifting through liberal arts or kinesiology should expect debt-to-earnings ratios above 0.75. The institution's small scale means student-faculty relationships can be strong, but the 43.4% completion rate signals real persistence headwinds.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Friends University scores 35/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $27,715 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $52,113 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 14.7 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 43.4% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 63.4% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $25,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $42,300 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.59, 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.
Friends University: Common Questions
Is Friends University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Friends University scores 35/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $27,715 a year after aid against $52,113 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 14.7 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Friends University 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 $27,715 a year, or roughly $110,860 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 Friends University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $52,113 ten years after enrolling, roughly $10,313 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 Friends University?
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 14.7 years for Friends University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Friends University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,000, against average earnings of $42,300 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.59. 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 Friends University?
The six-year graduation rate is 43.4%. 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.
NewsletterCollege decisions are better with data.
From CampusROI, when there is something worth acting on.
Rankings & Links
Guides & Tools
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.