Parker University
Dallas, Texas · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 39/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Parker University, a Dallas-based health-sciences institution best known for chiropractic education, scores 39 on the CampusROI framework and lands in Below Benchmark tier. The picture is mixed and idiosyncratic. The cost stack is notable: tuition is $17,893, but net price is $29,135 (the net-exceeds-tuition pattern is a clear flag that fees, books, and living expenses dominate and aid is constrained). Total 4-year cost is $116,540. Average 6-year earnings come in at $40,000 climbing only modestly to a median $42,091 at 10 years (an unusually flat curve), with a 36.2-year payback period that effectively means earnings never recoup cost. Median debt is moderate at $12,288, producing a strong 0.307 debt-to-earnings ratio and a 93 subscore for that metric. The 74.1% completion rate is good. The drag is the 50.4% three-year repayment rate and the weak earnings premium. Parker is fundamentally a graduate-professional institution (chiropractic, anatomy) with undergraduate health-sciences feeders; the federal undergraduate ROI framing misreads its actual value model.
How Parker 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 Score39/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period36.2 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Parker University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $17,893/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $17,893/yr |
| Average net price | $29,135/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $116,540 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $42,091 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $40,000 |
| Median debt at graduation | $12,288 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $130 |
| Estimated payback period | 36.2 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 74.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 607 |
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: $17,893/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 $29,135/year, or roughly $116,540 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 $26,817/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $34,084/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $12,288, which works out to about $130 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($40,000) and comes to 0.31, which in our view is comfortably manageable.
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 | $26,817 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $30,817 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $33,016 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $31,332 |
| $110,001+ | $34,084 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $26,817 net. The $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $30,817 (inverted: higher than the lowest bracket), and the $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $33,016 (also inverted). This is a multiple-bracket inversion pattern, a significant data anomaly. Lowest-income families should validate using the school's net price calculator.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $33,016 and the $75,001-$110,000 bracket actually pays less at $31,332 (further inversion). The pricing curve is unusual and not monotonic. Middle-income families effectively pay close to full cost regardless of bracket, and the published curve does not behave as expected.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $34,084 net, the highest figure. Parker's pricing is essentially flat across income with limited need-based discount.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at Parker University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | $52,681 | - |
| Health-Related Knowledge and Skills | $61,327 | - |
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.
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences
Cell Biology and Anatomical Sciences graduates 21 students with $53,632 in 1-year earnings and $52,681 at year four. Debt and ratio data are suppressed. The flat earnings curve is unusual and suggests that most graduates enter health-services support roles where wages do not scale sharply with experience. The program functions primarily as a pre-chiropractic and pre-PA preparation track; eventual outcomes are tied to graduate-school continuation.
Health-Related Knowledge and Skills
Health-Related Knowledge and Skills shows 4-year earnings of $61,327, the highest among Parker's reported programs. Year-one earnings and graduate-count data are not reported, and the program label is vague (CIP 3401 covers a broad health-services preparation category). The earnings figure is encouraging but the missing context limits confident interpretation. Likely a small specialized cohort.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 42.4% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 50.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 49.4% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 52.6% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Parker 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
| Enrollment | 607 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 50.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,013 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data. Parker's admissions function is health-sciences and chiropractic-focused, with the undergraduate programs serving as preparation for the graduate chiropractic curriculum. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported because Parker does not require standardized testing for its primarily graduate-bound admissions process. The 74.1% completion rate against unknown selectivity suggests the institution is selecting students with strong vocational commitment.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parker University (this school) | 39 | $29,135 | $42,091 |
| Abilene Christian University | 51 | $26,182 | $55,736 |
| Alverno College | 39 | $22,540 | $53,145 |
| Holy Cross College | 38 | $26,728 | $50,416 |
| Harrisburg University of Science and Technology | 38 | $15,376 | $52,374 |
| Arlington Baptist University | 14 | $24,906 | $44,644 |
Who Thrives Here
Parker fits students with a clear vocational target in chiropractic, anatomy, functional nutrition, or related health-sciences fields, particularly those planning to continue into Parker's DC (Doctor of Chiropractic) graduate program. With 607 students and a 50% Pell rate, the population is small, professional, and modest-income. Strong fits are pre-chiropractic students and health-sciences specialists with intent to practice. Weaker fits are general undergraduate students seeking a traditional liberal arts experience.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Parker University scores 39/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $29,135 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $42,091 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 36.2 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 74.1% graduation rate, manageable debt relative to earnings. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a three-year loan repayment rate of 50.4% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $12,288 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $40,000 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.31, 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.
Parker University: Common Questions
Is Parker University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Parker University scores 39/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $29,135 a year after aid against $42,091 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 36.2 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Parker 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 $29,135 a year, or roughly $116,540 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 Parker University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $42,091 ten years after enrolling, roughly $291 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 Parker 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 36.2 years for Parker University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Parker University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $12,288, against average earnings of $40,000 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.31. 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 Parker University?
The six-year graduation rate is 74.1%, 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.
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.