Private Nonprofit Graduate Strong 73/100

Wilberforce University

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

Compare This College

Wilberforce, Ohio

About Wilberforce University

Thinking about Wilberforce University, a college in Ohio 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.

Wilberforce University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Wilberforce, Ohio. It enrolls 822 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
40.5%
Graduation
35.7%
Net Price
$5,567
Median Earnings (10yr)
$38,298
Enrollment
822
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.

Strong
73/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 17
Value 97
Affordability 98
Selectivity 46

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Wilberforce University admits 40.5% of applicants, which makes it genuinely competitive, so your application needs to be strong.

Acceptance Rate
40.5%
Selective
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
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 Wilberforce University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Becoming less selective ↑ 13.7 pts since 2019
39.1%201961.6%202038.8%202145.1%202252.7%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 $5,567 a year on average, it sits well below what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. 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
$5,567
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
74%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
97%
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
$16,448
Room & Board (on-campus)
$8,564
Room & Board (off-campus)
$8,224
Books & Supplies
$1,200
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,000
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$2,000
Total Cost of Attendance
$25,676

Application fee: $25 (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
    $5,630
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $5,313
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $5,211
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $5,217
  • Over $110,000
    $5,226

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
$5,500
25% percentile
$26,468
Median percentile
$22,367
75% percentile
$45,612
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 $12,001 ↓ $14,467
No Pell $11,245 ↓ $15,223
Dependent students $11,000 ↓ $15,468
Independent students $16,500 ↓ $9,968
Female students $11,490 ↓ $14,978
Male students $12,451 ↓ $14,017
Pell recipients: 16.1% (4,253 students)No Pell: 15.1% (3,985 students)Dependent students: 14.7% (3,898 students)Independent students: 22.1% (5,847 students)Female students: 15.4% (4,072 students)Male students: 16.7% (4,412 students)Overall Median$26,468
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $9,500, less than completers ($26,468), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

36% of students who start here finish within six years, and 72% 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
36%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
72%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $38,298 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)
$38,298
Earning > $25K
61%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$31,000$33,000$35,000$37,000$39,0006 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
$37,000

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

Male graduates
$40,700

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


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$35,100

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

Family income (middle third)
$39,900

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

Family income (highest third)
$42,700

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 ↑ 21.9 pts across 6 years
38.5%1yr45.9%3yr52.8%5yr60.4%7yr
What this signals: Moderate. Only 60% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 822 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 46% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
822
Part-Time
16%
First-Generation
46%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
Black 99.3% 816
International 0.4% 3
White 0.2% 2
Other 0.1% 1
Black: 99.3% (816 students)International: 0.4% (3 students)White: 0.2% (2 students)Other: 0.1% (1 students)Total822

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Rural: Fringe Wilberforce, Ohio
Housing
Mostly residential 400 beds on campus
Adult Learners
10% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Historically Black College / University (HBCU)
Designation
Religiously affiliated

What You Can Study

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

Wilberforce University offers a varied set of programs: 14 distinct programs across 8 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
3 Programs
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
$11M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$55,737
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

38 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 5 13% $64,854
Associate Professors 7 18% $54,557
Assistant Professors 10 26% $57,780
Instructors 16 42% $52,128

Pros & Cons of Wilberforce University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Wilberforce 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
  • Very affordable net price after aid
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • Selective admissions, solid academic profile expected
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • Modest first-year retention
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
Best for: Based on the data, Wilberforce University is a fit for families focused on keeping net cost low; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Wilberforce University

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

Is Wilberforce University hard to get into?
Wilberforce University is selective but not extremely competitive. Its acceptance rate is 40.5%. Strong academic credentials and a thoughtful application materially improve your odds.
What is the acceptance rate at Wilberforce University?
40.5% of applicants are admitted. Around half get in, so a solid application has a real chance. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Wilberforce University cost?
Budget around $5,567 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 Wilberforce University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $38,298 a year against a net price of $5,567, about 6.9 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 Wilberforce University known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Public Health, Communication & Media. 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 Wilberforce University graduates earn?
About $38,298 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 Wilberforce University accredited?
Yes. Wilberforce University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Wilberforce University?
822 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 Wilberforce University?
36% 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 Wilberforce 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 Wilberforce University located?
Wilberforce University is located in Wilberforce, Ohio.
What programs does Wilberforce University offer?
14 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Public Health, Communication & Media. 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 Wilberforce University?
12 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Continue Exploring

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