Public · New Haven, Connecticut

Southern Connecticut State University

Southern Connecticut State University is a public institution in New Haven, Connecticut. Graduates earn a median of $55,043 ten years after enrollment at an average net price of $20,857/yr.

$55,043
10-yr median earnings
$20,857
Avg net price / yr
91.5%
Acceptance rate
48.9%
4-yr completion

The verdict

Southern Connecticut State University pairs above-median graduate earnings with open admission.

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

Top 34%
graduate earnings, US
91.5%
acceptance rate
48.9%
4-yr completion
+21%
earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Midsize Carnegie: Master's (L)

Southern Connecticut State University is a public institution in New Haven, Connecticut enrolling 6,295 students, according to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard's 2024-25 release. The acceptance rate is 91.5%. Graduates earn a median of $55,043 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 $20,857. This profile includes admissions data, graduation rates, program-level earnings, and cost breakdowns to help students compare colleges using official federal data.

View my saved schools

Data updated July 2026

What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Southern Connecticut State University

Southern Connecticut State University operates as a public institution located in New Haven, Connecticut (city: midsize), with a total reported enrollment of 6,295 students of which 9,796 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; Southern Connecticut State 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

C
College Value Score
55/100
Southern Connecticut State 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+
$55,043
10-year median graduate earnings
Net Price F
$20,857
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Graduation Rate N/A
N/A
6-year completion rate
Debt F
$22,250
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment B+
74.6%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention C
77.9%
First-year students returning for year two
Southern Connecticut State 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

$55,043

Federal aid recipients only

Avg net price

$20,857

After grants and scholarships

4-yr completion

48.9%

First-time, full-time bachelor's

4-year completion vs national average (40%) 48.9%

Higher is better

College ROI Quadrant - Southern Connecticut State University vs peers

Southern Connecticut State 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. Southern Connecticut State University positi… Carnegie Classification: Master's (L) Master's (… AVOID PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $35K $78K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $10K $36K Avg Net Price ($) Southern Connecticut State University (you are here): $55K earn · $21K net · 49% grad You are here - Southern Connectic… Connecticut State Community College: $41K earn · $12K net Connecticut State … University of Connecticut: $74K earn · $25K net · 84% grad University of Conn… Central Connecticut State University: $59K earn · $17K net · 49% grad Central Connecticu… Western Connecticut State University: $59K earn · $18K net · 51% grad Western Connecticu… Eastern Connecticut State University: $56K earn · $21K net · 58% grad Eastern Connecticu… University of Connecticut-Stamford: $74K earn · $17K net · 57% grad Albertus Magnus College: $60K earn · $34K net · 49% 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 Southern Connecticut State 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.

Southern Connecticut State University: graduate earnings vs. every US college

10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$55,043 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

6,295
Total enrollment
91.5%
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
48.9%
4-yr graduation rate
$55,043
10-yr median earnings
77.9%
First-year retention

Admissions

Admission Rate 91.5%

Share of applicants admitted

0%100%91.5%
Share of applicants admitted

Costs & Financial Aid

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $13,438
Out-of-State Tuition $27,378
Average Net Price $20,857

Net Price by Family Income

$0 – $30,000 $17,736
$30,001 – $48,000 $18,729
$48,001 – $75,000 $19,437
Over $110,000 $27,809
40.8%
Pell Grant Rate
52.2%
Federal Loan Rate
$22,250
Median Debt
$236/mo
Monthly Payment

Student Demographics

Race & ethnicity

Student body at a glance

63.1%
Female
39.0%
First Generation

Outcomes

48.9%
4-Year Completion Rate
77.9%
Retention Rate
$45,422
Median Earnings (6yr)
$55,043
Median Earnings (10yr)
69.6%
Earning Over $25K
74.6%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)

Programs & Earnings

Top programs at Southern Connecticut State 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
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Master's 0 $138,364 -
Educational Administration and Supervision Doctoral 11 $113,578 $48,721
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Bachelor's 115 $98,870 $19,000
Business Administration, Management and Operations Master's 31 $96,254 $29,500
Computer and Information Sciences, General Bachelor's 49 $87,705 $24,713
Educational Administration and Supervision Graduate Certificate 59 $87,346 $31,946
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Bachelor's 19 $74,538 $23,000
Chemistry Bachelor's 19 $72,838 $26,000
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services Graduate Certificate - $70,543 -
Public Health Master's 23 $70,335 -
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas Graduate Certificate 22 $67,807 -
Biology, General Bachelor's 57 $67,791 $20,545
Special Education and Teaching Level 99 - $67,322 -
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness Master's 20 $67,232 -
Student Counseling and Personnel Services Master's 11 $66,607 $39,563

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at Southern Connecticut State University?
Southern Connecticut State University is a public institution in New Haven, Connecticut. The acceptance rate is 91.5%. Total enrollment is 6,295 students.
How much do Southern Connecticut State University graduates earn?
Graduates of Southern Connecticut State University earn a median of $55,043 ten years after enrollment. Six years after enrollment, median earnings are $45,422.
How much does Southern Connecticut State University cost?
The average net price at Southern Connecticut State University is $20,857. In-state tuition is $13,438 and out-of-state tuition is $27,378. Median student debt at graduation is $22,250.
What is the graduation rate at Southern Connecticut State University?
Southern Connecticut State University has a 4-year completion rate of 48.9%. The first-year retention rate is 77.9%.
Is Southern Connecticut State University worth the student debt?
The median student debt at Southern Connecticut State University is $22,250, while graduates earn a median of $55,043 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 40% of first-year post-graduation earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 74.6% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $236.

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 Southern Connecticut State University

  • Southern Connecticut State University's graduates land in the 34th percentile nationally for 10-year earnings among reporting colleges.
  • The average net price after aid is $20,857 - 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 Connecticut.Browse Connecticut

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.