Private Nonprofit · Redding, California

Simpson University

Simpson University is a private nonprofit institution in Redding, California. as a private nonprofit, published Scorecard outcomes cover federal-aid recipients at this campus — endowment and sticker price sit outside those cohort fields.

$54,340
10-yr median earnings
86.0%
Acceptance rate
$27,817
Avg net price / yr
45.1%
150%-time completion

The verdict

Simpson University pairs top-quartile former-student earnings with open admission.

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

Top 22%
former-student earnings, US
86.0%
acceptance rate
45.1%
150%-time completion
+6%
earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Small Carnegie: Bacc: A&S
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Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

How to read this Simpson 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 ("Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus"), 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
43/100
Simpson 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+
$54,340
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$27,817
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate F
45.1%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$18,750
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment B
71.7%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention F
60.4%
First-year students returning for year two
Simpson 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

$54,340

Federal aid recipients only

Avg net price

$27,817

After grants and scholarships

150%-time completion

45.1%

Full-time, first-time cohort

150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 45.1%

Four-year-institution cohort

College ROI Quadrant - Simpson University vs peers

Simpson 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 8 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. Simpson University positioned by earnings vs… Carnegie Classification: Bacc: A&S Bacc: A&S COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $33K $80K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $2K $48K Avg Net Price ($) Simpson University (you are here): $54K earn · $28K net · 45% grad You are here - Simpson University Pacific Union College: $70K earn · $41K net · 55% grad Pacific Union Coll… Woodbury University: $66K earn · $34K net · 58% grad Woodbury University Whittier College: $59K earn · $26K net · 62% grad Whittier College California Institute of the Arts: $41K earn · $46K net · 65% grad California Institu… Casa Loma College-Los Angeles: $50K earn · $28K net · 69% grad Casa Loma College-… Menlo College: $76K earn · $31K net · 52% grad Shasta College: $39K earn · $3K net · 26% 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 completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.

How Simpson 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.

Simpson University: former-student earnings vs. every US college

10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$54,340 Top 22% higher than 78% 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 Simpson University National rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $54,340 #1145 of 5103 78th
Average net price $27,817 #4254 of 5020 15th (lower is better)
150%-time completion 45.1% #3310 of 4858 32nd
Undergraduate enrollment 809 #2389 of 5462 56th

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

Quick Facts

809
Undergraduate enrollment
86.0%
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
45.1%
150%-time completion
$54,340
10-yr median earnings
60.4%
First-year retention

How Simpson University ranks in California

State rank among 493 reporting California colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.

Metric Simpson University State rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $54,340 #137 of 493 72nd
Average net price $27,817 #354 of 495 28th (lower is better)
150%-time completion 45.1% #354 of 483 27th
Undergraduate enrollment 809 #237 of 553 57th

Highest former-student earnings in California

#School10-yr earningsNet price
1Samuel Merritt University$143,238-
2Harvey Mudd College$138,687$35,924
3California Institute of Technology$128,566$16,075
4Stanford University$124,080$13,807
5Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health$115,318-
6Gnomon$114,785$51,949
7Santa Clara University$109,183$50,062
8Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University$109,183-
9Touro University California$104,805-
10Claremont McKenna College$104,736$28,849
11West Coast University-Anaheim-Orange County$102,672$32,879
12West Coast University-Ontario$102,672$49,590
137Simpson UniversityThis school$54,340$27,817

Admissions

Admission Rate 86.0%
0%100%86%
Share of applicants admitted

Costs & Financial Aid

Net price by family income at Simpson 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 Simpson 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 $39,708
Out-of-State Tuition $39,708
Average Net Price $27,817
44.1%
Pell Grant Rate
62.6%
Federal Loan Rate
$18,750
Median Debt
$199/mo
Monthly Payment

What students pay at Simpson University rose +57.2% since 2013

Average net price for the reported Title IV-recipient cohort went from $17,760 in 2013 to $27,923 in 2023, a rise of $10,163 in nominal dollars. Across the 4,315 colleges measured over the same 2013–2023 span, the median change was +14.6%.

Average net price, 2013–2023

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

2013: $17,7602014: $18,0922015: $19,7392016: $20,5742017: $27,5512018: $24,2982019: $22,7032020: $24,4822021: $25,0932022: $24,4372023: $27,923
2013 · $17,7602023 · $27,923

Over the same years, enrollment went -26.7% (1,024 → 751 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

70.3%
Female
37.6%
First Generation

Outcomes

60.4%
Retention Rate
$51,256
Median Earnings (6yr)
57.2%
Earning Over $25K
71.7%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)

Outcomes & debt snapshot

Measure Cohort / horizon Value
Completion within 150% of normal time First-time, full-time 45.1%
First-year retention First-time, full-time freshmen 60.4%
Median earnings 6 years after entry $51,256
Median earnings 10 years after entry $54,340
Share earning over $25,000 Working, not enrolled 57.2%
Loan repayment rate Completers, 3 years after leaving 71.7%
Median federal student debt At completion $18,750
Estimated monthly payment Standard 10-year plan $199/mo

Programs & Earnings

Field-of-study summary by credential

Credential Programs Award count Avg earnings Top earnings Avg debt
Bachelor's 7 174 $69,422 $113,623 $20,544
Master's 3 24 $68,735 $68,735 -

Top programs at Simpson 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
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Bachelor's 48 $113,623 $28,010
Education, General Master's 14 $68,735 -
Human Resources Management and Services Bachelor's 1 $65,797 -
Business Administration, Management and Operations Bachelor's 34 $58,478 $18,750
Psychology, General Bachelor's 66 $56,902 $16,667
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Bachelor's 22 $52,311 $18,750
Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology Bachelor's 3 - -
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology Master's 10 - -
Accounting and Related Services Bachelor's 0 - -
Human Resources Management and Services Master's 0 - -

Independent Scorecard matches among reporting colleges — not recommendations from the institution or a counselor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at Simpson University?
Simpson University is a private nonprofit institution in Redding, California. The acceptance rate is 86.0%. Undergraduate enrollment is 809 students.
How much do Simpson University former students earn?
Federally aided former students at Simpson University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $54,340 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $51,256.
How much does Simpson University cost?
The average net price at Simpson University is $27,817. In-state tuition is $39,708 and out-of-state tuition is $39,708. Median student debt at graduation is $18,750.
What is the graduation rate at Simpson University?
Simpson University has a 45.1% 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 60.4%.
Is Simpson University worth the student debt?
The median student debt at Simpson University is $18,750, while former students earn a median of $54,340 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 35% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 71.7% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $199.

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.

Where to go next from Simpson University

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.