Private Nonprofit Graduate Strong 74/100

Bradley University

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Peoria, Illinois

About Bradley University

Thinking about Bradley University, a college in Illinois where more students graduate in Health than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Bradley University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Peoria, Illinois. It enrolls 3,574 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.

Acceptance
76.8%
Graduation
72.8%
Net Price
$22,719
Median Earnings (10yr)
$66,852
Enrollment
3,574
Student : Faculty
11:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

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.

Strong
74/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 79
Value 59
Affordability 42
Selectivity 62

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Bradley University admits 76.8% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.

Acceptance Rate
76.8%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test Policy Test Optional Applicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Bradley University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Becoming less selective ↑ 6.5 pts since 2019
70.2%201973.3%202075.9%202175.1%202276.7%2023

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 $22,719 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.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$22,719
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
32%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
63%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees
$42,160
Room & Board (on-campus)
$13,500
Room & Board (off-campus)
$11,692
Books & Supplies
$1,300
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,684
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$2,684
Total Cost of Attendance
$54,730

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
    $17,269
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $16,539
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $18,609
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $22,954
  • Over $110,000
    $30,008

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.

$5,500
10% percentile
$12,000
25% percentile
$27,000
Median percentile
$27,000
75% percentile
$32,500
90% 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 $25,000 ↓ $2,000
No Pell $22,064 ↓ $4,936
Dependent students $23,250 ↓ $3,750
Independent students $23,000 ↓ $4,000
Female students $24,250 ↓ $2,750
Male students $22,500 ↓ $4,500
Pell recipients: 17.8% (4,819 students)No Pell: 15.8% (4,253 students)Dependent students: 16.6% (4,482 students)Independent students: 16.4% (4,434 students)Female students: 17.3% (4,675 students)Male students: 16.1% (4,337 students)Overall Median$27,000
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,750, less than completers ($27,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

73% of students who start here finish within six years, and 84% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. 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
73%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
84%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $66,852 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$66,852
Earning > $25K
87%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$58,000$60,000$63,000$65,000$68,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

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
$50,200

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$68,500

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$51,500

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$58,400

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$60,000

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $18,300, about 27% 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 ↑ 8.7 pts across 6 years
81.3%1yr84.8%3yr88%5yr90%7yr
What this signals: Excellent. 90% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 3,574 students, a mid-sized community.

Total Enrolled
3,574
Part-Time
2%
First-Generation
24%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 59.5% 2,125
Hispanic 14.9% 531
Black 12.3% 438
Asian 4.6% 163
Other 2.5% 91
International 2.3% 83
White: 59.5% (2,125 students)Hispanic: 14.9% (531 students)Black: 12.3% (438 students)Asian: 4.6% (163 students)Other: 2.5% (91 students)International: 2.3% (83 students)Total3,574

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Bradley University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Midsize City Peoria, Illinois
Housing
Mostly residential 2,007 beds on campus
Adult Learners
2% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Engineering graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Bradley University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 89 distinct programs across 24 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.

11 Programs
12 Programs
15 Programs
5 Programs
7 Programs
3 Programs
3 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 11 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
11:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$510M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$85,669
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

341 instructional faculty across 6 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 79 23% $111,231
Associate Professors 84 25% $85,547
Assistant Professors 139 41% $76,432
Instructors 26 8% $69,403
Lecturers 11 3% $59,231
No Rank 2 1% $79,969

Pros & Cons of Bradley University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Bradley University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Accessible admissions for most applicants
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Above-average graduation rate
  • Above-average post-graduation earnings
CONS
  • Above-average net price
Best for: Based on the data, Bradley University is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students prioritizing post-graduation earnings.

Frequently Asked Questions about Bradley University

The questions families ask most about Bradley University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Bradley University hard to get into?
Not especially. Bradley University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 76.8%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Bradley University?
76.8% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Bradley University cost?
Budget around $22,719 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 Bradley University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $66,852 a year against a net price of $22,719, about 2.9 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 Bradley University known for?
Mostly Nursing, Computer Science, Nursing. 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 Bradley University graduates earn?
About $66,852 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 Bradley University accredited?
Yes. Bradley University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Bradley University?
3,574 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Bradley University?
73% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Bradley University 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 Bradley University located?
Bradley University is located in Peoria, Illinois.
What programs does Bradley University offer?
89 different programs, most commonly Nursing, Computer Science, Nursing. 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 Bradley University?
11 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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