Private Nonprofit Graduate Good 67/100

Oakland City University

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

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Oakland City, Indiana

About Oakland City University

Thinking about Oakland City University, a college in Indiana 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.

Oakland City University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Oakland City, Indiana. It enrolls 499 students (a very small, intimate 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
82.5%
Graduation
59.9%
Net Price
$15,210
Median Earnings (10yr)
$43,283
Enrollment
499
Student : Faculty
12:1

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.

Good
67/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 51
Value 56
Affordability 72
Selectivity 22

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Oakland City University admits 82.5% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.

Acceptance Rate
82.5%
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 Oakland City University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Becoming less selective ↑ 13.5 pts since 2019
54.8%201963.3%202072.6%202155.7%202268.2%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 $15,210 a year on average, it sits below what private nonprofit 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
$15,210
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
41%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
42%
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
$27,900
Room & Board (on-campus)
$11,600
Room & Board (off-campus)
$8,663
Books & Supplies
$1,000
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,890
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,890
Total Cost of Attendance
$42,441

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
    $13,980
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $15,781
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $13,637
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $16,005
  • Over $110,000
    $18,550

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.

$2,750
10% percentile
$5,500
25% percentile
$16,758
Median percentile
$25,250
75% percentile
$34,500
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 $12,424 ↓ $4,334
No Pell $11,000 ↓ $5,758
Dependent students $10,500 ↓ $6,258
Independent students $13,757 ↓ $3,001
Female students $13,237 ↓ $3,521
Male students $9,938 ↓ $6,820
Pell recipients: 17.5% (2,938 students)No Pell: 15.5% (2,602 students)Dependent students: 14.8% (2,483 students)Independent students: 19.4% (3,254 students)Female students: 18.7% (3,131 students)Male students: 14.0% (2,350 students)Overall Median$16,758
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,750, less than completers ($16,758), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

60% of students who start here finish within six years, and 73% 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
60%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
73%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $43,283 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)
$43,283
Earning > $25K
69%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$42,500$43,500$44,500$45,500$46,5006 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
$31,900

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

Male graduates
$45,200

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


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$29,800

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

Family income (middle third)
$39,300

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

Family income (highest third)
$46,000

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

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $13,300, about 29% 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 ↑ 6.7 pts across 6 years
73.5%1yr72%3yr75.6%5yr80.1%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 80% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 499 students, an intimate, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 44% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
499
Part-Time
2%
First-Generation
44%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
White 50.3% 251
International 18.2% 91
Black 14.6% 73
Other 7.4% 37
Hispanic 5.6% 28
Asian 0.8% 4
White: 50.3% (251 students)International: 18.2% (91 students)Black: 14.6% (73 students)Other: 7.4% (37 students)Hispanic: 5.6% (28 students)Asian: 0.8% (4 students)Total499

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Rural: Distant Oakland City, Indiana
Housing
Strongly residential 478 beds for 499 students
Adult Learners
8% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Religiously affiliated

What You Can Study

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

Oakland City University offers a varied set of programs: 24 distinct programs across 12 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.

3 Programs
2 Programs
1 Program
1 Program
1 Program
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 12 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
12:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$38M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$57,345
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

28 instructional faculty across 5 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 9 32% $60,702
Associate Professors 6 21% $61,702
Assistant Professors 5 18% $54,990
Instructors 1 4% $38,740
Lecturers 7 25% $53,634

Pros & Cons of Oakland City University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Oakland City 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
  • Accessible admissions for most applicants
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Modest first-year retention
Best for: Based on the data, Oakland City University is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Oakland City University

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

Is Oakland City University hard to get into?
Not especially. Oakland City University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 82.5%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Oakland City University?
82.5% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Oakland City University cost?
Budget around $15,210 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 Oakland City University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $43,283 a year against a net price of $15,210, about 2.8 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 Oakland City University known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Liberal Arts, Educational 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 Oakland City University graduates earn?
About $43,283 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 Oakland City University accredited?
Yes. Oakland City University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Oakland City University?
499 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 Oakland City University?
60% 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 Oakland City 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 Oakland City University located?
Oakland City University is located in Oakland City, Indiana.
What programs does Oakland City University offer?
24 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Liberal Arts, Educational 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 Oakland City University?
12 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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