Maharishi International University
Fairfield, Iowa · Private Nonprofit · 95.7% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 12/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Maharishi International University scores 12 (Below Benchmark) on the CampusROI scale. Three sub-scores define the severity: earnings premium of -0.117 (sub-score 2), meaning MIU graduates earn 11.7% less than non-college-goers at the median; payback period of 999 years (sub-score 7) - this is a mathematical placeholder indicating the payback period cannot be calculated because median earnings never exceed the cost threshold in the model; and debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.082 (sub-score 3), meaning graduates owe more than an entire year of earnings in median debt. Average six-year earnings are $22,900. Median debt is $24,781. Net price is $14,956. The completion rate is 50% (sub-score 38). Repayment rate is 68.1% (sub-score 35). No programs are listed in Scorecard for MIU - the programs array is empty, meaning no program-level earnings or debt data is available for this analysis. MIU is a Transcendental Meditation-based university in Fairfield, Iowa, founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Its student body is 95.7% admitted and includes a significant international student population. The institution's Computer Science program has historically been its primary enrollment driver for international students, but no Scorecard program data is available to confirm or analyze those outcomes. The $22,900 average six-year earnings figure - lower than what the median high school graduate earns without college - is a Scorecard-reported aggregate that likely reflects the institution's unusual demographic mix, including students pursuing spiritual development as a primary goal alongside or instead of career earnings.
How Maharishi International 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 Score12/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.08 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- 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.
Maharishi International University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $16,530/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $16,530/yr |
| Average net price | $14,956/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $59,824 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $27,981 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $22,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $24,781 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $263 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 50.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 922 |
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: $16,530/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $14,956/year, or roughly $59,824 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 $14,269/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $24,781, which works out to about $263 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($22,900) and comes to 1.08, 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least 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 | $14,269 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $16,585 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $14,066 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $18,954 |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The 0-30000 income bracket pays $14,269 per year at MIU - near the $14,956 average. The 30001-48000 bracket pays $16,585, which is higher than the lowest bracket - an unusual step for income-based aid. For low-income students at $14k annually, four-year cost is roughly $57,000. Against $22,900 average six-year earnings and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.082, the financial risk is significant. Low-income students carrying $24,781 in median debt at $22,900 earnings face a debt-to-income ratio that the data indicates most graduates struggle to service.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 48001-75000 bracket pays $14,066 - lower than the lowest-income bracket, which suggests merit-based or program-specific discounting at this income range. The 75001-110000 bracket pays $18,954. The non-monotonic income schedule makes a straightforward middle-income analysis difficult. The 110001-plus bracket is null. At $14-19k annually across most reported income levels, MIU's net price is modest in absolute terms. The financial concern is not the price but the earnings outcomes relative to debt.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The 110001-plus bracket is not reported in Scorecard - no price data is available for the highest-income tier. Given MIU's 56.9% Pell rate and open-access model, very few students likely come from the highest income bracket. For any family evaluating MIU, the financial decision should center on whether the institution's TM-based educational mission justifies the cost relative to the Scorecard-reported earnings outcomes.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 52.9% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 68.1% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 65.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 73.4% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Maharishi International 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 | 95.7% |
| Enrollment | 922 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 56.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $4,582 |
At 95.7%, MIU is an open-access institution with no meaningful admissions filter. Students who apply are accepted. The institution's unique identity means self-selection is the operative admission mechanism: students who enroll have typically already determined that MIU's mission and community are a primary priority. Financial planning should be explicit and conservative given the earnings outcomes that Scorecard reports.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Maharishi International University has an ROI score of 12. The 12 score is an accurate representation of what Scorecard measures and what it captures.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maharishi International University (this school) | 12 | $14,956 | $27,981 |
| Briar Cliff University | 46 | $23,907 | $54,475 |
| Buena Vista University | 39 | $18,846 | $49,156 |
| Brewton-Parker College | 13 | $26,054 | $42,009 |
| Coker University | 13 | $20,286 | $40,117 |
| Philander Smith University | 10 | $14,224 | $38,427 |
Who Thrives Here
Maharishi International University admits 95.7% of applicants - essentially open enrollment. No SAT or ACT ranges are reported in Scorecard. Enrollment is 922. The Pell grant rate of 56.9% is high, reflecting a predominantly lower-income student body. MIU's student population is distinctly mission-driven: students choose the institution for its Transcendental Meditation practice integrated into academics, its Fairfield community, and its Consciousness-Based Education model. The financial profile suggests that students who choose MIU are not primarily motivated by earnings optimization, but should be clear-eyed about the earnings data Scorecard reports.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Maharishi International University scores 12/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $14,956 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $27,981 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 50.0% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.08 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 68.1% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $24,781 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $22,900 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.08. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Maharishi International University: Common Questions
Is Maharishi International University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Maharishi International University scores 12/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $14,956 a year after aid against $27,981 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 Maharishi International 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 $14,956 a year, or roughly $59,824 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 Maharishi International University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $27,981 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 Maharishi International 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 more than 50 years for Maharishi International University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Maharishi International University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $24,781, against average earnings of $22,900 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.08. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so how much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Maharishi International University?
The six-year graduation rate is 50.0%. 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.