Herzing University-Brookfield
Brookfield, Wisconsin · Private Nonprofit · 93.1% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 14/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Herzing University-Brookfield scores 14 (Below Benchmark), a near-bottom result driven by a 116.3-year payback period - effectively infinite - and $30,100 average 6-year earnings. The 41.7% completion rate means fewer than half of entering students graduate. Only 45.2% of borrowers are making progress on their loans 3 years after leaving, and just 42.1% of borrowers at the 7-year mark have made progress. A 67.3% Pell grant rate means the students most harmed by these outcomes are disproportionately low-income. The one notable exception in the data is the nursing program, which produces legitimate earnings.
How Herzing University-Brookfield 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 Score14/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
Herzing University-Brookfield
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $13,450/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $13,450/yr |
| Average net price | $20,514/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $82,056 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $36,909 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $30,100 |
| Median debt at graduation | $21,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $228 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 41.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 380 |
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: $13,450/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 $20,514/year, or roughly $82,056 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 $19,996/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $22,850/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $21,500, which works out to about $228 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($30,100) and comes to 0.71, 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 | $19,996 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $18,153 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $22,415 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | $22,850 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Low-income families (0-$30,000) pay $19,996 per year at Herzing Brookfield - $79,984 over four years against $30,100 average 6-year earnings. This is a deeply harmful cost-to-earnings ratio. The 67.3% Pell grant rate means the most financially vulnerable students are the ones most exposed to this outcome.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $22,415 per year at Herzing Brookfield. Net price data for the $75,001-$110,000 bracket is not available. At $22,415 per year over four years ($89,660 total), the payback against $30,100 average earnings is essentially never - this is the literal driver of the 116.3-year payback figure. Middle-income families do not benefit from a significant aid cushion here.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Higher-income families ($110,000+) pay $22,850 per year. At this price, against $30,100 average earnings, no financial case exists for enrollment except in nursing specifically, where earnings are competitive. Full-pay attendance at Herzing Brookfield for non-nursing programs is a weak financial decision.
Earnings by Major
Top 8 most popular majors at Herzing University-Brookfield with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $91,010 | C |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $51,098 | F |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $66,379 | D |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration | $70,624 | D |
| Computer Programming | $78,404 | C |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $69,601 | B |
| Accounting | $54,345 | - |
| Legal Support Services | $33,315 | - |
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 the only defensible program at Herzing Brookfield: 50 graduates, $75,774 at year one, $91,010 at year four. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.580 earns a C grade.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration (3 graduates) earns $52,469 at year one and $66,379 at year four, but median debt of $46,792 produces a D-grade debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.892. The very small graduate count limits reliability. At near-$47,000 debt for a business degree from an institution with a 41.7% completion rate, the risk-adjusted value is poor.
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Health Administrative Services (4 graduates) earns $39,231 at year one and $51,098 at year four, with median debt of $47,375 and an F-grade debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.208. Graduates owe more than their annual salary in student debt. This outcome - low earnings, high debt, small program volume - describes a program that produces persistent financial harm for the students it enrolls. This specific program at this institution is not a sound financial choice.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 39.0% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 45.2% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 32.6% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 42.1% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Herzing University-Brookfield’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2011-2024).
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 | 93.1% |
| Enrollment | 380 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 67.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,256 |
Herzing Brookfield's 93.1% admission rate and absence of test data describe open-access enrollment. No academic selectivity is in play. Students should focus their evaluation on program-level outcomes and total cost. For most programs except nursing, the data argues against enrollment at this institution's cost structure.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Herzing Brookfield's repayment rate is 45.2% at 3 years.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herzing University-Brookfield (this school) | 14 | $20,514 | $36,909 |
| Bellin College | 72 | $37,408 | $76,222 |
| Alverno College | 39 | $22,540 | $53,145 |
| Mitchell College | 15 | $30,260 | $39,115 |
| Mission University | 15 | $21,383 | $38,641 |
| Southwestern Christian University | 14 | $20,146 | $40,391 |
Who Thrives Here
Herzing Brookfield admits 93.1% of applicants and does not report test score data - consistent with an open-enrollment model. Enrollment is small at 380 students. The Pell rate of 67.3% describes a predominantly low-income student body for whom the financial stakes of a poor ROI outcome are severe. Students who want nursing specifically may find the program worthy of evaluation despite the institution's overall poor metrics. All other programs have debt-to-earnings ratios that range from D to F grade.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Herzing University-Brookfield scores 14/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $20,514 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $36,909 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 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 41.7% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 45.2% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $21,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $30,100 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Herzing University-Brookfield: Common Questions
Is Herzing University-Brookfield worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Herzing University-Brookfield scores 14/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $20,514 a year after aid against $36,909 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Herzing University-Brookfield 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 $20,514 a year, or roughly $82,056 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 Herzing University-Brookfield graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $36,909 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off Herzing University-Brookfield?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at more than 50 years for Herzing University-Brookfield. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Herzing University-Brookfield graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $21,500, against average earnings of $30,100 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Herzing University-Brookfield?
The six-year graduation rate is 41.7%. 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.
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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.