Capital University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Columbus, Ohio. It enrolls 1,585 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.
Good
61/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes49
Value38
Affordability45
Selectivity46
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Capital University admits 70.2% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.
Acceptance Rate
70.2%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
910 – 1180
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
18 – 25
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 Capital University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↑
1.1 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 $22,576 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
$43,234
Room & Board (on-campus)
$12,984
Room & Board (off-campus)
$11,900
Books & Supplies
$2,516
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$1,680
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,228
Total Cost of Attendance
$57,130
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
$19,062
$30,001 – $48,000
$18,574
$48,001 – $75,000
$20,331
$75,001 – $110,000
$23,348
Over $110,000
$27,299
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.
$4,51810%percentile
$8,25025%percentile
$26,889Medianpercentile
$27,00075%percentile
$33,33390%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 $21,500
↓ $5,389
No Pell $20,500
↓ $6,389
Dependent students $20,500
↓ $6,389
Independent students $25,000
↓ $1,889
Female students $21,500
↓ $5,389
Male students $19,500
↓ $7,389
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $10,274, less than completers ($26,889), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
55% of students who start here finish within six years, and 74% 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
55%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
74%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $54,143 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)
$54,143
Earning > $25K
84%
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
$45,700
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$53,100
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$44,300
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$47,800
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$50,800
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $7,400, about 14% 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 ↑
15.3 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: 1,585 students, a mid-sized community.
Total Enrolled
1,585
Part-Time
2%
First-Generation
28%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 65.6%1,040
Black 13.6%216
Hispanic 8.3%131
Other 6.1%96
Asian 2.3%36
International 1.3%21
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Capital University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Capital University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
50 distinct programs across
22 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 10 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.
Student : Faculty
10:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$242M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$76,879
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
148 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
46
31%
$102,500
Associate Professors
27
18%
$73,855
Assistant Professors
42
28%
$64,445
Instructors
33
22%
$59,464
Pros & Cons of Capital University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Capital University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Frequently Asked Questions about Capital University
The questions families ask most about Capital University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Capital University hard to get into?
Admissions at Capital University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 70.2%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Capital University?
70.2% 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 Capital University?
Aim for 1180 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 910 and 1180 (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 Capital University?
Aim for 25 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 18 and 25 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Capital University cost?
Budget around $22,576 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 Capital University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $54,143 a year against a net price of $22,576, about 2.4 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 Capital University known for?
Mostly Law, Nursing, Business Administration. 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 Capital University graduates earn?
About $54,143 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 Capital University accredited?
Yes. Capital University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Capital University?
1,585 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 Capital University?
55% 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 Capital 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 Capital University located?
Capital University is located in Columbus, Ohio.
What programs does Capital University offer?
50 different programs, most commonly Law, Nursing, Business Administration. 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 Capital University?
10 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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