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Capella University

National university

Capella University

Minneapolis, MN · Private for-profit · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $17,956 a year

Median debt at graduation: $14,968 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Academic Excellence

C+Academic Excellence: C+ (grade C+): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Solid
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.20%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.42%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.41 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$1,815

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$17,485
$30,001–$48,000$17,324
$48,001–$75,000$17,490
$75,001–$110,000$21,292
Over $110,000$22,820

Full cost of attendance before aid: $22,820 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
16,177
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 15% · Women 85%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
50%
Total students43,915
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$17,956
Cost of attendance (per year)$22,820
Median federal debt at graduation$14,968
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
20%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
17%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
21%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
31%
First-year retention42%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$42,189
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
$50
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $1,405 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants39%

Value: Good · Top 45% (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Information technology$109,194
Computing and information science$99,561
Nursing$97,211
Business administration$87,997
Marketing$80,588
Other computer and information sciences and support services$80,076
Finance$78,941
Homeland Security$76,446
Health administration$76,334
Human resources$76,004
Accounting$71,589
Criminal justice$59,375
Psychology$51,571

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Clinical and counseling psychology, Data Processing, Management science, Medical Illustration and Informatics, Networking, Programming, Public administration, Public health, Software and media applications.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Health professions81%
Psychology9%
Business8%
Computer and information sciences2%
Criminal justice and security0%

Campus life

School colors
SettingCity
Part-time undergraduates68%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older92%
Students per faculty member41 to 1
Faculty who are full-time12%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Nearest airport with airline serviceMinneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)About 7 miles away · about 20 minutes by car
Town population427,246Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreMinneapolisIn or next to this city
Typical weather15°F in January · 74°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Lower St Anthony Falls, MN

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.000.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.000.04
Burglary0.000.08
Motor vehicle theft0.000.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Capella University’s Compass Score?
Solid (grade C+). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Capella University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $17,956 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How do Capella University’s graduates do?
20% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $42,189; the median federal debt at graduation is $14,968.

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