More selective than 62% of Ohio colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $57,130. College Scorecard.
Higher than 73% of Ohio colleges we cover and 62% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 63% of Ohio colleges we cover and 53% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Capital University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 4,365 applicants, Capital University admitted 3,194 and 413 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 910–1180 on the SAT or 18–25 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Capital University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: Ohio residents with household income up to $96,000 and a Student Aid Index of 3,750 or less may receive an Ohio College Opportunity Grant: up to $5,000 a year at private nonprofit colleges in 2026-27. Not included in the prices above. Ohio Department of Higher Education, OCOG 2026-27 award memo (FA27-001)
What Capital University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Capital University took 4.1 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Ohio. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $19,062 | $78,345 | 4.2 years |
| $30–48k | $18,574 | $76,339 | 4.1 years |
| $48–75k | $20,331 | $83,560 | 4.5 years |
| $75–110k | $23,348 | $95,960 | 5.1 years |
| $110k+ | $27,299 | $112,199 | 6.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (59% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($54,143) minus $35,438 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OH (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $18,705 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Capital University majors, earnings & careers
Capital University offers 39 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 8
- Business & Finance · 5
- Science & Math · 5
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Arts & Design · 4
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Communications & Media · 3
- Education · 3
- Engineering · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Capital University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Business Economics | $84,669 | — |
| Accounting | $79,157 | — |
| Nursing | $77,807 | $27,000 |
| Business Administration | $71,710 | $25,500 |
| Marketing | $66,462 | $27,000 |
| Biology | $61,416 | $27,000 |
| Political Science | $56,686 | $26,218 |
| Social Work | $55,078 | $43,038 |
Quick list of all 39 majors
- Accounting$79,157
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Arts and Entertainment Management—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$61,416
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business Administration$71,710
- Business Economics$84,669
- Chemistry—
- Communications—
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Science—
- Criminology$49,041
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$46,055
- Education (Subject Teaching)$51,851
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- History—
- International / Global Studies—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$46,383
- Marketing$66,462
- Mathematics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$44,403
- Music$43,125
- Nursing$77,807
- Philosophy—
- Political Science$56,686
- Psychology$48,958
- Public Relations and Advertising$49,426
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Work$55,078
- Sociology$48,785
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education$45,924
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Writing$46,135
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Columbus
Overall prices in the Columbus, OH area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,602. Housing costs 12% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 43 inches of rain a year, 28 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Franklin County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Franklin County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Capital University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Ohio by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital University | 70% | $22,576 | 60% | $54,143 | This school |
| Walsh University | 71% | $20,493 | 59% | $59,764 | |
| Wittenberg University | 72% | $18,649 | 53% | $54,947 | |
| Columbus College of Art & Design | 68% | $29,439 | 56% | $40,664 | |
| Ashland University | 76% | $21,988 | 61% | $52,928 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Capital University would cost you $2,083 more per year than Walsh University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Capital University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$7,489).
- Capital University gives aided families $7,472 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Ohio resident | Capital University | Walsh University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $43,234 | $35,745 | +$7,489 |
| Books & supplies | $1,800 | $790 | +$1,010 |
| Housing & meals | $13,446 | $11,810 | +$1,636 |
| Personal & travel | $3,142 | $2,727 | +$415 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$4,492 | −$3,497 | −$995 |
| Sticker price | $57,130 | $47,575 | +$9,555 |
| Average grants | −$34,554 | −$27,082 | −$7,472 |
| You pay | $22,576 | $20,493 | +$2,083 |
“+” means Capital University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Capital University
What is the Capital University acceptance rate?
Capital University accepts 70% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 3,194 of 4,365 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 910–1180 on the SAT or 18–25 on the ACT.
How much does Capital University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $57,130 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $22,576 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $19,062 and families earning $110k+ pay $27,299.
How much do Capital University graduates earn?
Former Capital University students earn a median $54,143 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Capital University graduation rate?
60% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 76% return for their second year.
How long does a Capital University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Capital University costs about $83,560 after grants ($20,331 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $54,143 ten years after starting, $18,705 more than high school graduates in Ohio ($35,438), so the cost is repaid in 4.5 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Capital University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/capital-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).