Private Nonprofit Graduate Fair 49/100

Simpson University

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

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Redding, California

About Simpson University

Thinking about Simpson University, a college in California where more students graduate in Psychology 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.

Simpson University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Redding, California. It enrolls 809 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
86%
Graduation
61.6%
Net Price
$27,817
Median Earnings (10yr)
$54,340
Enrollment
809
Student : Faculty
15:1

Accreditor Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University 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
49/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 20
Value 18
Affordability 49
Selectivity 31

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Simpson University admits 86% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.

Acceptance Rate
86%
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 Simpson University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Becoming less selective ↑ 46.7 pts since 2019
52.3%201959.7%202066.9%202199%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 $27,817 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
$27,817
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
44%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
63%
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
$39,708
Room & Board (on-campus)
$11,900
Room & Board (off-campus)
$22,086
Books & Supplies
$1,200
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,000
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,968
Total Cost of Attendance
$54,688

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
    $25,511
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $22,738
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $28,479
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $29,656
  • Over $110,000
    $30,163

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.

$5,500
10% percentile
$8,332
25% percentile
$18,750
Median percentile
$23,250
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 $14,068 ↓ $4,682
No Pell $12,500 ↓ $6,250
Dependent students $12,899 ↓ $5,851
Independent students $14,365 ↓ $4,385
Female students $14,136 ↓ $4,614
Male students $12,500 ↓ $6,250
Pell recipients: 17.5% (3,278 students)No Pell: 15.5% (2,913 students)Dependent students: 16.0% (3,006 students)Independent students: 17.9% (3,347 students)Female students: 17.6% (3,294 students)Male students: 15.5% (2,913 students)Overall Median$18,750
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $9,500, less than completers ($18,750), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

62% of students who start here finish within six years, and 61% 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
62%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
61%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $54,340 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)
$54,340
Earning > $25K
78%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$51,000$52,000$53,000$54,000$55,0006 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
$35,800

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

Male graduates
$46,900

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


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$36,300

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

Family income (middle third)
$40,200

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

Family income (highest third)
$43,400

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

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $11,100, 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 ↑ 12.7 pts across 6 years
67.3%1yr71.7%3yr75.1%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: 809 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 38% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
809
Part-Time
10%
First-Generation
38%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
White 44.5% 360
Hispanic 29.3% 237
Other 10.8% 87
Asian 4.7% 38
Black 4.5% 36
International 3.6% 29
White: 44.5% (360 students)Hispanic: 29.3% (237 students)Other: 10.8% (87 students)Asian: 4.7% (38 students)Black: 4.5% (36 students)International: 3.6% (29 students)Total809

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Small City Redding, California
Housing
Mostly residential 450 beds on campus
Adult Learners
29% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)
Designation
Religiously affiliated

What You Can Study

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

Simpson University offers a varied set of programs: 21 distinct programs across 14 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.

4 Programs
1 Program
1 Program
1 Program
  • Human $49K ($35K–$63K)
1 Program
2 Programs
1 Program

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
Endowment
$20M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$67,435
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

35 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 2 6% $76,418
Associate Professors 8 23% $69,771
Assistant Professors 15 43% $68,613
Instructors 2 6% $66,560
No Rank 8 23% $60,862

Pros & Cons of Simpson University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Simpson 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
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
CONS
  • Above-average net price
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • First-year retention is below typical
Best for: Based on the data, Simpson 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 Simpson University

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

Is Simpson University hard to get into?
Not especially. Simpson University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 86%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Simpson University?
86% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Simpson University cost?
Budget around $27,817 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 Simpson University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $54,340 a year against a net price of $27,817, about 2.0 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 Simpson University known for?
Mostly Nursing, Psychology, 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 Simpson University graduates earn?
About $54,340 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 Simpson University accredited?
Yes. Simpson University is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission.
How many students attend Simpson University?
809 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 Simpson University?
62% 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 Simpson 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 Simpson University located?
Simpson University is located in Redding, California.
What programs does Simpson University offer?
21 different programs, most commonly Nursing, Psychology, 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 Simpson University?
15 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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