Herzing University-Kenosha
Kenosha, Wisconsin · Private Nonprofit · 92.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 23/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Herzing University-Kenosha earns a Below Benchmark ROI score of 23, with a 121.7-year payback period that effectively signals earnings never recoup the cost under standard assumptions. Tuition is listed at $13,450 but net price is $23,066 - meaningfully higher, indicating fees, supplies, and living costs that aren't captured in tuition. Four-year cost is $92,264. Average earnings six years out are just $30,100, growing only to a median $36,909 by year ten. The repayment rate is 45.2% - scoring 6 out of 100 - meaning more than half of borrowers are not actively paying down loans. Earnings premium is essentially zero (raw value 0.021, scoring 9). Completion rate of 72.2% is strong (scoring 82) - the school does get students across the finish line, but the credential they earn doesn't produce strong earnings. Median debt of $21,500 looks moderate at the institutional level, but program-level debt is much higher: nursing graduates carry $43,985, business carries $46,792, health admin carries $47,375. Pell rate of 62.3% indicates a heavily working-class student body taking on substantial risk. As of 2024-2025 Scorecard data, Herzing represents the career-school value problem: high completion masking serious downstream earnings and debt issues.
How Herzing University-Kenosha 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 Score23/100 - 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-Kenosha
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $13,450/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $13,450/yr |
| Average net price | $23,066/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $92,264 |
| 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 | 72.2% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 522 |
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 $23,066/year, or roughly $92,264 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 $21,600/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $28,132/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 | $21,600 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $25,283 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $24,333 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $24,103 |
| $110,001+ | $28,132 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $21,600 - the bulk of Herzing's student body given the 62% Pell rate. Four-year cost approaches $86,000 against a $30,100 six-year average earnings. For Pell-eligible students entering the nursing program specifically, the case can work; for everything else, it doesn't.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($30,001-$48,000) pay $25,283 - actually higher than the lowest bracket. The brackets show an inversion across the lower tiers. Four-year cost over $101,000. Even at higher prices, the aid is not concentrated on lowest-income families.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Higher-income families ($110,001+) pay $28,132 - the highest bracket. Four-year cost approaches $113,000.
Earnings by Major
Top 8 most popular majors at Herzing University-Kenosha with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $91,010 | C |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $66,379 | D |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $51,098 | F |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $69,601 | B |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration | $70,624 | D |
| Computer Programming | $78,404 | C |
| 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 essentially the entire useful program at Herzing-Kenosha: 144 graduates with first-year earnings of $75,774 climbing to $91,010 by year four. The earnings are strong, but median debt of $43,985 is more than double the school-wide median, producing a 0.58 ratio and C ROI grade. The high debt drags what would otherwise be a B+ outcome down to a C. Students completing this program will earn real wages but with substantial debt overhang.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business graduates only 5 students annually (small sample) with first-year earnings of $52,469 against an extraordinary $46,792 median debt - a 0.892 ratio and D ROI grade. The debt levels in this program are striking and unusual.
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Health Admin has 5 graduates with first-year earnings of $39,231 against $47,375 debt - a 1.208 ratio and F ROI grade. Health admin career paths typically pay $40,000-$60,000; this program's debt levels make even those wages inadequate.
Computer/Information Technology Administration
IT Administration graduates only 1 student annually (statistically unreliable). First-year earnings of $57,229 against $41,837 debt - a 0.731 ratio and D ROI grade. With sample size this small the numbers are directional rather than precise. Conceptually IT administration has reasonable career economics, but Herzing's pricing strains the math even for moderately strong earners.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice graduates 1 student annually (statistically unreliable). First-year earnings of $67,229 (very high) against $28,399 debt produce a 0.422 ratio and B ROI grade - the only B in the lineup. With sample size this small the result should be treated as anecdotal rather than predictive.
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-Kenosha’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2010-2024).
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 | 92.0% |
| Enrollment | 522 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 62.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,591 |
Herzing admits 92% of applicants - effectively open admission. The 72% completion rate is notably strong for an open-admission school, suggesting Herzing's structured online and accelerated programs do bring students to credential. The challenge is that the credential's market value is limited.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herzing University-Kenosha (this school) | 23 | $23,066 | $36,909 |
| Grand Canyon University | 25 | $22,472 | $42,186 |
| Strayer University-Florida | 24 | $16,064 | $40,092 |
| DeVry University-Ohio | 23 | $25,001 | $45,987 |
| Johnson & Wales University-Online | 21 | $20,252 | $43,418 |
| DeVry University-Florida | 21 | $29,477 | $45,987 |
Head-to-Head ROI Comparisons
See Herzing University-Kenosha side by side with similar schools on ROI, cost, earnings, and debt.
Who Thrives Here
Herzing fits working adult learners committed specifically to nursing or a healthcare credential who need flexible scheduling and accelerated programs. Enrollment of 522 is small. Pell rate of 62.3% is very high. The data is sharply program-dependent: nursing graduates earn $75,774 in year one (C grade, weighed down by $43,985 program-level debt). All other programs produce D or F grades. Students should consider Herzing only with eyes wide open about debt burdens and only for the nursing pipeline.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Herzing University-Kenosha scores 23/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $23,066 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 it has going for it: its 72.2% graduation rate. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, 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-Kenosha: Common Questions
Is Herzing University-Kenosha worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Herzing University-Kenosha scores 23/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $23,066 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-Kenosha 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 $23,066 a year, or roughly $92,264 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-Kenosha 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-Kenosha?
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-Kenosha. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Herzing University-Kenosha 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-Kenosha?
The six-year graduation rate is 72.2%, 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.