More selective than 100% of Delaware colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $27,939. College Scorecard.
Higher than 50% of Delaware colleges we cover and 23% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 25% of Delaware colleges we cover and 38% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Delaware State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 7,542 applicants, Delaware State University admitted 4,651 and 1,405 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 800–1020 on the SAT or 20–24 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Delaware State University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Delaware residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Delaware State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Delaware State University took 4.3 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 Delaware. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $11,135 | $48,103 | 3.5 years |
| $30–48k | $12,452 | $53,793 | 3.9 years |
| $48–75k | $15,701 | $67,828 | 4.9 years |
| $75–110k | $17,633 | $76,175 | 5.5 years |
| $110k+ | $17,326 | $74,848 | 5.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (28% 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 ($49,307) minus $35,534 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in DE (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $13,773 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.
Delaware State University majors, earnings & careers
Delaware State University offers 65 bachelor's majors across 11 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 14
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 11
- Business & Finance · 8
- Humanities & Languages · 8
- Education · 7
- Health & Medicine · 6
- Arts & Design · 5
- Communications & Media · 3
- Engineering · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at Delaware State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $98,411 | — |
| Nursing | $94,568 | $29,861 |
| Accounting | $72,522 | $25,000 |
| Business Administration | $59,689 | $26,000 |
| Biology | $59,296 | $26,000 |
| Social Work | $56,937 | $25,000 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $55,509 | $24,980 |
| Political Science | $53,838 | $25,000 |
Quick list of all 65 majors
- Accounting$72,522
- Agricultural Business—
- Agriculture$52,676
- Agriculture / Veterinary Preparatory Programs—
- Air Transportation—
- Apparel and Textiles—
- Applied Mathematics—
- Area Studies—
- Arts and Entertainment Management—
- Biochemistry—
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other—
- Biology$59,296
- Biology / Biotechnology Technologies / Technicians—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business Administration$59,689
- Business Economics—
- Chemistry—
- Communications$46,440
- Computer Science$98,411
- Criminology$53,128
- Curriculum and Instruction—
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$50,794
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Educational Administration and Supervision—
- Engineering Physics—
- English—
- Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies—
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences—
- Finance—
- Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management—
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Historic Preservation and Conservation—
- History—
- Hospitality Management—
- International / Global Studies—
- Journalism—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$49,115
- Legal Professions and Studies, Other—
- Legal Support Services—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$55,509
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Neuroscience—
- Nursing$94,568
- Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other—
- Physics—
- Political Science$53,838
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health—
- Psychology$49,132
- Public Administration—
- Public Health—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Social Work$56,937
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education—
- Studio Art—
- Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language—
- Visual and Performing Arts, Other—
— 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 →Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% 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 Dover
Overall prices in the Dover, DE area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,629. Housing costs 4% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 48 inches of rain a year, 13 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Kent County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Kent County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Delaware State University with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Delaware 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware State University | 47% | $13,910 | 39% | $49,307 | This school |
| Delaware Technical Community College-Terry | — | $11,578 | 22% | $41,448 | |
| University of Delaware | 71% | $17,799 | 81% | $72,950 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Delaware State University would cost you $2,332 more per year than Delaware Technical Community College-Terry, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Delaware State University.
- Delaware State University gives aided families $8,375 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Delaware resident | Delaware State University | Delaware Technical Community College-Terry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sticker price | $27,939 | $17,232 | +$10,707 |
| Average grants | −$14,029 | −$5,654 | −$8,375 |
| You pay | $13,910 | $11,578 | +$2,332 |
“+” means Delaware State 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 Delaware State University
What is the Delaware State University acceptance rate?
Delaware State University accepts 47% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 4,651 of 7,542 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 800–1020 on the SAT or 20–24 on the ACT.
How much does Delaware State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $27,939 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $13,910 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $11,135 and families earning $110k+ pay $17,326.
How much do Delaware State University graduates earn?
Former Delaware State University students earn a median $49,307 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Delaware State University graduation rate?
39% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 70% return for their second year.
How long does a Delaware State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Delaware State University costs about $67,828 after grants ($15,701 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $49,307 ten years after starting, $13,773 more than high school graduates in Delaware ($35,534), so the cost is repaid in 4.9 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: “Delaware State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/delaware-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).