10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
+$12,018at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Private nonprofit · COLLEGE PAYOFF
National University
San Diego, CA · 55 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 51 · Federal debt reported for 24
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Positive payoff
+$12,018 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
9.6 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+4%Estimated return after 10 years
$73,353Observed earnings · year 5
$25,883Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark is $3,005 per year below this threshold.
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $23,076 housing and food allowance plus $6,192 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$103,530
$8,000Annual price+$71,530
$16,000Annual price+$39,530
$23,000Current college-wide context+$11,530
$24,000Annual price+$7,530
$32,000Annual price−$24,470
$40,000Annual price−$56,470
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Most students take at least some classes online.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Open admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
6 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in California run 11% above the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$22,878Average net price / year
$33,978Cost of attendance
$25,000Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$265/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$73,353Median earnings · year 5 after completion
42.9%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
10,794Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about National University
What does National University cost?
National University reports an average annual net price of $22,878 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do National University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $73,353 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do National University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $25,000. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at National University worth the same?
No. The current release contains 55 field-and-degree records for National University; 51 report year-4 earnings and 24 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
33,444Students enrolled at any point
17,409Undergraduate students
16,035Graduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
57% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
134 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
48% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$58,292Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$73,961Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$85,266Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income43%
Middle income52%
Higher income65%
Undergraduate student composition
White29%
Black18%
Hispanic32%
Asian7%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$66,420Year 1
$81,115Year 4
$73,353Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Computer Science · Master's Degree$132,7982Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Master's Degree$127,6493Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Bachelor's Degree$121,4084Management Information Systems and Services · Master's Degree$118,8745Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management · Master's Degree$118,3886Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's Degree$114,4137Educational Administration and Supervision · Master's Degree$110,0838Engineering-Related Fields · Master's Degree$108,725Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsBachelor's Degree · $121,408 reported+72%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2Educational Administration and SupervisionMaster's Degree · $110,083 reported+54%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's Degree · $81,299 reported+47%vs same-degree national median$28,014federal debt4Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's Degree · $60,134 reported+36%vs same-degree national median$10,008federal debt5Special Education and TeachingMaster's Degree · $85,908 reported+33%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Educational/Instructional Media DesignMaster's Degree · $93,547 reported+32%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt
Comparable colleges in CA
Currently operating private nonprofit institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Los Angeles, CA
Mount Saint Mary's University
- Annual net price
- $21,413
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $74,255
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +10%
Pomona College
- Annual net price
- $19,285
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $73,623
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +11%
University of the Pacific
- Annual net price
- $25,447
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $76,827
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +13%
Saint Mary's College of California
- Annual net price
- $30,378
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $74,189
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -3%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing the 40 highest-earning records from 55 field-and-degree records. Use the program directory to search the complete set.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | Master's Degree | $132,798 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Master's Degree | $127,649 | Not available | 40 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Bachelor's Degree | $121,408 | Not available | Not reported |
| Management Information Systems and Services | Master's Degree | $118,874 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | Master's Degree | $118,388 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $114,413 | $37,375 | 0 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's Degree | $110,083 | Not available | Not reported |
| Engineering-Related Fields | Master's Degree | $108,725 | Not available | Not reported |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $100,721 | Not available | Not reported |
| Manufacturing Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $97,525 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $96,924 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $95,555 | $29,500 | Not reported |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | Bachelor's Degree | $94,203 | $30,077 | Not reported |
| Management Information Systems and Services | Bachelor's Degree | $94,118 | $28,675 | Not reported |
| Educational/Instructional Media Design | Master's Degree | $93,547 | Not available | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Master's Degree | $93,465 | Not available | Not reported |
| Public Administration | Master's Degree | $88,988 | Not available | Not reported |
| Medical Illustration and Informatics | Master's Degree | $88,945 | Not available | 0 |
| Special Education and Teaching | Master's Degree | $85,908 | Not available | Not reported |
| Human Resources Management and Services | Master's Degree | $81,583 | Not available | Not reported |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Master's Degree | $81,355 | Not available | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Bachelor's Degree | $81,299 | $28,014 | Not reported |
| Homeland Security | Bachelor's Degree | $80,134 | $23,450 | Not reported |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions | Bachelor's Degree | $79,900 | $38,486 | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $79,696 | $34,375 | Not reported |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | Master's Degree | $78,979 | Not available | Not reported |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | Master's Degree | $78,497 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $78,266 | $26,818 | Not reported |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | Associate's Degree | $77,786 | $14,280 | Not reported |
| Education, General | Master's Degree | $77,748 | Not available | Not reported |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $76,305 | $29,688 | Not reported |
| Homeland Security | Master's Degree | $75,701 | Not available | Not reported |
| Public Health | Master's Degree | $73,936 | Not available | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Master's Degree | $71,001 | Not available | Not reported |
| Public Health | Bachelor's Degree | $70,340 | $37,469 | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Master's Degree | $67,015 | Not available | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $66,849 | $31,250 | Not reported |
| English Language and Literature, General | Master's Degree | $66,189 | Not available | Not reported |
| Security Science and Technology | Master's Degree | $66,173 | Not available | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Master's Degree | $65,405 | Not available | Not reported |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
Search every National University program record →Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.