Public Graduate Good 60/100

Plymouth State University

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

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Plymouth, New Hampshire

About Plymouth State University

Thinking about Plymouth State University, a college in New Hampshire 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.

Plymouth State University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Plymouth, New Hampshire. It enrolls 3,153 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
87.5%
Graduation
50.3%
Net Price
$19,216
Median Earnings (10yr)
$57,304
Enrollment
3,153
Student : Faculty
15:1

Accreditor New England Commission on Higher Education
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
60/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 32
Value 61
Affordability 46
Selectivity 27

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Plymouth State University admits 87.5% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.

Acceptance Rate
87.5%
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 Plymouth State University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Becoming less selective ↑ 6.2 pts since 2019
84.8%201989.4%202091.7%202197.5%202291%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 $19,216 a year on average, it sits below what public 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
$19,216
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
28%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
69%
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 (in-state)
$14,626
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$25,566
Room & Board (on-campus)
$13,158
Room & Board (off-campus)
$13,158
Books & Supplies
$1,400
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,886
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$2,886
Total Cost of Attendance
$29,644

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
    $14,676
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $14,714
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $17,030
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $21,157
  • Over $110,000
    $23,020

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.

$3,500
10% percentile
$5,624
25% percentile
$26,000
Median percentile
$27,000
75% percentile
$31,000
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 $19,500 ↓ $6,500
No Pell $15,000 ↓ $11,000
Dependent students $17,125 ↓ $8,875
Independent students $14,750 ↓ $11,250
Female students $19,000 ↓ $7,000
Male students $15,000 ↓ $11,000
Pell recipients: 19.4% (5,051 students)No Pell: 14.9% (3,885 students)Dependent students: 17.1% (4,436 students)Independent students: 14.7% (3,821 students)Female students: 18.9% (4,922 students)Male students: 14.9% (3,885 students)Overall Median$26,000
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,250, less than completers ($26,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

50% of students who start here finish within six years, and 70% 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
50%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
70%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $57,304 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$57,304
Earning > $25K
83%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$45,000$48,000$52,000$55,000$59,0006 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
$39,300

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

Male graduates
$51,700

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


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$41,300

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

Family income (middle third)
$43,900

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

Family income (highest third)
$47,600

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

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $12,400, about 24% 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 ↑ 14.2 pts across 6 years
75.9%1yr77.6%3yr89.5%5yr90.1%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: 3,153 students, a mid-sized community.

Total Enrolled
3,153
Part-Time
2%
First-Generation
27%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
White 80.5% 2,539
Other 6.1% 191
Hispanic 5.8% 182
Black 2.0% 63
International 1.6% 51
Asian 1.4% 44
White: 80.5% (2,539 students)Other: 6.1% (191 students)Hispanic: 5.8% (182 students)Black: 2.0% (63 students)International: 1.6% (51 students)Asian: 1.4% (44 students)Total3,153

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Town: Remote Plymouth, New Hampshire
Housing
Strongly residential 2,364 beds for 3,153 students
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 Education graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Plymouth State University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 68 distinct programs across 21 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
10 Programs
4 Programs
4 Programs
2 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 15 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
15:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$10,986
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$38M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$82,046
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

166 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 56 34% $99,597
Associate Professors 45 27% $82,530
Assistant Professors 30 18% $68,844
Lecturers 35 21% $64,659

Pros & Cons of Plymouth State University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Plymouth State 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
  • Reasonable class sizes
  • Solid post-graduation earnings
CONS
  • Below-average completion rate
  • First-year retention is below typical
  • Most students take on federal loans
Best for: Based on the data, Plymouth State University is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.

Frequently Asked Questions about Plymouth State University

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

Is Plymouth State University hard to get into?
Not especially. Plymouth State University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 87.5%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Plymouth State University?
87.5% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Plymouth State University cost?
Budget around $19,216 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 Plymouth State University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $57,304 a year against a net price of $19,216, about 3.0 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 Plymouth State University known for?
Mostly Business, Teacher Education (K-12), Criminal Justice. 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 Plymouth State University graduates earn?
About $57,304 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 Plymouth State University accredited?
Yes. Plymouth State University is accredited by the New England Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Plymouth State University?
3,153 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Plymouth State University?
50% 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 Plymouth State University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Plymouth State University located?
Plymouth State University is located in Plymouth, New Hampshire.
What programs does Plymouth State University offer?
68 different programs, most commonly Business, Teacher Education (K-12), Criminal Justice. 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 Plymouth State University?
15 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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