Adrian College is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Adrian, Michigan. It enrolls 1,604 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Fair
50/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes21
Value28
Affordability36
Selectivity39
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Adrian College admits 72.5% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.
Acceptance Rate
72.5%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
873 – 1140
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
21 – 27
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Adrian College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
12.4 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $25,368 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$41,684
Room & Board (on-campus)
$20,260
Room & Board (off-campus)
$20,260
Books & Supplies
$1,100
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,050
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$2,050
Total Cost of Attendance
$56,003
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$19,542
$30,001 – $48,000
$21,571
$48,001 – $75,000
$24,162
$75,001 – $110,000
$27,166
Over $110,000
$28,652
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$2,75010%percentile
$5,50025%percentile
$27,000Medianpercentile
$27,00075%percentile
$38,23590%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $15,750
↓ $11,250
No Pell $17,505
↓ $9,495
Dependent students $16,250
↓ $10,750
Independent students $9,500
↓ $17,500
Female students $18,500
↓ $8,500
Male students $13,000
↓ $14,000
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, less than completers ($27,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
40% of students who start here finish within six years, and 63% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
40%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
63%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $55,504 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$55,504
Earning > $25K
82%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$34,500
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$50,100
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$36,100
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$41,200
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$46,400
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $15,600, about 31% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
12.5 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 85% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,604 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 31% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
1,604
Part-Time
1%
First-Generation
31%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 59.6%956
Black 6.4%102
International 6.3%101
Hispanic 6.2%100
Other 4.7%76
Asian 0.4%6
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Adrian College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Adrian College offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
60 distinct programs across
23 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 15 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
15:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$114M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$57,243
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
80 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
34
43%
$65,994
Associate Professors
17
21%
$56,085
Assistant Professors
26
33%
$48,649
Instructors
3
4%
$39,119
Pros & Cons of Adrian College
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Adrian College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
First-year retention is below typical
Most students take on federal loans
Frequently Asked Questions about Adrian College
The questions families ask most about Adrian College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Adrian College hard to get into?
Admissions at Adrian College are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 72.5%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Adrian College?
72.5% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Adrian College?
Aim for 1140 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 873 and 1140 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Adrian College?
Aim for 27 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 21 and 27 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Adrian College cost?
Budget around $25,368 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Adrian College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $55,504 a year against a net price of $25,368, about 2.2 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Adrian College known for?
Mostly Kinesiology, Biology, Teaching Specific Subjects. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Adrian College graduates earn?
About $55,504 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Adrian College accredited?
Yes. Adrian College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Adrian College?
1,604 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Adrian College?
40% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Adrian College a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Adrian College located?
Adrian College is located in Adrian, Michigan.
What programs does Adrian College offer?
60 different programs, most commonly Kinesiology, Biology, Teaching Specific Subjects. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Adrian College?
15 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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