Rowan University
Glassboro, New Jersey · Public · 77.7% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 66/100 · Fair Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Rowan University, a public research institution in Glassboro, NJ, posts an ROI score of 66 (Fair Value). Median 10-year earnings of $59,988 sit well above the national bachelor's median, modeled payback runs 9.2 years, and debt-to-earnings of 0.52 reflects a manageable typical debt of $20,500. The school's program portfolio is anchored by strong engineering, nursing, and computer science cohorts - electrical engineering grads earn $104,215 at four years, mechanical engineering $90,084, nursing $97,116, and computer science $86,475. The drag on ROI comes from a long tail of liberal arts and humanities programs with weaker bachelor's-only earnings. For New Jersey residents pursuing STEM, business, or nursing, Rowan offers genuine value; for out-of-state students or humanities majors, the math is closer to break-even.
Rowan University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $16,574/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $26,932/yr |
| Average net price | $22,408/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $89,632 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $59,988 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $39,800 |
| Median debt at graduation | $20,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $217 |
| Estimated payback period | 9.2 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 67.4% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 15,841 |
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: $16,574/year ($26,932/year out-of-state), 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 $22,408/year, or roughly $89,632 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 $15,305/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $30,378/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $20,500, which works out to about $217 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($39,800) and comes to 0.52, 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 | $15,305 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $15,264 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $19,245 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $27,580 |
| $110,001+ | $30,378 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $15,305 net annually - the schedule's lowest tier and a meaningful subsidy versus the $22,408 average net price. Pell, NJ TAG (state grants), and institutional aid carry most of the load. Four-year cost runs about $61,000. For a Pell-eligible student in nursing, engineering, or computer science, the value math is excellent. Lower-income students pursuing humanities should weigh whether grad school is part of their plan.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Note an inverted bracket: families earning $30,001-$48,000 pay $15,264 - slightly less than the lowest-income tier. This reflects merit-aid stacking and relatively flat aid for the bottom two tiers. The $48,001-$75,000 group pays $19,245, and $75,001-$110,000 jumps to $27,580. Middle-income four-year totals run $61,000-$110,000. A STEM major makes the math comfortable; humanities or social-science majors should push hard on aid or consider community college for the first two years.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $30,378 - this exceeds the in-state sticker tuition of $16,574, which means the school is including room/board/fees and offering minimal merit aid at this bracket. Four years runs roughly $122,000.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Rowan University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | $51,878 | C |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $73,631 | C+ |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $56,226 | C |
| Biology | $64,921 | D |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $62,661 | C |
| Finance and Financial Management | $75,697 | C+ |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $53,266 | C |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $86,475 | B |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians | $46,969 | D |
| Computer Programming | $60,493 | 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.
Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering posts Rowan's highest four-year median earnings at $104,215, with first-year earnings of $79,612 and median debt of $23,250 producing a 0.29 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B+ ROI grade. With 84 graduates per year, this is a meaningful cohort with strong defense, telecom, and utility-sector employer pipelines in the I-95 corridor. EE is a high-ROI undergraduate program.
Registered Nursing
Nursing graduates 75 students per year with $84,859 first-year and $97,116 four-year median earnings - nearly six-figure outcomes. Median debt of $25,000 yields a 0.30 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B+ ROI grade. New Jersey's high nursing wages combined with Rowan's clinical placements at Cooper and AtlantiCare make this a strong nursing ROI proposition.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering graduates 101 students per year, with $66,909 first-year and $90,084 four-year median earnings. Median debt of $22,500 yields a 0.34 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B+ ROI grade. The South Jersey/Philadelphia industrial corridor (pharma, defense, automotive supply) provides strong placement; this is one of Rowan's clearest value cases.
Computer and Information Sciences
Computer science graduates 140 students per year with $67,278 first-year and $86,475 four-year median earnings. Median debt of $24,250 yields a 0.36 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B ROI grade. Pairs well with Rowan's growing tech presence in South Jersey and Philadelphia.
Psychology
Psychology is Rowan's largest major at 512 graduates - and posts only a C ROI grade. First-year earnings of $30,920 and four-year earnings of $51,878 are paired with median debt of $21,500, producing a 0.70 debt-to-earnings ratio. Psychology graduates without a master's or doctoral plan struggle to clear the income threshold needed to service Rowan's typical debt load. Prospective psychology students should commit to graduate school as part of the plan.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 72.6% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 76.8% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 70.6% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 77.5% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Rowan 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 | 77.7% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 550-650 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 560-660 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 23-29 |
| Enrollment | 15,841 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 33.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $10,856 |
Rowan admits 77.7% of applicants - broadly accessible while still maintaining academic standards. SAT mid-range runs 550-650 math and 560-660 reading; ACT spans 23-29. Those scores are above the national average and consistent with a regional public that draws solid college-prep students from across South Jersey. The 67.4% completion rate aligns with this admit profile: most matriculants are academically prepared to finish, though the engineering and STEM tracks see typical attrition.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rowan University (this school) | 66 | $22,408 | $59,988 |
| Indiana University-Indianapolis | 67 | $11,668 | $55,198 |
| West Chester University of Pennsylvania | 67 | $23,331 | $61,258 |
| CUNY New York City College of Technology | 64 | $5,127 | $49,365 |
| New Jersey City University | 51 | $16,053 | $52,745 |
| Bloomfield College of Montclair State University | 50 | $28,014 | $61,415 |
Head-to-Head ROI Comparisons
See Rowan University side by side with similar schools on ROI, cost, earnings, and debt.
Who Thrives Here
Enrollment of 15,841 is mid-sized. Pell rate of 33% indicates significant socioeconomic diversity. Strong fits include engineering, nursing, computer science, business, and accounting students; weaker fits include humanities and arts majors who would face the school's weakest ROI subgroups. The medical and law school adjacencies (Cooper, Glassboro) add unique pre-professional opportunities.
The Verdict: A Reasonable Bet - With Caveats
Rowan University is a fair-value bet, but how well it pays off depends a lot on you. At $22,408 a year after aid ($89,632 over four years), with the typical graduate earning $59,988 a decade out, the cost takes about 9.2 years to earn back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Median debt of $20,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $39,800 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.52, 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.
Rowan University: Common Questions
Is Rowan University worth it?
In our view, it's a fair-value bet - whether Rowan University is worth it depends a lot on your major and aid package. It scores 66/100 on our ROI scale. At $22,408 a year after aid ($89,632 over four years) against $59,988 in typical earnings a decade out, the cost takes about 9.2 years to earn back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does Rowan 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 $22,408 a year, or roughly $89,632 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 Rowan University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $59,988 ten years after enrolling, roughly $18,188 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 Rowan 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 9.2 years for Rowan University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Rowan University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $20,500, against average earnings of $39,800 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.52. 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 Rowan University?
The six-year graduation rate is 67.4%, 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.