Private Nonprofit · Siloam Springs, Arkansas

John Brown University

John Brown University is a private nonprofit institution in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Graduates earn a median of $53,907 ten years after enrollment at an average net price of $20,397/yr.

$53,907
10-yr median earnings
$20,397
Avg net price / yr
76.1%
Acceptance rate
69.3%
4-yr completion

The verdict

John Brown University pairs above-median graduate earnings with a moderately open admit.

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

Top 34%
graduate earnings, US
76.1%
acceptance rate
69.3%
4-yr completion
+17%
earnings, 6→10 yrs
Town: Distant Carnegie: Master's (M)

John Brown University is a private nonprofit institution in Siloam Springs, Arkansas enrolling 1,471 students, according to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard's 2024-25 release. The acceptance rate is 76.1% with an average SAT of 1,195. Graduates earn a median of $53,907 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 $20,397. This profile includes admissions data, graduation rates, program-level earnings, and cost breakdowns to help students compare colleges using official federal data.

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Data updated July 2026

What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for John Brown University

John Brown University operates as a private nonprofit institution located in Siloam Springs, Arkansas (town: distant), with a total reported enrollment of 1,471 students of which 2,133 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; John Brown University is categorized as "Master's Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs" under the Carnegie classification system, a meaningful signal when comparing like-to-like institutions.

Admissions and cost figures below come from the same annual IPEDS Fall enrollment survey and net-price calculation that every Title IV institution is legally required to submit to the federal government, so the same standardized methodology applies whether comparing a public flagship or a small private college. Net price nets grant and scholarship aid out of the published sticker price, the number financial-aid experts consider the honest comparison point - the table further down breaks that figure out by family income band rather than a single blended average, since what one family actually pays can look very different from what another family pays at the identical school.

The outcomes further down come from federal tax records the U.S. Treasury links to former students who received federal financial aid, not a self-reported alumni survey - an approach that removes response bias but also means graduates who never took federal aid are absent from the earnings figures. Completion and retention rates only count first-time, full-time degree-seeking students, so a school with a large transfer or part-time population can serve those students well without that showing up in these particular metrics. Reading the cost, completion, and earnings figures together, rather than any single one in isolation, is the approach the College Scorecard's own methodology recommends for judging return on investment.

College Value Score

C
College Value Score
58/100
John Brown 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+
$53,907
10-year median graduate earnings
Net Price F
$20,397
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Graduation Rate N/A
N/A
6-year completion rate
Debt F
$21,250
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment A
82.4%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention B-
81.5%
First-year students returning for year two
John Brown University vs. the national benchmark
EarningsNet PriceGrad RateDebtRepaymentRetention

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

$53,907

Federal aid recipients only

Avg net price

$20,397

After grants and scholarships

4-yr completion

69.3%

First-time, full-time bachelor's

4-year completion vs national average (40%) 69.3%

Higher is better

College ROI Quadrant - John Brown University vs peers

John Brown 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 4-year graduation rate (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 = avoid (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 8 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. John Brown University positioned by earnings… Carnegie Classification: Master's (M) Master's (… AVOID PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $33K $63K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $12K $25K Avg Net Price ($) John Brown University (you are here): $54K earn · $20K net · 69% grad You are here - John Brown Univers… Harding University: $53K earn · $22K net · 70% grad Harding University Ouachita Baptist University: $52K earn · $22K net · 66% grad Ouachita Baptist U… Hendrix College: $60K earn · $24K net · 71% grad Hendrix College University of the Ozarks: $44K earn · $17K net · 52% grad University of the … Philander Smith University: $38K earn · $14K net · 31% grad Philander Smith Un… Lyon College: $44K earn · $20K net · 51% grad Ecclesia College: $41K earn · $22K net · 38% 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 4-year graduation rate. Top-left = best ROI; bottom-right = avoid.

How John Brown University ranks nationally

Where this school's graduate earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.

John Brown University: graduate earnings vs. every US college

10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$53,907 Top 34% higher than 66% 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 · 2024

Quick Facts

1,471
Total enrollment
76.1%
Acceptance rate
1,195
SAT average
69.3%
4-yr graduation rate
$53,907
10-yr median earnings
81.5%
First-year retention

Admissions

Admission Rate 76.1%
SAT Average 1,195
SAT Math (25th-75th) 520 – 650
SAT Reading (25th-75th) 550 – 690
ACT Average 26
ACT (25th-75th) 21 – 28

Share of applicants admitted

0%100%76.1%
Share of applicants admitted

Costs & Financial Aid

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $31,756
Out-of-State Tuition $31,756
Average Net Price $20,397

Net Price by Family Income

$0 – $30,000 $17,484
$30,001 – $48,000 $17,210
$48,001 – $75,000 $16,655
Over $110,000 $24,627
23.7%
Pell Grant Rate
33.2%
Federal Loan Rate
$21,250
Median Debt
$225/mo
Monthly Payment

Student Demographics

Race & ethnicity

Student body at a glance

61.6%
Female
28.9%
First Generation

Outcomes

69.3%
4-Year Completion Rate
81.5%
Retention Rate
$46,114
Median Earnings (6yr)
$53,907
Median Earnings (10yr)
72.9%
Earning Over $25K
82.4%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)

Programs & Earnings

Top programs at John Brown University by graduate 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 2024
Program Credential Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Business Administration, Management and Operations Master's 79 $97,702 $23,552
Engineering, General Bachelor's 0 $90,783 $25,488
Accounting and Related Services Bachelor's 6 $82,703 -
Business/Commerce, General Bachelor's 20 $78,800 $19,752
Business Administration, Management and Operations Bachelor's 25 $70,720 $24,995
Construction Management Bachelor's 13 $65,517 -
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Bachelor's 16 $64,963 $29,000
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods Master's 11 $51,880 -
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions Master's 57 $49,897 $52,463
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods Bachelor's 8 $48,188 -
Design and Applied Arts Bachelor's 22 $47,248 $19,500
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Bachelor's 6 $47,076 $19,500
International/Globalization Studies Bachelor's 8 $45,322 $22,250
Marketing Bachelor's 9 $42,682 -
Psychology, General Bachelor's 34 $40,222 $19,703

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at John Brown University?
John Brown University is a private nonprofit institution in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. The acceptance rate is 76.1%. The average SAT score is 1,195. Total enrollment is 1,471 students.
How much do John Brown University graduates earn?
Graduates of John Brown University earn a median of $53,907 ten years after enrollment. Six years after enrollment, median earnings are $46,114.
How much does John Brown University cost?
The average net price at John Brown University is $20,397. In-state tuition is $31,756 and out-of-state tuition is $31,756. Median student debt at graduation is $21,250.
What is the graduation rate at John Brown University?
John Brown University has a 4-year completion rate of 69.3%. The first-year retention rate is 81.5%.
Is John Brown University worth the student debt?
The median student debt at John Brown University is $21,250, while graduates earn a median of $53,907 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 39% of first-year post-graduation earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 82.4% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $225.

Sources & methodology

According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard's 2024-25 release, PlainCollege tracks 6,243 postsecondary institutions and 70,827 individual school-and-program earnings records nationwide.

Every figure on this page is read live from official U.S. federal datasets, as of the 2024-25 release. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What this means for John Brown University

  • John Brown University's graduates land in the 34th percentile nationally for 10-year earnings among reporting colleges.
  • The average net price after aid is $20,397 - compare it against schools with similar outcomes but a lower cost.Find similar schools that cost less
  • See how this school compares to every other college in Arkansas.Browse Arkansas

This profile is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or admissions advice. Figures are historical averages and may not predict an individual student's outcome - confirm current details directly with the institution before making enrollment decisions.

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. Institution profiles are compiled directly from College Scorecard, IPEDS, and Treasury earnings-linkage data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2024-25.