Private For-Profit Graduate Fair 48/100

Capella University

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

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Minneapolis, Minnesota

About Capella University

Thinking about Capella University, a college in Minnesota 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.

Capella University is a private for-profit institution offering graduate degrees based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It enrolls 18,364 students (a very large 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
—
Graduation
21%
Net Price
$17,956
Median Earnings (10yr)
$42,189
Enrollment
18,364
Student : Faculty
36:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar Quarter

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 Open / Online), 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
48/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 13
Value 35
Affordability 42
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Capella University does not report an acceptance rate. Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.

Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

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 $17,956 a year on average, it sits below what private for-profit colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. 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
$17,956
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
39%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
47%
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
$14,400
Room & Board (off-campus)
$7,350
Books & Supplies
$425
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$1,092
Total Cost of Attendance
$22,820

Application fee: $50 (one-time, due at submission)


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
    $17,485
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $17,324
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $17,490
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $21,292
  • Over $110,000
    $22,820

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.

$1,678
10% percentile
$3,471
25% percentile
$14,968
Median percentile
$23,976
75% percentile
$38,339
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 $9,135 ↓ $5,833
No Pell $7,942 ↓ $7,026
Dependent students $5,625 ↓ $9,343
Independent students $9,031 ↓ $5,937
Female students $8,334 ↓ $6,634
Male students $9,889 ↓ $5,079
Pell recipients: 18.3% (2,737 students)No Pell: 15.9% (2,380 students)Dependent students: 11.3% (1,685 students)Independent students: 18.1% (2,706 students)Female students: 16.7% (2,497 students)Male students: 19.8% (2,963 students)Overall Median$14,968
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $6,414, less than completers ($14,968), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

21% of students who start here finish within six years, and 37% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. 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
21%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
37%
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 $42,189 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$42,189
Earning > $25K
65%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$41,000$43,000$45,000$47,000$49,0006 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
$59,200

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

Male graduates
$85,400

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


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$44,900

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

Family income (middle third)
$68,300

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

Family income (highest third)
$93,200

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

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $26,200, 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 ↑ 25.6 pts across 6 years
51.3%1yr59.5%3yr68.1%5yr76.9%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 77% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 18,364 students, a sprawling student community. Worth knowing: 50% are the first in their family to go to college, and 68% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
18,364
Part-Time
68%
First-Generation
50%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
White 44.4% 8,155
Black 27.8% 5,098
Hispanic 14.7% 2,705
Other 4.7% 867
Asian 3.6% 667
International 0.6% 107
White: 44.4% (8,155 students)Black: 27.8% (5,098 students)Hispanic: 14.7% (2,705 students)Other: 4.7% (867 students)Asian: 3.6% (667 students)International: 0.6% (107 students)Total18,364

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Large City Minneapolis, Minnesota
Housing
Commuter campus Online-only, no physical campus
Adult Learners
92% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Quarter scheduling structure
Designation
Online-only institution

What You Can Study

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

Capella University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 93 distinct programs across 9 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.

19 Programs
17 Programs
12 Programs
7 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 36 students for every instructor here: high, so expect big lectures and to work harder for one-to-one time.

Student : Faculty
36:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Avg Faculty Salary
$67,431
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

168 instructional faculty across 1 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
No Rank 168 100% $67,431

Pros & Cons of Capella University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Capella 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
  • Below-average net price
  • First-gen-friendly student body
  • Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
  • Larger class sizes than typical
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • First-year retention is below typical
  • For-profit institution, verify accreditation and outcomes carefully
  • Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for: Based on the data, Capella University is a fit for working adults or students needing part-time study options.

Frequently Asked Questions about Capella University

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

How much does Capella University cost?
Budget around $17,956 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 Capella University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $42,189 a year against a net price of $17,956, about 2.3 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 Capella University known for?
Mostly Nursing, Counseling Psychology, Mental Health Services. 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 Capella University graduates earn?
About $42,189 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 Capella University accredited?
Yes. Capella University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Capella University?
18,364 students. Large, so expect big lectures and more independence in finding your own footing. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Capella University?
21% 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 Capella University a public or private college?
It is Private For-Profit. Private for-profit, so compare completion and earnings carefully against a public alternative.
Where is Capella University located?
Capella University is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
What programs does Capella University offer?
93 different programs, most commonly Nursing, Counseling Psychology, Mental Health Services. 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 Capella University?
36 students per instructor. On the high side, so expect big classes and to seek out contact time yourself. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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