10-yr median earnings
$46,238
Federal aid recipients only
Private Nonprofit · Waxahachie, Texas
Nelson University
Nelson University is a private nonprofit institution in Waxahachie, Texas. as a private nonprofit, published Scorecard outcomes cover federal-aid recipients at this campus — endowment and sticker price sit outside those cohort fields.
- $46,238
- 10-yr median earnings
- 89.0%
- Acceptance rate
- $21,662
- Avg net price / yr
- 38.6%
- 150%-time completion
The verdict
Nelson University pairs above-median former-student earnings with open admission.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 36%
- former-student earnings, US
- 89.0%
- acceptance rate
- 38.6%
- 150%-time completion
- +24%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
Suburb: Large
Carnegie: Master's (S)
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this Nelson 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: Small 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
40/100
Nelson 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 C+
$46,238
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$21,662
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate F
38.6%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$24,725
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment C+
66.2%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention D
75.2%
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
$21,662
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
38.6%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 38.6%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - Nelson University vs peers
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 Nelson 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.
Nelson University: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$46,238 Top 36% higher than 64% 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 · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | Nelson University | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $46,238 | #1853 of 5103 | 64th |
| Average net price | $21,662 | #3393 of 5020 | 32nd (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 38.6% | #3744 of 4858 | 23rd |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,479 | #1773 of 5462 | 68th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
1,479
Undergraduate enrollment
89.0%
Acceptance rate
980
SAT average
38.6%
150%-time completion
$46,238
10-yr median earnings
75.2%
First-year retention
How Nelson University ranks in Texas
State rank among 324 reporting Texas colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | Nelson University | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $46,238 | #92 of 324 | 72nd |
| Average net price | $21,662 | #228 of 340 | 33rd (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 38.6% | #239 of 324 | 26th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,479 | #115 of 366 | 69th |
Highest former-student earnings in Texas
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Coast University-Texas | $102,672 | $53,020 |
| 2 | University of North Texas Health Science Center | $93,615 | - |
| 3 | The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston | $92,961 | - |
| 4 | Chamberlain University-Texas | $92,405 | $32,209 |
| 5 | Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center | $92,348 | - |
| 6 | The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center | $90,232 | - |
| 7 | Rice University | $89,718 | $13,370 |
| 8 | The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston | $88,757 | - |
| 9 | The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio | $82,206 | - |
| 10 | Denver College of Nursing-Houston | $81,809 | - |
| 11 | Covenant School of Nursing and Allied Health | $78,724 | - |
| 12 | Southern Methodist University | $78,354 | $40,892 |
| 92 | Nelson UniversityThis school | $46,238 | $21,662 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 89.0% |
| SAT Average | 980 |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 430 – 540 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 460 – 550 |
| ACT Average | 20 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at Nelson University
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$17,583 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$18,396 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$21,731 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$25,474 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Nelson University - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $25,064 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $25,064 |
| Average Net Price | $21,662 |
47.8%
Pell Grant Rate
61.3%
Federal Loan Rate
$24,725
Median Debt
$262/mo
Monthly Payment
Net price at Nelson University swings rather than trends
Across 11 reported years between 2013 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $19,655 to $26,271 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as -9.7%, 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
$19,655
Highest year
$26,271
Most recent (2023)
$19,655
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $21,7722023 · $19,655
Over the same years, enrollment went -18.2% (1,669 → 1,366 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
49.7%
Female
38.2%
First Generation
Outcomes
75.2%
Retention Rate
$37,425
Median Earnings (6yr)
55.4%
Earning Over $25K
66.2%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 38.6% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 75.2% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $37,425 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $46,238 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 55.4% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 66.2% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $24,725 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $262/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 8 | 132 | $49,014 | $66,477 | $26,374 |
| Associate's | 5 | 174 | $48,165 | $54,750 | $26,522 |
| Master's | 4 | 66 | $56,805 | $62,264 | $38,620 |
Top programs at Nelson University by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Marketing
Marketing
$66,477 median earnings
- Business Administration, M…
Business Administration, Management and Operations
$62,264 median earnings
- Clinical, Counseling and A…
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
$55,000 median earnings
- Psychology, General
Psychology, General
$54,750 median earnings
- Business Administration, M…
Business Administration, Management and Operations
$53,275 median earnings
- Theological and Ministeria…
Theological and Ministerial Studies
$53,150 median earnings
- Business Administration, M…
Business Administration, Management and Operations
$52,229 median earnings
- Education, General
Education, General
$50,491 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.
Nearby Schools
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Independent Scorecard matches among reporting colleges — not recommendations from the institution or a counselor.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Private Nonprofit institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Private Nonprofit institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Nelson University? ▼
Nelson University is a private nonprofit institution in Waxahachie, Texas. The acceptance rate is 89.0%. The average SAT score is 980. Undergraduate enrollment is 1,479 students.
How much do Nelson University former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at Nelson University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $46,238 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $37,425.
How much does Nelson University cost? ▼
The average net price at Nelson University is $21,662. In-state tuition is $25,064 and out-of-state tuition is $25,064. Median student debt at graduation is $24,725.
What is the graduation rate at Nelson University? ▼
Nelson University has a 38.6% 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 75.2%.
Is Nelson University worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Nelson University is $24,725, while former students earn a median of $46,238 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 53% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 66.2% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $262.
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.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student 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).
Where to go next from Nelson University
- Compare Nelson University against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in Texas side by side.Browse Texas
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
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.