Sumner College is a private for-profit institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Portland, Oregon. It enrolls 532 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.
AccreditorAccrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools
Academic CalendarDiffers by Program
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
62/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes95
Value7
Affordability34
Selectivity24
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Sumner College admits 88.9% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
88.9%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test PolicyTest OptionalApplicants 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 Sumner College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Getting more selective ↓
13.3 pts
since 2019
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 $29,411 a year on average, it sits in line with what private for-profit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
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
$26,094
$30,001 – $48,000
$32,497
$48,001 – $75,000
$29,338
$75,001 – $110,000
$31,635
Over $110,000
$32,497
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.
$6,33410%percentile
$9,83425%percentile
$16,500Medianpercentile
$25,27175%percentile
$31,16690%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 $15,787
↓ $713
No Pell $16,500
—
Dependent students $9,833
↓ $6,667
Independent students $16,500
—
Female students $15,934
↓ $566
Male students $16,500
—
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $3,167, less than completers ($16,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
82% of students who start here finish within six years, and 100% come back after first year. Most people who start here leave with the degree they came for. 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
82%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
100%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Strong completion signals. Most students who start, finish.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $46,639 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)
$46,639
Earning > $25K
71%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
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
$32,600
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$41,100
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $8,500, about 21% 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.
Declining: debt management worsening over time ↓
8.4 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Concerning. Only 45% of graduates are actively reducing principal even seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 532 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 41% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
532
Part-Time
0%
First-Generation
41%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 49.3%262
Black 22.6%120
Hispanic 13.0%69
Other 7.3%39
Asian 2.6%14
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Sumner College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Large CityPortland, Oregon
Housing
Commuter campusNo on-campus housing
Adult Learners
73%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Differs by Programscheduling structure
What You Can Study
Sumner College offers
a focused set of programs:
3 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.
There are 13 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
13:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Avg Faculty Salary
$37,500
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
11 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
Instructors
11
100%
$37,500
Pros & Cons of Sumner College
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Sumner College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Narrow program catalog compared to mid-sized peers
For-profit institution, verify accreditation and outcomes carefully
Best for:
Based on the data, Sumner College 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 Sumner College
The questions families ask most about Sumner College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Sumner College hard to get into?
Not especially. Sumner College admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 88.9%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Sumner College?
88.9% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Sumner College cost?
Budget around $29,411 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 Sumner College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $46,639 a year against a net price of $29,411, about 1.6 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 Sumner College known for?
Mostly Practical 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 Sumner College graduates earn?
About $46,639 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 Sumner College accredited?
Yes. Sumner College is accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools.
How many students attend Sumner College?
532 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 Sumner College?
82% finish within six years. Most people who start here graduate, which is the signal you want. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Sumner College a public or private college?
It is Private For-Profit. Private for-profit, so compare completion and earnings carefully against a public alternative.
Where is Sumner College located?
Sumner College is located in Portland, Oregon.
What programs does Sumner College offer?
3 different programs, most commonly Practical 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 Sumner College?
13 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Oregon
Other colleges in Oregon share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
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