10-yr median earnings
$27,981
Federal aid recipients only
Private Nonprofit · Fairfield, Iowa
Maharishi International University
Maharishi International University is a private nonprofit institution in Fairfield, Iowa. Graduates earn a median of $27,981 ten years after enrollment at an average net price of $14,956/yr.
- $27,981
- 10-yr median earnings
- $14,956
- Avg net price / yr
- 95.7%
- Acceptance rate
- 34.3%
- 4-yr completion
The verdict
Maharishi International University pairs modest graduate earnings with open admission.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 75%
- graduate earnings, US
- 95.7%
- acceptance rate
- 34.3%
- 4-yr completion
- +6%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
Town: Remote
Carnegie: Master's (L)
Maharishi International University is a private nonprofit institution in Fairfield, Iowa enrolling 922 students, according to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard's 2024-25 release. The acceptance rate is 95.7%. Graduates earn a median of $27,981 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 $14,956. This profile includes admissions data, graduation rates, program-level earnings, and cost breakdowns to help students compare colleges using official federal data.
Data updated July 2026
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Maharishi International University
Maharishi International University operates as a private nonprofit institution located in Fairfield, Iowa (town: remote), with a total reported enrollment of 922 students of which 1,305 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; Maharishi International University is categorized as "Master's Colleges & Universities: Larger 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
F
College Value Score
34/100
Maharishi International 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 F
$27,981
10-year median graduate earnings
Net Price C
$14,956
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Graduation Rate N/A
N/A
6-year completion rate
Debt F
$24,781
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment B-
68.1%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention F
61.3%
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
$14,956
After grants and scholarships
4-yr completion
34.3%
First-time, full-time bachelor's
4-year completion vs national average (40%) 34.3%
Higher is better
College ROI Quadrant - Maharishi International University vs peers
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 Maharishi International 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.
Maharishi International University: graduate earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$27,981 Top 75% higher than 25% 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 · 2024
Quick Facts
922
Total enrollment
95.7%
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
34.3%
4-yr graduation rate
$27,981
10-yr median earnings
61.3%
First-year retention
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 95.7% |
Share of applicants admitted
Costs & Financial Aid
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $16,530 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $16,530 |
| Average Net Price | $14,956 |
Net Price by Family Income
| $0 – $30,000 | $14,269 |
| $30,001 – $48,000 | $16,585 |
| $48,001 – $75,000 | $14,066 |
56.9%
Pell Grant Rate
65.3%
Federal Loan Rate
$24,781
Median Debt
$263/mo
Monthly Payment
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
White 38.6%
African American 7.4%
Hispanic or Latino 10.2%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.8%
Pacific Islander 0.1%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.9%
International 1.3%
Student body at a glance
52.9%
Female
33.8%
First Generation
Outcomes
34.3%
4-Year Completion Rate
61.3%
Retention Rate
$26,468
Median Earnings (6yr)
$27,981
Median Earnings (10yr)
28.9%
Earning Over $25K
68.1%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Programs & Earnings
| Program | Credential | Completers | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | Master's | 348 | $139,773 | $51,091 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Master's | 12 | $32,294 | $62,994 |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's | - | $18,498 | - |
Guides & Resources
Is College Worth It?
Analyze the financial return of a degree
Debt vs. Earnings by Major
Which fields of study pay off fastest
Colleges With the Best ROI
Schools where graduates earn the most vs. cost
How to Compare Colleges
A data-driven framework for picking schools
Understanding Earnings Data
How College Scorecard measures outcomes
Community College vs. 4-Year
Compare costs, outcomes, and career paths
Related Colleges
Other private nonprofit institutions in Iowa
Drake University
Des Moines, IA
2,543 students Earn $71,901 63.8% admit
Upper Iowa University
Fayette, IA
1,994 students Earn $52,766 96.5% admit
Saint Ambrose University
Davenport, IA
1,916 students Earn $59,531 77.3% admit
Waldorf University
Forest City, IA
1,827 students Earn $51,165 77.0% admit
Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA
1,729 students Earn $62,830 14.5% admit
Dordt University
Sioux Center, IA
1,597 students Earn $52,559 68.5% admit
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Maharishi International University? ▼
Maharishi International University is a private nonprofit institution in Fairfield, Iowa. The acceptance rate is 95.7%. Total enrollment is 922 students.
How much do Maharishi International University graduates earn? ▼
Graduates of Maharishi International University earn a median of $27,981 ten years after enrollment. Six years after enrollment, median earnings are $26,468.
How much does Maharishi International University cost? ▼
The average net price at Maharishi International University is $14,956. In-state tuition is $16,530 and out-of-state tuition is $16,530. Median student debt at graduation is $24,781.
What is the graduation rate at Maharishi International University? ▼
Maharishi International University has a 4-year completion rate of 34.3%. The first-year retention rate is 61.3%.
Is Maharishi International University worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Maharishi International University is $24,781, while graduates earn a median of $27,981 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 89% of first-year post-graduation earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 68.1% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $263.
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.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - graduate 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).
What this means for Maharishi International University
- Maharishi International University's graduates land in the 75th percentile nationally for 10-year earnings among reporting colleges.
- The average net price after aid is $14,956 - 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 Iowa.Browse Iowa
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.