Private Nonprofit · Howell, Michigan

Cleary University

Cleary University is a private nonprofit institution in Howell, Michigan. as a private nonprofit, published Scorecard outcomes cover federal-aid recipients at this campus — endowment and sticker price sit outside those cohort fields.

$54,186
10-yr median earnings
67.5%
Acceptance rate
$22,143
Avg net price / yr
40.5%
150%-time completion

The verdict

Cleary University pairs top-quartile former-student earnings with a moderately open admit.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

Top 23%
former-student earnings, US
67.5%
acceptance rate
40.5%
150%-time completion
-2%
earnings, 6→10 yrs
Suburb: Midsize Carnegie: Special Focus (4yr)
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Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

How to read this Cleary 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 ("Special Focus Four-Year: Business & Management Schools"), 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

D
College Value Score
43/100
Cleary 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 B+
$54,186
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$22,143
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate F
40.5%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$19,500
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment C-
59.9%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention F
65.8%
First-year students returning for year two
Cleary University vs. the national benchmark
EarningsNet PriceCompletionDebtRepaymentRetention

Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.

10-yr median earnings

$54,186

Federal aid recipients only

Avg net price

$22,143

After grants and scholarships

150%-time completion

40.5%

Full-time, first-time cohort

150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 40.5%

Four-year-institution cohort

College ROI Quadrant - Cleary University vs peers

Cleary University positioned by earnings vs cost Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 8 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. Cleary University positioned by earnings vs … Carnegie Classification: Special Focus (4yr) Special Fo… COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $25K $88K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $11K $34K Avg Net Price ($) Cleary University (you are here): $54K earn · $22K net · 41% grad You are here - Cleary University Grace Christian University: $42K earn · $12K net · 46% grad Grace Christian Un… Concordia University Ann Arbor: $56K earn · $33K net · 49% grad Concordia Universi… Rochester Christian University: $49K earn · $21K net · 43% grad Rochester Christia… The University of Olivet: $48K earn · $21K net · 36% grad The University of … Spring Arbor University: $52K earn · $19K net · 61% grad Spring Arbor Unive… Ross Medical Education Center-Brighton: $30K earn · $21K net · 65% grad University of Michigan-Ann Arbor: $84K earn · $13K net · 93% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

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 Cleary 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.

Cleary University: former-student earnings vs. every US college

10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$54,186 Top 23% higher than 77% of 5,103 US colleges

$0–$20,000: 169 US colleges (3%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 2,245 US colleges (44%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 1,897 US colleges (37%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 606 US colleges (12%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 134 US colleges (3%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 39 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 11 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. This college $0 $160,000 every US college, bucketed by value

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 Cleary University National rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $54,186 #1163 of 5103 77th
Average net price $22,143 #3482 of 5020 31st (lower is better)
150%-time completion 40.5% #3624 of 4858 25th
Undergraduate enrollment 738 #2493 of 5462 54th

National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.

Quick Facts

738
Undergraduate enrollment
67.5%
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
40.5%
150%-time completion
$54,186
10-yr median earnings
65.8%
First-year retention

How Cleary University ranks in Michigan

State rank among 145 reporting Michigan colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.

Metric Cleary University State rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $54,186 #27 of 145 81st
Average net price $22,143 #112 of 138 19th (lower is better)
150%-time completion 40.5% #93 of 132 30th
Undergraduate enrollment 738 #66 of 149 56th

Highest former-student earnings in Michigan

#School10-yr earningsNet price
1Kettering University$94,823$34,660
2Chamberlain University-Michigan$92,405$28,045
3University of Michigan-Ann Arbor$83,648$13,138
4Michigan Technological University$78,198$14,182
5Walsh College$72,081-
6University of Detroit Mercy$71,030$15,232
7Lawrence Technological University$69,151$32,918
8Michigan State University$67,253$19,680
9Kalamazoo College$65,590$19,072
10Thomas M Cooley Law School$63,450-
11Northwood University$63,075$27,232
12Universal Technical Institute-Canton$62,575$22,985
27Cleary UniversityThis school$54,186$22,143

Admissions

Admission Rate 67.5%
ACT Average 19
0%100%67.5%
Share of applicants admitted

Costs & Financial Aid

Net price by family income at Cleary University

Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket

net price / yr

What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Cleary University - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $26,102
Out-of-State Tuition $26,102
Average Net Price $22,143
29.9%
Pell Grant Rate
53.6%
Federal Loan Rate
$19,500
Median Debt
$207/mo
Monthly Payment

What students pay at Cleary University rose +82.5% since 2013

Average net price for the reported Title IV-recipient cohort went from $11,516 in 2013 to $21,019 in 2023, a rise of $9,503 in nominal dollars. Across the 4,315 colleges measured over the same 2013–2023 span, the median change was +14.6%.

Average net price, 2013–2023

11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

2013: $11,5162014: $8,7052015: $10,1822016: $12,2462017: $20,0152018: $18,2992019: $16,0292020: $18,4572021: $19,2842022: $19,3162023: $21,019
2013 · $11,5162023 · $21,019

Over the same years, enrollment went +72.0% (450 → 774 students).

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.

Student Demographics

Race & ethnicity

Student body at a glance

61.2%
Female
42.3%
First Generation

Outcomes

65.8%
Retention Rate
$55,077
Median Earnings (6yr)
74.9%
Earning Over $25K
59.9%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)

Outcomes & debt snapshot

Measure Cohort / horizon Value
Completion within 150% of normal time First-time, full-time 40.5%
First-year retention First-time, full-time freshmen 65.8%
Median earnings 6 years after entry $55,077
Median earnings 10 years after entry $54,186
Share earning over $25,000 Working, not enrolled 74.9%
Loan repayment rate Completers, 3 years after leaving 59.9%
Median federal student debt At completion $19,500
Estimated monthly payment Standard 10-year plan $207/mo

Programs & Earnings

Field-of-study summary by credential

Credential Programs Award count Avg earnings Top earnings Avg debt
Bachelor's 5 82 $64,667 $81,341 $21,687
Master's 2 65 $97,632 $97,632 $25,928

Top programs at Cleary University by completer earnings

Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file

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.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Program Credential Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Management Information Systems and Services Master's - $97,632 $25,928
Business Administration, Management and Operations Bachelor's 74 $81,341 $21,999
Accounting and Related Services Bachelor's 8 $63,508 $21,374
Health and Medical Administrative Services Bachelor's - $58,986 -
Human Resources Management and Services Bachelor's - $54,831 -
Business/Commerce, General Bachelor's - - -
Business Administration, Management and Operations Master's 65 - -

Independent Scorecard matches among reporting colleges — not recommendations from the institution or a counselor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at Cleary University?
Cleary University is a private nonprofit institution in Howell, Michigan. The acceptance rate is 67.5%. Undergraduate enrollment is 738 students.
How much do Cleary University former students earn?
Federally aided former students at Cleary University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $54,186 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $55,077.
How much does Cleary University cost?
The average net price at Cleary University is $22,143. In-state tuition is $26,102 and out-of-state tuition is $26,102. Median student debt at graduation is $19,500.
What is the graduation rate at Cleary University?
Cleary University has a 40.5% 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 65.8%.
Is Cleary University worth the student debt?
The median student debt at Cleary University is $19,500, while former students earn a median of $54,186 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 36% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 59.9% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $207.

Sources & methodology

Private-nonprofit profiles emphasize Scorecard cost-after-aid and completion alongside IPEDS Carnegie class. Endowment, gifts, and sticker price are not Scorecard fields on this page.

Figures are the Mar–Jul 2026 federal retrievals. Nonprofit campuses vary widely in aid practice — net price here is the Title-IV-recipient cohort average, not an individual award letter. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Where to go next from Cleary University

Nonprofit Scorecard medians describe federal-aid recipients who were working and not enrolled — they are not sticker-price ROI and not advice.

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-nonprofit profiles compile Scorecard net-price and earnings cohorts with IPEDS structure fields — 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.