Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Private Nonprofit Suburb: Large

Dominican University is a private nonprofit institution in River Forest, Illinois enrolling 2,561 students, according to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. The acceptance rate is 90.3% with an average SAT of 1,002. Graduates earn a median of $60,327 ten years after enrollment, based on U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal financial aid data. The average net price after financial aid is $11,745. This profile includes admissions data, graduation rates, program-level earnings, and cost breakdowns to help students compare colleges using official federal data.

What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Dominican University

Dominican University operates as a private nonprofit institution located in River Forest, Illinois (suburb: large), with a total reported enrollment of 2,561 students of which 2,568 are undergraduates. Institution-level records in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) classify each school by Carnegie category, ownership sector, and urban/rural locale, which is how this profile’s peer group and cost cohort are determined. Dominican University is categorized as “18” under the Carnegie classification system, a meaningful signal when comparing like-to-like institutions.

Selectivity and financial signals give context to what applicants can expect. The reported admission rate is 90.3%, drawn from the most recent IPEDS Fall enrollment survey, with an average SAT of 1,002 and an ACT midpoint of 25. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $11,745, with published in-state tuition of $38,978 and a Pell grant recipient share of 51.5%. Median federal student debt at graduation is $24,411, drawn from the U.S. Treasury-matched College Scorecard file.

Outcomes reveal whether the investment pays back. The 4-year completion rate is 58.8%, and the first-year retention rate is 77.9%. Graduates earn a median of $60,327 ten years after enrolling, compared with $47,907 six years post-enrollment. Within three years of entering repayment, 102500.0% of borrowers are making progress on their federal loans, and 73.8% of graduates earn above the high-school threshold. Treating these numbers as a single snapshot alongside the cost cohort is the standard approach for evaluating ROI under the College Scorecard methodology.

Quick Facts

2,561
Total enrollment
90.3%
Acceptance rate
1,002
SAT average
58.8%
4-yr graduation rate
$60,327
10-yr median earnings
77.9%
First-year retention

Admissions

Admission Rate 90.3%
SAT Average 1,002
SAT Math (25th-75th) 420 – 540
SAT Reading (25th-75th) 460 – 560
ACT Average 25
ACT (25th-75th) 16 – 26

Costs & Financial Aid

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $38,978
Out-of-State Tuition $38,978
Average Net Price $11,745

Net Price by Family Income

$0 – $30,000 $9,759
$30,001 – $48,000 $9,014
$48,001 – $75,000 $11,891
Over $110,000 $17,963
51.5%
Pell Grant Rate
50.0%
Federal Loan Rate
$24,411
Median Debt
$259/mo
Monthly Payment

Student Demographics

White 18.2%
African American 5.9%
Hispanic or Latino 69.2%
Asian 3.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.3%
Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 1.0%
International 0.4%
69.7%
Female
50.7%
First Generation

Outcomes

58.8%
4-Year Completion Rate
77.9%
Retention Rate
$47,907
Median Earnings (6yr)
$60,327
Median Earnings (10yr)
73.8%
Earning Over $25K
102500.0%
Loan Repayment (3yr)

Programs & Earnings

Program Credential Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Master's 30 $134,175 $142,027
Computer Science Bachelor's 18 $86,730 $27,000
Educational Administration and Supervision Master's 0 $84,653
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Bachelor's 36 $80,703 $23,000
Business Administration, Management and Operations Master's 41 $80,127 $35,603
Accounting and Related Services Bachelor's 11 $77,878 $25,000
Special Education and Teaching Master's 34 $76,142
Dispute Resolution Master's 13 $75,828
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods Master's 26 $72,425
Business Administration, Management and Operations Bachelor's 28 $66,871 $25,000
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services Master's 3 $64,660
Social Work Master's 98 $63,207 $41,167
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics Bachelor's 11 $60,311 $26,246
Nutrition Sciences Bachelor's 16 $57,532
Natural Sciences Bachelor's 30 $56,555 $25,109
Library Science and Administration Master's 112 $54,946 $37,998
Sociology Bachelor's 24 $54,686 $27,000
Economics Bachelor's 6 $54,644
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods Bachelor's 16 $53,810 $26,500
Criminology Bachelor's 23 $52,775 $26,000
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas Master's 1 $51,106
Psychology, General Bachelor's 42 $51,093 $22,858
Design and Applied Arts Bachelor's 9 $47,930 $26,344
Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations Bachelor's 6 $47,078 $26,585
English Language and Literature, General Bachelor's 14 $46,780
Biology, General Bachelor's 21 $46,040 $25,117
International Business Bachelor's 8 $43,901
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services Bachelor's 10 $32,925
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs Bachelor's 37 $30,771

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the admissions statistics for Dominican University?
Dominican University is a private nonprofit institution in River Forest, Illinois. The acceptance rate is 90.3%. The average SAT score is 1,002. Total enrollment is 2,561 students.
How much do Dominican University graduates earn?
Graduates of Dominican University earn a median of $60,327 ten years after enrollment. Six years after enrollment, median earnings are $47,907.
How much does Dominican University cost?
The average net price at Dominican University is $11,745. In-state tuition is $38,978 and out-of-state tuition is $38,978. Median student debt at graduation is $24,411.
What is the graduation rate at Dominican University?
Dominican University has a 4-year completion rate of 58.8%. The first-year retention rate is 77.9%.
Is Dominican University worth the student debt?
The median student debt at Dominican University is $24,411, while graduates earn a median of $60,327 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 40% of first-year post-graduation earnings. 102500.0% of borrowers are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $259.

Data Sources

Data as of 2024-25 academic year. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Primary: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. Data reflects most recent available year.

Institutional characteristics: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) institutional characteristics file.

Earnings: Median earnings 6 and 10 years after enrollment, from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal student aid data.

Program data: Credential-level earnings from the College Scorecard Field of Study dataset.

All federal data sources used on this page

Earnings data sourced from IRS records via the U.S. Treasury–Department of Education matching used by the College Scorecard.