Private Nonprofit Graduate Fair 52/100

Cleary University

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

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Howell, Michigan

About Cleary University

Thinking about Cleary University, a college in Michigan where more students graduate in Business 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.

Cleary University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Howell, Michigan. It enrolls 738 students (a small, tight-knit 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
67.5%
Graduation
41.6%
Net Price
$22,143
Median Earnings (10yr)
$54,186
Enrollment
738
Student : Faculty
21:1

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.

Fair
52/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 17
Value 40
Affordability 41
Selectivity 36

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Cleary University admits 67.5% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.

Acceptance Rate
67.5%
Moderate
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 Cleary University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Getting more selective ↓ 21.7 pts since 2019
71.4%201965.3%202075.9%202167.5%202249.7%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 $22,143 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
$22,143
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
30%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
54%
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
$26,102
Room & Board (on-campus)
$12,900
Room & Board (off-campus)
$11,900
Books & Supplies
$2,000
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$5,376
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$5,876
Total Cost of Attendance
$39,718

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
    $18,046
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $18,917
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $15,328
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $20,797
  • Over $110,000
    $27,372

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.

$3,167
10% percentile
$6,250
25% percentile
$19,500
Median percentile
$26,832
75% percentile
$40,875
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 $12,355 ↓ $7,145
No Pell $12,476 ↓ $7,024
Dependent students $11,000 ↓ $8,500
Independent students $14,533 ↓ $4,967
Female students $14,696 ↓ $4,804
Male students $11,000 ↓ $8,500
Pell recipients: 16.2% (3,168 students)No Pell: 16.4% (3,199 students)Dependent students: 14.5% (2,820 students)Independent students: 19.1% (3,726 students)Female students: 19.3% (3,768 students)Male students: 14.5% (2,820 students)Overall Median$19,500
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,991, less than completers ($19,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

42% of students who start here finish within six years, and 65% 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
42%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
65%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $54,186 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)
$54,186
Earning > $25K
78%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$53,500$55,000$56,000$57,000$58,0006 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
$50,100

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

Male graduates
$77,000

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


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$41,200

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

Family income (middle third)
$59,600

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

Family income (highest third)
$67,900

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

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $26,900, about 35% 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 ↑ 17.4 pts across 6 years
50.9%1yr59.9%3yr67.9%5yr68.3%7yr
What this signals: Moderate. Only 68% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 738 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 42% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
738
Part-Time
27%
First-Generation
42%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
White 58.3% 430
Black 23.6% 174
International 5.0% 37
Hispanic 3.1% 23
Asian 1.8% 13
Other 1.8% 13
White: 58.3% (430 students)Black: 23.6% (174 students)International: 5.0% (37 students)Hispanic: 3.1% (23 students)Asian: 1.8% (13 students)Other: 1.8% (13 students)Total738

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Midsize Suburb Howell, Michigan
Housing
Partly residential 190 beds available
Adult Learners
48% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

Cleary University offers a varied set of programs: 11 distinct programs across 1 major. 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

Faculty & Resources

There are 21 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.

Student : Faculty
21:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$8.9M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$47,250
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

5 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
Associate Professors 5 100% $47,250

Pros & Cons of Cleary University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Cleary 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
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Solid post-graduation earnings
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • Above-average net price
  • Larger class sizes than typical
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Below-average completion rate
  • First-year retention is below typical
Best for: Based on the data, Cleary University is a fit for students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Cleary University

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

Is Cleary University hard to get into?
Admissions at Cleary University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 67.5%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Cleary University?
67.5% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Cleary University cost?
Budget around $22,143 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 Cleary University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $54,186 a year against a net price of $22,143, 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 Cleary University known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Business Administration, Human Resources. 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 Cleary University graduates earn?
About $54,186 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 Cleary University accredited?
Yes. Cleary University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Cleary University?
738 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 Cleary University?
42% 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 Cleary 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 Cleary University located?
Cleary University is located in Howell, Michigan.
What programs does Cleary University offer?
11 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Business Administration, Human Resources. 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 Cleary University?
21 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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