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Private nonprofit · 4-year

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, Iowa

47
D
DR Rating
DegreeReturn Rating — Weak value

A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.

Strong return
+$93,296 over 10 years

Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 4 years.

Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.

5.4 yrs
Break-even
+87%
10-year ROI
$65,117
Median earnings as of 2024
78% of Saint Ambrose University students earn more than a typical U.S. high-school graduate (about $28,000/yr) ten years after starting — measured from IRS tax records, not surveys.

The numbers behind the verdict

$24,691
Average net price / yr as of 2024
$65,117
Median earnings (5 yr) as of 2024
$49,039
Median earnings (1 yr) as of 2024
$25,000
Median debt at graduation as of 2024
61%
Graduation rate as of 2024
78%
Earn more than a HS grad as of 2024
76%
Repaying their loans (3 yr) as of 2024
76%
Retention rate as of 2024

Lifetime ROI: the long view

Cumulative net gain over a high-school-only earner at different career lengths, with tuition and debt interest already subtracted. Built on IRS-verified federal earnings — not self-reported surveys.

$93,296
After 10 years
$294,466
After 20 years
$495,636
After 30 years
$696,806
After 40 years

Conservative: holds year-5 earnings flat (no raises). Adjust the assumptions, or see the highest 20-year ROI colleges.

Equity & access

Who the college serves and whether the payoff reaches everyone — earnings ten years after starting (IRS-linked), with access measures from federal enrollment data.

By gender
Women
$55,423
Men
$65,177

15% gap between the two groups

By family-income background
From lower-income families
$51,584
From higher-income families
$64,498

20% gap between the two groups

By student status (FAFSA)
Dependent students
$59,996
Independent students
$56,605

6% gap between the two groups

28%
First-generation students
64%
Take federal student loans
95%
Born in the U.S.
Who studies here
White 66%Hispanic 11%Asian 2%Black 8%Other 13%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.

Net price by family income

What students actually pay after grants and scholarships, by household income as of 2024.

Family incomeAverage net price / yr
Family income $0–$30k$22,037
$30k–$48k$21,729
$48k–$75k$22,408
$75k–$110k$24,776
$110k+$27,807

How Saint Ambrose University compares

This college against the Iowa and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.

Graduate earnings over time

Median earnings of Saint Ambrose University students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.

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Best-paying majors at Saint Ambrose University

Fields of study ranked by their own ROI — earnings five years after graduating against the cost and debt. Click a major for the deep dive.

MajorCredentialEarnings (5 yr)Median debt10-yr ROIVerdict
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's$78,348$27,000+463%Strong return
Accounting and Related ServicesAssociate's$77,333$23,152+459%Strong return
Business Administration, Management and OperationsCertificate$105,954$29,574+456%Strong return
Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's$65,739+320%Strong return
Accounting and Related ServicesCertificate$85,373+309%Strong return
Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's$69,091$27,648+305%Strong return
Biology, GeneralAssociate's$67,850$27,000+286%Strong return
MarketingAssociate's$64,849$25,093+239%Strong return
Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsAssociate's$63,210$26,600+208%Strong return
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic ProfessionsCertificate$76,173$41,000+174%Strong return
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessAssociate's$55,506$25,474+79%Strong return
Psychology, GeneralAssociate's$55,188$22,500+77%Strong return
Communication Disorders Sciences and ServicesCertificate$65,117$62,250+66%Break-even
Social WorkCertificate$58,424$43,492+17%Break-even
SociologyAssociate's$49,847-2%Poor return
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasAssociate's$47,657-46%Poor return
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsAssociate's$46,094$27,250-82%Poor return

Calculate your own ROI

Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.

ROI at Saint Ambrose University

Or pick your to set cost

Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.

10-yr net gain
Break-even
10-yr ROI

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Admissions & profile

77%
Admission rate
1,093
Average SAT
24
Median ACT
1,916
Undergraduates

Location

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.

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