Private Nonprofit Graduate Fair 51/100

Rivier University

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

Compare This College

Nashua, New Hampshire

About Rivier University

Thinking about Rivier University, a college in New Hampshire 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.

Rivier University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Nashua, New Hampshire. It enrolls 1,231 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
82.6%
Graduation
49.9%
Net Price
$28,082
Median Earnings (10yr)
$52,248
Enrollment
1,231
Student : Faculty
14:1

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.

Fair
51/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 42
Value 15
Affordability 29
Selectivity 29

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Rivier University admits 82.6% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.

Acceptance Rate
82.6%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1055 – 1175
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test Policy Not Considered Standardized 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 Rivier University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Becoming less selective ↑ 6.9 pts since 2019
74.8%201975.7%202083.7%202184.5%202281.8%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 $28,082 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
$28,082
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
28%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
70%
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
$39,488
Room & Board (on-campus)
$15,636
Room & Board (off-campus)
$13,060
Books & Supplies
$1,400
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,450
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$5,630
Total Cost of Attendance
$53,499

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
    $23,321
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $23,978
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $25,106
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $27,352
  • Over $110,000
    $31,359

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.

$4,750
10% percentile
$7,989
25% percentile
$26,956
Median percentile
$27,000
75% percentile
$35,000
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 $22,421 ↓ $4,535
No Pell $19,987 ↓ $6,969
Dependent students $23,000 ↓ $3,956
Independent students $18,172 ↓ $8,784
Female students $21,000 ↓ $5,956
Male students $19,000 ↓ $7,956
Pell recipients: 18.1% (4,891 students)No Pell: 16.2% (4,360 students)Dependent students: 18.6% (5,017 students)Independent students: 14.7% (3,964 students)Female students: 17.0% (4,581 students)Male students: 15.4% (4,144 students)Overall Median$26,956
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,250, less than completers ($26,956), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

50% of students who start here finish within six years, and 76% 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
50%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
76%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $52,248 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)
$52,248
Earning > $25K
80%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$46,000$49,000$51,000$53,000$56,0006 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
$48,800

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

Male graduates
$51,900

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


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$48,300

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

Family income (middle third)
$47,400

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

Family income (highest third)
$51,100

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

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 ↑ 15.0 pts across 6 years
72.9%1yr77.7%3yr81.7%5yr87.8%7yr
What this signals: Excellent. 88% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,231 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 37% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
1,231
Part-Time
21%
First-Generation
37%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
White 72.2% 889
Black 9.5% 117
Hispanic 7.4% 91
Asian 3.9% 48
Other 3.2% 39
White: 72.2% (889 students)Black: 9.5% (117 students)Hispanic: 7.4% (91 students)Asian: 3.9% (48 students)Other: 3.2% (39 students)Total1,231

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Small City Nashua, New Hampshire
Housing
Mostly residential 495 beds on campus
Adult Learners
25% 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 Computer Science graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Rivier University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 41 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.

10 Programs
3 Programs
4 Programs
2 Programs
1 Program
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 14 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
14:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$101M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$73,513
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

69 instructional faculty across 3 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 10 14% $89,015
Associate Professors 12 17% $73,620
Assistant Professors 47 68% $70,187

Pros & Cons of Rivier University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Rivier 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
  • Accessible admissions for most applicants
  • Reasonable class sizes
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Solid post-graduation earnings
CONS
  • Above-average net price
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Below-average completion rate
  • Modest first-year retention
  • Most students take on federal loans
Best for: Based on the data, Rivier 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 Rivier University

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

Is Rivier University hard to get into?
Not especially. Rivier University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 82.6%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Rivier University?
82.6% 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 Rivier University?
Aim for 1175 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1055 and 1175 (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.
How much does Rivier University cost?
Budget around $28,082 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 Rivier University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $52,248 a year against a net price of $28,082, about 1.9 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 Rivier University known for?
Mostly Nursing, Nursing, Nursing. 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 Rivier University graduates earn?
About $52,248 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 Rivier University accredited?
Yes. Rivier University is accredited by the New England Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Rivier University?
1,231 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 Rivier University?
50% 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 Rivier 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 Rivier University located?
Rivier University is located in Nashua, New Hampshire.
What programs does Rivier University offer?
41 different programs, most commonly Nursing, Nursing, Nursing. 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 Rivier University?
14 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Continue Exploring

Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.