10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$109,812at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ · 84 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 83 · Federal debt reported for 62
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$109,812 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
18.7 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−46%Estimated return after 10 years
$57,682Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
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: $18,342 housing and food allowance plus $4,936 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−$53,180
$8,000Annual price−$85,180
$14,000Current college-wide context−$109,180
$16,000Annual price−$117,180
$24,000Annual price−$149,180
$32,000Annual price−$181,180
$40,000Annual price−$213,180
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Online study is a meaningful part of the student experience.
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
- Higher Learning Commission
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
1 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 Arizona run 1% 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
$14,158Average net price / year
$29,933Cost of attendance
$19,000Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$201/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$57,682Median earnings · year 5 after completion
61.3%Completion rate
89.6%Admission rate
22,903Student 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 Northern Arizona University
What does Northern Arizona University cost?
Northern Arizona University reports an average annual net price of $14,158 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Northern Arizona University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $57,682 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Northern Arizona University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $19,000. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Northern Arizona University worth the same?
No. The current release contains 84 field-and-degree records for Northern Arizona University; 83 report year-4 earnings and 62 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
31,387Students enrolled at any point
24,919Undergraduate students
6,468Graduate 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
3,244 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
52% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$52,230Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$54,774Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$56,890Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income47%
Middle income56%
Higher income68%
Undergraduate student composition
White52%
Black3%
Hispanic27%
Asian4%
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.
INDEPENDENT CENSUS EARNINGS VIEW
How earnings develop by field
Privacy-protected Census employment records follow graduate cohorts one, five and ten years after completion. This source is kept separate from College Scorecard because its population and methodology differ.
Field and credentialYear 1Year 5Year 10
Computer Programming.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 11
$71,931Year 1
$111,125Year 5
$134,767Year 10
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 14
$67,174Year 1
$91,987Year 5
$117,651Year 10
Applied Mathematics.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 27
$46,435Year 1
$62,818Year 5
$112,807Year 10
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education.Doctoral, research/scholarship · Broad federal field 13
$98,163Year 1
$121,481Year 5
$111,686Year 10
Accounting and Related Services.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 52
$74,545Year 1
$99,230Year 5
$111,618Year 10
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.Doctoral, professional practice · Broad federal field 51
$77,210Year 1
$86,108Year 5
$97,122Year 10
Clinical Psychology.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 42
$72,448Year 1
$76,015Year 5
$92,330Year 10
Accounting and Related Services.Certificate, less than 1 year · Broad federal field 52
$50,539Year 1
$73,607Year 5
$91,500Year 10
Median annual earnings in 2023 dollars. Each time point may use a different pooled graduation cohort. Coverage is limited to institutions participating in the Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes program.
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
$45,100Year 1
$60,629Year 4
$57,682Year 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.
1Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Master's Degree$123,4002Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Master's Degree$117,1103Educational Administration and Supervision · Doctoral Degree$102,7604Computer Science · Bachelor's Degree$99,0675Construction Management · Bachelor's Degree$99,0156Computer Systems Analysis · Bachelor's Degree$97,5117Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$95,3888Mechanical Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$91,941Observed 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.
1English Language and Literature, GeneralUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $50,851 reported+74%vs same-degree national median$18,712federal debt2Finance and Financial Management ServicesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $81,688 reported+53%vs same-degree national median$20,594federal debt3Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $52,015 reported+50%vs same-degree national median$18,700federal debt4Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $78,057 reported+48%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5MarketingUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $69,605 reported+40%vs same-degree national median$18,500federal debt6Hospitality Administration/ManagementUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $51,008 reported+25%vs same-degree national median$16,930federal debt
Comparable colleges in AZ
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Phoenix, AZ
GateWay Community College-Central City
- Annual net price
- $14,438
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $59,678
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -38%
GateWay Community College
- Annual net price
- $13,339
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $59,678
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -37%
Paradise Valley Community College
- Annual net price
- $12,180
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $56,590
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -49%
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
- Annual net price
- $12,726
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $55,313
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -55%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing the 40 highest-earning records from 84 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Master's Degree | $123,400 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Master's Degree | $117,110 | Not available | 4 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Doctoral Degree | $102,760 | Not available | 10 |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $99,067 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Construction Management | Bachelor's Degree | $99,015 | $23,700 | Not reported |
| Computer Systems Analysis | Bachelor's Degree | $97,511 | Not available | Not reported |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $95,388 | $20,500 | Not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $91,941 | $24,409 | Not reported |
| Civil Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $88,184 | $28,000 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $86,375 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $84,996 | $24,276 | 3 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | Doctoral Degree | $82,299 | Not available | 140 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $81,688 | $20,594 | 118 |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $81,144 | $19,450 | Not reported |
| Special Education and Teaching | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $80,727 | Not available | Not reported |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $78,955 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $78,057 | Not available | 103 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $77,855 | $20,594 | 0 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | Bachelor's Degree | $76,041 | $25,000 | Not reported |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Master's Degree | $74,354 | Not available | Not reported |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | Master's Degree | $73,940 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business/Managerial Economics | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $72,971 | $21,367 | 46 |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $69,834 | $21,500 | Not reported |
| Marketing | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $69,605 | $18,500 | 111 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | Bachelor's Degree | $68,917 | $26,169 | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's Degree | $67,995 | Not available | Not reported |
| Management Information Systems and Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $67,306 | $21,750 | 38 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $66,646 | Not available | Not reported |
| Special Education and Teaching | Master's Degree | $66,606 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $66,376 | $20,500 | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Master's Degree | $65,758 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business/Managerial Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $63,605 | $23,021 | Not reported |
| Public Health | Bachelor's Degree | $61,757 | $24,250 | 11 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Bachelor's Degree | $61,250 | $19,650 | Not reported |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | Master's Degree | $60,735 | Not available | Not reported |
| Chemistry | Bachelor's Degree | $60,630 | $21,500 | Not reported |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $60,448 | $20,632 | Not reported |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | Bachelor's Degree | $60,402 | $22,000 | Not reported |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | Bachelor's Degree | $58,857 | $20,046 | 0 |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $58,571 | $19,500 | 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 Northern Arizona 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.