10-yr median earnings
$42,189
Federal aid recipients only
Private For-Profit · Minneapolis, Minnesota
Capella University
Capella University is a private for-profit institution in Minneapolis, Minnesota. as a private for-profit, published Scorecard outcomes are Title-IV-recipient medians — program mix and repayment risk deserve a closer look than a single headline number.
- 26.7%
- 150%-time completion
- $17,956
- Avg net price / yr
- $42,189
- 10-yr median earnings
The verdict
Capella University posts above-median former-student earnings.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 46%
- former-student earnings, US
- 26.7%
- 150%-time completion
- -13%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Large
Carnegie: Doctoral/Prof
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this Capella University profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Doctoral/Professional Universities"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
F
College Value Score
37/100
Capella University
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings C-
$42,189
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price D
$17,956
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate F
26.7%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt D
$14,968
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment C-
59.5%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention F
41.7%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$17,956
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
26.7%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 26.7%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - Capella University vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How Capella University ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
Capella University: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$42,189 Top 46% higher than 54% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | Capella University | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $42,189 | #2339 of 5103 | 54th |
| Average net price | $17,956 | #2673 of 5020 | 47th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 26.7% | #4465 of 4858 | 8th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 18,364 | #156 of 5462 | 97th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
18,364
Undergraduate enrollment
-
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
26.7%
150%-time completion
$42,189
10-yr median earnings
41.7%
First-year retention
How Capella University ranks in Minnesota
State rank among 96 reporting Minnesota colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | Capella University | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $42,189 | #73 of 96 | 24th |
| Average net price | $17,956 | #46 of 82 | 44th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 26.7% | #73 of 80 | 9th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 18,364 | #2 of 85 | 98th |
Highest former-student earnings in Minnesota
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science | $79,652 | - |
| 2 | Saint Johns University | $76,786 | $25,672 |
| 3 | Carleton College | $75,525 | $25,407 |
| 4 | University of St Thomas | $73,739 | $29,155 |
| 5 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | $69,020 | $16,778 |
| 6 | University of Minnesota-Rochester | $69,020 | $13,744 |
| 7 | The College of Saint Scholastica | $65,934 | $27,846 |
| 8 | Gustavus Adolphus College | $65,607 | $22,900 |
| 9 | St Olaf College | $65,543 | $23,874 |
| 10 | Metropolitan State University | $64,705 | $16,863 |
| 11 | Macalester College | $63,878 | $32,149 |
| 12 | Bethel University | $63,764 | $28,556 |
| 73 | Capella UniversityThis school | $42,189 | $17,956 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at Capella University
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$17,485 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$17,324 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$17,490 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$22,820 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Capella University - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $14,400 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $14,400 |
| Average Net Price | $17,956 |
38.5%
Pell Grant Rate
47.1%
Federal Loan Rate
$14,968
Median Debt
$159/mo
Monthly Payment
Net price at Capella University swings rather than trends
Across 10 reported years between 2014 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $7,290 to $18,305 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as +25.7%, but the years in between do not follow that line, so the honest summary is the range rather than a trend. Budget against the upper end, not the average.
Lowest year
$7,290
Highest year
$18,305
Most recent (2023)
$18,305
10 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2014 · $14,5572023 · $18,305
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2014–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
74.7%
Female
49.7%
First Generation
Outcomes
41.7%
Retention Rate
$48,500
Median Earnings (6yr)
76.1%
Earning Over $25K
59.5%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 26.7% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 41.7% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $48,500 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $42,189 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 76.1% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 59.5% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $14,968 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $159/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Master's | 39 | 6,246 | $77,167 | $136,210 | $39,995 |
| Doctoral | 28 | 1,258 | $104,851 | $175,839 | $98,514 |
| Graduate Certificate | 17 | 517 | $77,634 | $110,330 | $43,425 |
| Bachelor's | 14 | 6,034 | $80,376 | $109,194 | $25,614 |
| First Professional | 2 | 0 | $59,001 | $60,258 | $65,787 |
| Certificate | 1 | 0 | $68,967 | $68,967 | - |
Top programs at Capella University by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Computer/Information Techn…
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management
$175,839 median earnings
- Human Resources Management…
Human Resources Management and Services
$159,344 median earnings
- Computer and Information S…
Computer and Information Sciences, General
$158,849 median earnings
- Management Information Sys…
Management Information Systems and Services
$136,210 median earnings
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$134,483 median earnings
- Business Administration, M…
Business Administration, Management and Operations
$121,925 median earnings
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$117,823 median earnings
- Computer/Information Techn…
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management
$112,573 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
Nearby Schools
Walden University
Minneapolis, MN
9,136 students
North Central University
Minneapolis, MN
709 students
Minneapolis Community and Technical College
Minneapolis, MN
5,268 students
Bethlehem College & Seminary
Minneapolis, MN
117 students
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Minneapolis, MN
705 students
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Scorecard-derived matches among reporting colleges — not school marketing or paid placement lists.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Private For-Profit institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
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8,745 students · 9,619 apart
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28,086 students · 9,722 apart
South University-Savannah Online
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Rapid City, SD
764 students · 17,600 apart
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Private For-Profit institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Rasmussen University-Minnesota
St. Cloud, MN
$17,962 net price · $6 apart
Milan Institute of Cosmetology-San Antonio Military
San Antonio, TX
$17,941 net price · $15 apart
College of Hair Design-Downtown
Lincoln, NE
$17,934 net price · $22 apart
Strayer University-South Carolina
Greenville, SC
$17,979 net price · $23 apart
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the admissions statistics for Capella University? ▼
Capella University is a private for-profit institution in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Undergraduate enrollment is 18,364 students.
How much do Capella University former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at Capella University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $42,189 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $48,500.
How much does Capella University cost? ▼
The average net price at Capella University is $17,956. In-state tuition is $14,400 and out-of-state tuition is $14,400. Median student debt at graduation is $14,968.
What is the graduation rate at Capella University? ▼
Capella University has a 26.7% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 41.7%.
Is Capella University worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Capella University is $14,968, while former students earn a median of $42,189 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 35% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 59.5% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $159.
Sources & methodology
Private for-profit profiles foreground Scorecard debt, repayment, and program-level earnings where reported. Marketing claims from the school are not inputs to this page.
Every figure is the Mar–Jul 2026 federal retrieval. For-profit program mixes can shift year to year — treat institution medians as a starting map, then check Field-of-Study rows below. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from Capella University
- Compare Capella University against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in Minnesota side by side.Browse Minnesota
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
For-profit Scorecard figures are Title-IV cohort history — verify current program costs, accreditation, and repayment outcomes with the school and official aid tools.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Private for-profit profiles compile Scorecard debt/earnings and IPEDS operating fields from federal files — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.