More selective than 75% of Iowa colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $52,577. College Scorecard.
Higher than 21% of Iowa colleges we cover and 42% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 53% of Iowa colleges we cover and 57% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Morningside University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 2,756 applicants, Morningside University admitted 1,945 and 337 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Morningside 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
What Morningside University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Morningside University took 4.2 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 Iowa. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $33,738 | $142,712 | 7.6 years |
| $30–48k | $21,201 | $89,680 | 4.8 years |
| $48–75k | $19,124 | $80,895 | 4.3 years |
| $75–110k | $20,575 | $87,032 | 4.6 years |
| $110k+ | $41,981 | $177,580 | 9.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (42% 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 ($55,494) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $18,833 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.
Morningside University majors, earnings & careers
Morningside University offers 40 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Humanities & Languages · 6
- Arts & Design · 5
- Science & Math · 5
- Education · 4
- Business & Finance · 3
- Communications & Media · 3
- Health & Medicine · 3
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Engineering · 1
Highest-earning majors at Morningside University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $84,033 | $28,000 |
| Agricultural and Food Products Processing | $66,368 | $26,969 |
| Biology | $62,400 | $27,000 |
| Business Administration | $61,940 | $27,000 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $56,166 | $28,000 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $50,717 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 40 majors
- Accounting—
- Agricultural and Food Products Processing$66,368
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Biology$62,400
- Biopsychology—
- Business Administration$61,940
- Chemistry—
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Programming—
- Criminal Justice—
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$50,717
- Education (Subject Teaching)$56,166
- Engineering Physics—
- English—
- Film and Photography—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Graphic Communications—
- History—
- International Relations—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Mathematics and Computer Science—
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Nursing$84,033
- Philosophy—
- Political Science—
- Psychology—
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)—
- Psychology (Research)—
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Sciences, Other—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
— 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 →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
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
Living in Sioux City
Overall prices in the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,194. Housing costs 42% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 32 inches of rain a year, 36 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Woodbury County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Woodbury County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Morningside University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Iowa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morningside University | 71% | $31,320 | 50% | $55,494 | This school |
| Clarke University | 72% | $24,479 | 56% | $55,396 | |
| Buena Vista University | 78% | $18,846 | 62% | $49,156 | |
| Luther College | 72% | $23,097 | 71% | $59,850 | |
| Wartburg College | 76% | $32,908 | 64% | $56,201 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Morningside University would cost you $6,841 more per year than Clarke University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Morningside University, mostly from more Morningside University students living at home, which lowers its average (−$1,547).
- Clarke University gives aided families $10,046 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Iowa resident | Morningside University | Clarke University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $39,660 | $40,910 | −$1,250 |
| Books & supplies | $1,250 | $1,160 | +$90 |
| Housing & meals | $11,204 | $11,000 | +$204 |
| Personal & travel | $3,026 | $3,728 | −$702 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,563 | −$1,016 | −$1,547 |
| Sticker price | $52,577 | $55,782 | −$3,205 |
| Average grants | −$21,257 | −$31,303 | +$10,046 |
| You pay | $31,320 | $24,479 | +$6,841 |
“+” means Morningside 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 Morningside University
What is the Morningside University acceptance rate?
Morningside University accepts 71% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,945 of 2,756 applicants were admitted.
How much does Morningside University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $52,577 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $31,320 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $33,738 and families earning $110k+ pay $41,981.
How much do Morningside University graduates earn?
Former Morningside University students earn a median $55,494 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Morningside University graduation rate?
50% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 74% return for their second year.
How long does a Morningside University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Morningside University costs about $80,895 after grants ($19,124 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $55,494 ten years after starting, $18,833 more than high school graduates in Iowa ($36,661), so the cost is repaid in 4.3 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: “Morningside University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/morningside-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).