Public · Dover, Delaware

Delaware State University

Delaware State University is a public institution in Dover, Delaware. as a public institution, published Scorecard outcomes are the federal Title-IV cohort view of former students — not every graduate and not a guarantee for any one enrollee.

$13,910
Avg net price / yr
$49,307
10-yr median earnings
38.9%
150%-time completion
46.6%
Acceptance rate

The verdict

Delaware State University pairs above-median former-student earnings with a selective admit.

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

Top 30%
former-student earnings, US
46.6%
acceptance rate
38.9%
150%-time completion
+31%
earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Small Carnegie: Master's (M)
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Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

How to read this Delaware State 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 ("Master's Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs"), 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
42/100
Delaware State 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-
$49,307
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price C+
$13,910
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate F
38.9%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$26,000
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment F
45.1%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention F
70.0%
First-year students returning for year two
Delaware State 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

$49,307

Federal aid recipients only

Avg net price

$13,910

After grants and scholarships

150%-time completion

38.9%

Full-time, first-time cohort

150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 38.9%

Four-year-institution cohort

College ROI Quadrant - Delaware State University vs peers

Delaware State 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 4 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. Delaware State University positioned by earn… Carnegie Classification: Master's (M) Master's (… COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $35K $77K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $10K $19K Avg Net Price ($) Delaware State University (you are here): $49K earn · $14K net · 39% grad You are here - Delaware State Uni… Delaware Technical Community College-Terry: $41K earn · $12K net · 21% grad Delaware Technical… University of Delaware: $73K earn · $18K net · 80% grad University of Dela… Wilmington University: $54K earn · $16K net · 21% grad Wilmington Univers… 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 Delaware State 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.

Delaware State University: former-student earnings vs. every US college

10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$49,307 Top 30% higher than 70% 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 Delaware State University National rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $49,307 #1534 of 5103 70th
Average net price $13,910 #1876 of 5020 63rd (lower is better)
150%-time completion 38.9% #3724 of 4858 23rd
Undergraduate enrollment 4,398 #832 of 5462 85th

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

Quick Facts

4,398
Undergraduate enrollment
46.6%
Acceptance rate
940
SAT average
38.9%
150%-time completion
$49,307
10-yr median earnings
70.0%
First-year retention

How Delaware State University ranks in Delaware

State rank among 14 reporting Delaware colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.

Metric Delaware State University State rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $49,307 #5 of 14 64th
Average net price $13,910 #4 of 12 67th (lower is better)
150%-time completion 38.9% #9 of 11 18th
Undergraduate enrollment 4,398 #4 of 15 73rd

Highest former-student earnings in Delaware

#School10-yr earningsNet price
1University of Delaware$72,950$17,799
2Margaret H Rollins School of Nursing at Beebe Medical Center$72,380-
3Goldey-Beacom College$59,892$15,554
4Wilmington University$53,844$15,644
5Delaware State UniversityThis school$49,307$13,910
6Delaware Technical Community College-Terry$41,448$11,578
7Delaware Technical Community College-Owens$41,448-
8Delaware Technical Community College-Stanton/Wilmington$41,448-
9Strayer University-Delaware$40,092$22,593
10Paul Mitchell the School-Delaware$32,242$16,753
11Academy of Massage and Bodywork$31,204-
12Dawn Career Institute LLC$30,429$14,839

Admissions

Admission Rate 46.6%
SAT Average 940
SAT Math (25th-75th) 380 – 500
SAT Reading (25th-75th) 420 – 520
ACT (25th-75th) 20 – 24
0%100%46.6%
Share of applicants admitted

Costs & Financial Aid

Net price by family income at Delaware State 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 Delaware State 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 $10,670
Out-of-State Tuition $20,634
Average Net Price $13,910
48.5%
Pell Grant Rate
52.2%
Federal Loan Rate
$26,000
Median Debt
$276/mo
Monthly Payment

Net price at Delaware State University swings rather than trends

Across 11 reported years between 2013 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $11,626 to $16,099 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as +2.2%, 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
$11,626
Highest year
$16,099
Most recent (2023)
$15,745
Average net price, 2013–2023

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

2013: $15,3992014: $15,6552015: $16,0992016: $12,8442017: $13,0142018: $13,7892019: $12,9952020: $14,8662021: $11,6262022: $12,5442023: $15,745
2013 · $15,3992023 · $15,745

Over the same years, enrollment went +24.5% (3,719 → 4,630 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

66.5%
Female
35.5%
First Generation

Outcomes

70.0%
Retention Rate
$37,503
Median Earnings (6yr)
56.3%
Earning Over $25K
45.1%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)

Outcomes & debt snapshot

Measure Cohort / horizon Value
Completion within 150% of normal time First-time, full-time 38.9%
First-year retention First-time, full-time freshmen 70.0%
Median earnings 6 years after entry $37,503
Median earnings 10 years after entry $49,307
Share earning over $25,000 Working, not enrolled 56.3%
Loan repayment rate Completers, 3 years after leaving 45.1%
Median federal student debt At completion $26,000
Estimated monthly payment Standard 10-year plan $276/mo

Programs & Earnings

Field-of-study summary by credential

Credential Programs Award count Avg earnings Top earnings Avg debt
Bachelor's 18 596 $60,861 $98,411 $25,616
Master's 4 160 $67,835 $89,641 $31,272
Doctoral 1 15 - - -

Top programs at Delaware State 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
Computer Science Bachelor's 23 $98,411 -
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Bachelor's 65 $94,568 $29,930
Business Administration, Management and Operations Master's 15 $89,641 -
Accounting and Related Services Bachelor's 19 $72,522 $25,000
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions Master's 35 $64,094 -
Social Work Master's 102 $63,662 $31,272
Business Administration, Management and Operations Bachelor's 48 $59,689 $25,500
Biology, General Bachelor's 23 $59,296 $26,000
Social Work Bachelor's 35 $56,937 $22,503
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Bachelor's 36 $55,509 $23,540
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness Master's 8 $53,944 -
Political Science and Government Bachelor's 12 $53,838 $25,000
Criminology Bachelor's 43 $53,128 $26,000
Agriculture, General Bachelor's 23 $52,676 $21,500
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods Bachelor's 23 $50,794 $25,401

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at Delaware State University?
Delaware State University is a public institution in Dover, Delaware. The acceptance rate is 46.6%. The average SAT score is 940. Undergraduate enrollment is 4,398 students.
How much do Delaware State University former students earn?
Federally aided former students at Delaware State University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $49,307 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $37,503.
How much does Delaware State University cost?
The average net price at Delaware State University is $13,910. In-state tuition is $10,670 and out-of-state tuition is $20,634. Median student debt at graduation is $26,000.
What is the graduation rate at Delaware State University?
Delaware State University has a 38.9% 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 70.0%.
Is Delaware State University worth the student debt?
The median student debt at Delaware State University is $26,000, while former students earn a median of $49,307 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 53% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 45.1% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $276.

Sources & methodology

Public-college profiles lean on IPEDS enrollment and Scorecard Title-IV outcomes. State appropriations are outside this page; the figures below are the federal cohort measures only.

Every number is read live from the Mar–Jul 2026 Scorecard/IPEDS retrievals. Public institutions often enroll large Title-IV cohorts, so medians can be stable — still cohort averages, never a personal forecast. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Where to go next from Delaware State University

Public-college Scorecard figures are historical Title-IV cohort averages — confirm current tuition, aid, and admissions rules with the institution before deciding.

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. Public-institution profiles compile Scorecard Title-IV earnings, IPEDS enrollment/admissions, and Treasury linkage 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.