Lakeland University
Plymouth, Wisconsin · Private Nonprofit · 86.3% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 44/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Lakeland University, a private nonprofit in Plymouth, WI, scores 44 on the ROI index in Below Benchmark tier. Sticker tuition is $33,396 with a net price of $24,212 - meaningful aid. Average earnings at six years are $39,400, rising to a median $55,961 at 10 years - the 10-year figure is genuinely strong. Payback period is 11.3 years and debt-to-earnings is 0.635 against $25,000 median debt. The score is held back by a 42.5% completion rate. Three-year repayment rate is 72%. With enrollment of 1,212 and a 25% Pell rate, Lakeland operates as a small Wisconsin private with a notable focus on accounting, business, and computer science - the program data is unusually strong. The computer science program in particular posts $96,835 four-year earnings. Students who select into the right majors find a real ROI here; the institutional average is dragged down by completion and the price tag.
How Lakeland 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 Score44/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
Lakeland University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $33,396/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $33,396/yr |
| Average net price | $24,212/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $96,848 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $55,961 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $39,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $265 |
| Estimated payback period | 11.3 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 42.4% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,212 |
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: $33,396/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $24,212/year, or roughly $96,848 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 $22,453/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $28,054/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 ($39,400) and comes to 0.64, 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 | $22,453 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $22,030 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $20,124 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $24,332 |
| $110,001+ | $28,054 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Households at $0-$30,000 pay $22,453, while $30,001-$48,000 pays $22,030 - nearly flat at the bottom, with the $30-48K band paying slightly less. Both prices are substantial against a $39,400 six-year average earnings figure but workable for students entering the high-earning programs (computer science, accounting).
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Inverted brackets to flag: $48,001-$75,000 pays $20,124 - the lowest of any band, lower than what either lower-income tier pays. $75,001-$110,000 jumps to $24,332. The reverse-progressive aid in the upper-middle band appears to be merit-driven.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $28,054, the top bracket. Total 4-year cost about $112,000, against $55,961 ten-year median earnings - a 2x cost-to-earnings ratio. For high-income families, the math works specifically for technical-track students; liberal-arts and psychology paths sit at the same $112,000 cost.
Earnings by Major
Top 7 most popular majors at Lakeland University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $66,108 | C+ |
| Accounting | $66,815 | C |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $96,835 | B |
| Psychology | $53,448 | D |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $52,998 | C |
| Marketing | $59,513 | C |
| Political Science and Government | $55,265 | C |
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.
Computer and Information Sciences
Computer and Information Sciences is the standout: 42 graduates, $72,789 first-year earnings, $96,835 at four years, $28,500 median debt, 0.392 debt-to-earnings, and a B ROI grade. The four-year earnings progression (33%) is solid and the absolute level approaches $100K - exceptional for a Wisconsin regional private. Career paths run through Milwaukee-area enterprise IT, manufacturing technology, and remote-tech employment.
Accounting
Accounting has 70 graduates, $56,114 first-year earnings, $66,815 at four years, $36,256 median debt, 0.646 debt-to-earnings, and a C ROI grade.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration has 141 graduates - the largest program - with $53,132 first-year earnings, $66,108 at four years, $28,156 median debt, 0.53 debt-to-earnings, and a C+ ROI grade. Solid wage progression and manageable debt produce a defensible ROI. This is the volume program at Lakeland, and the C+ grade suggests it does its job well for the average graduate.
Marketing
Marketing has 13 graduates, $46,760 first-year earnings, $59,513 at four years, $26,000 median debt, 0.556 debt-to-earnings, and a C ROI grade. Career paths run through Wisconsin B2B marketing, agency work, and corporate communications.
Psychology
Psychology has 33 graduates, $42,355 first-year earnings, $53,448 at four years, $38,866 median debt, 0.918 debt-to-earnings, and a D ROI grade. Earnings are actually OK for a psych bachelor's, but the $38K debt load pulls the grade to D. Students likely to pursue graduate study in psychology should weigh this debt carefully - adding MA or PhD debt on top creates a long-tailed repayment problem.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 65.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 71.8% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 64.3% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 69.7% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Lakeland 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 | 86.3% |
| Enrollment | 1,212 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 25.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,358 |
Admission rate is reported at 86.3%, signaling broadly accessible admission. SAT and ACT scores are not reported - Lakeland appears to be test-optional. The high admit rate combined with a 42.5% completion rate suggests the typical regional-private pattern: open access bringing in students who don't all persist through to graduation. Stronger academic preparation correlates with finishing here, even though the school doesn't publicly screen for it.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeland University (this school) | 44 | $24,212 | $55,961 |
| Bellin College | 72 | $37,408 | $76,222 |
| Concordia University-Nebraska | 45 | $23,965 | $52,415 |
| Carlow University | 45 | $20,786 | $51,051 |
| Aquinas College | 44 | $16,626 | $49,584 |
| Alverno College | 39 | $22,540 | $53,145 |
Who Thrives Here
Fits Wisconsin and upper-Midwest students seeking a small private with strong applied-business and computer-science programs. Enrollment of 1,212 keeps cohorts small. Outcomes are sharply bifurcated: computer science, accounting, business, and marketing produce solid C-to-B grades; psychology and design programs sit lower. Students with clear technical or accounting intent will find the price-to-outcome math much better than students entering with undecided majors.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Lakeland University scores 44/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $24,212 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $55,961 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 11.3 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: its 42.4% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.64 (median across the schools we score: 0.61).
Median debt of $25,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $39,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.64. 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.
Lakeland University: Common Questions
Is Lakeland University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Lakeland University scores 44/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $24,212 a year after aid against $55,961 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 11.3 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Lakeland 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 $24,212 a year, or roughly $96,848 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 Lakeland University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $55,961 ten years after enrolling, roughly $14,161 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 Lakeland 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 11.3 years for Lakeland University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Lakeland University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,000, against average earnings of $39,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.64. 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 Lakeland University?
The six-year graduation rate is 42.4%. 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.
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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.