10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$150,178at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Otterbein University
⌖ Westerville, OH · 16 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
10-year estimate · Negative payoff
−$150,178 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
With these assumptions, the added earnings do not recover the cost within ten years.
24.1 yrsModeled economic break-even
−58%Modeled 10-year ROI
$55,677Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedMaximum annual price for positive 10-year payoff
What the numbers say about Otterbein University
What does Otterbein University cost?
Otterbein University reports an average annual net price of $19,237 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Otterbein University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $55,677 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Otterbein University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $26,000. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Otterbein University worth the same?
No. DegreeVerdict currently shows 16 field-and-credential outcomes at Otterbein University; reported earnings and debt can differ substantially by program category.
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.
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−$73,230
$8,000Annual price−$105,230
$16,000Annual price−$137,230
$19,000Current college-wide context−$149,230
$24,000Annual price−$169,230
$32,000Annual price−$201,230
$40,000Annual price−$233,230
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
- Suburban
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
Cost, debt, completion and earnings context
$19,237Average net price / year
$48,321Cost of attendance
$26,000Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$276/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$55,677Median earnings · year 5 after completion
67.9%Completion rate
84.5%Admission rate
2,157Student size
Institution debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded; missing and privacy-suppressed values remain unavailable.
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
55% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
390 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
67% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$44,063Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$53,004Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$57,834Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income55%
Middle income70%
Higher income80%
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 only reportable field-and-credential records at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$40,710Year 1
$58,068Year 4
$55,677Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Master's Degree$125,0332Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$117,6143Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's Degree$80,1884Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's Degree$70,3285Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General · Bachelor's Degree$62,3646Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication · Bachelor's Degree$58,0657Communication and Media Studies · Bachelor's Degree$51,0068Psychology, General · Bachelor's Degree$49,090Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
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.
1Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's Degree · $117,614 reported+14%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingMaster's Degree · $125,033 reported+4%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's Degree · $70,328 reported+3%vs same-degree national median$26,247federal debt4Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $62,364 reported+2%vs same-degree national median$27,000federal debt5Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's Degree · $47,383 reported+0%vs same-degree national median$26,000federal debt6Psychology, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $49,090 reported-3%vs same-degree national median$25,210federal debt
Comparable colleges in OH
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.
Springfield, OH
Wittenberg University
- Annual net price
- $18,649
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $53,766
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -66%
Mount St. Joseph University
- Annual net price
- $16,530
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $55,742
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -56%
Hobart Institute of Welding Technology
- Annual net price
- $21,409
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $54,689
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -64%
Ohio Dominican University
- Annual net price
- $20,079
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $58,106
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -50%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2023–24 awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Master's Degree | $125,033 | Not available | 3 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $117,614 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $80,188 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $70,328 | $26,247 | Not reported |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $62,364 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | Bachelor's Degree | $58,065 | $23,800 | Not reported |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $51,006 | $18,500 | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $49,090 | $25,210 | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $47,383 | $26,000 | Not reported |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Bachelor's Degree | $46,521 | $25,000 | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $42,619 | $26,000 | Not reported |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management | Bachelor's Degree | $41,121 | $25,850 | Not reported |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Bachelor's Degree | $38,023 | $26,822 | Not reported |
| Systems Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $23,926 | Not reported |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $25,600 | Not reported |
Awards use first-major IPEDS completions aggregated to the same four-digit field and credential.
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.