More selective than 30% 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 $49,858. College Scorecard.
Higher than 83% of Ohio colleges we cover and 75% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 43% of Ohio colleges we cover and 39% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
MVNU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,134 applicants, Mount Vernon Nazarene University admitted 956 and 272 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1046–1315 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
MVNU 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 MVNU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Mount Vernon Nazarene 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 Ohio. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $22,358 | $93,009 | 6.6 years |
| $30–48k | $20,508 | $85,313 | 6.0 years |
| $48–75k | $18,116 | $75,363 | 5.3 years |
| $75–110k | $21,486 | $89,382 | 6.3 years |
| $110k+ | $26,271 | $109,287 | 7.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (55% 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 ($49,555) minus $35,438 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OH (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $14,117 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.
MVNU majors, earnings & careers
Mount Vernon Nazarene University offers 49 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 10
- Business & Finance · 7
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Education · 5
- Arts & Design · 4
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Technology & Computing · 4
- Communications & Media · 3
- Engineering · 3
- Science & Math · 3
Highest-earning majors at MVNU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $74,527 | $26,952 |
| Business Administration | $63,714 | $31,024 |
| Biology | $59,219 | $27,000 |
| Social Work | $51,766 | $34,837 |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | $40,641 | — |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $38,069 | $27,000 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $38,001 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 49 majors
- Accounting—
- Bible Studies—
- Biology$59,219
- Business Administration$63,714
- Business Operations Support and Assistant Services—
- Chemistry—
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Programming—
- Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications—
- Criminal Justice—
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$38,001
- Education (Subject Teaching)$38,069
- Education, Other—
- Electrical Engineering—
- English—
- Finance—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$40,641
- Health Sciences—
- History—
- Homeland Security—
- Human Resources—
- Journalism—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Management Information Systems—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering—
- Missions / Missionary Studies and Missiology—
- Music—
- Nursing$74,527
- Philosophy—
- Political Science—
- Psychology—
- Public Administration—
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Religious Education—
- Religious Music and Worship—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Work$51,766
- Software and Media Applications—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Theology / Ministry—
— 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 Mount Vernon
2 bedrooms $1,136.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 42 inches of rain a year, 42 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Knox County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Knox County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare MVNU 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Vernon Nazarene University | 84% | $22,421 | 68% | $49,555 | This school |
| Otterbein University | 85% | $19,237 | 68% | $53,313 | |
| Muskingum University | 82% | $19,532 | 56% | $48,440 | |
| Marietta College | 79% | $21,083 | 61% | $57,180 | |
| The University of Findlay | 83% | $27,221 | 58% | $56,996 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Mount Vernon Nazarene University would cost you $3,184 more per year than Otterbein University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, mostly from more Otterbein University students living at home, which lowers its average (+$1,671).
- Otterbein University gives aided families $1,647 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Ohio resident | MVNU | Otterbein University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $37,158 | $35,548 | +$1,610 |
| Books & supplies | $1,400 | $1,508 | −$108 |
| Housing & meals | $9,996 | $12,968 | −$2,972 |
| Personal & travel | $4,500 | $3,164 | +$1,336 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,196 | −$4,867 | +$1,671 |
| Sticker price | $49,858 | $48,321 | +$1,537 |
| Average grants | −$27,437 | −$29,084 | +$1,647 |
| You pay | $22,421 | $19,237 | +$3,184 |
“+” means MVNU 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 MVNU
What is the MVNU acceptance rate?
Mount Vernon Nazarene University accepts 84% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 956 of 1,134 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1046–1315 on the SAT or 18–25 on the ACT.
How much does Mount Vernon Nazarene University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $49,858 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $22,421 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $22,358 and families earning $110k+ pay $26,271.
How much do MVNU graduates earn?
Former Mount Vernon Nazarene University students earn a median $49,555 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the MVNU graduation rate?
68% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 79% return for their second year.
How long does a MVNU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Mount Vernon Nazarene University costs about $75,363 after grants ($18,116 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $49,555 ten years after starting, $14,117 more than high school graduates in Ohio ($35,438), so the cost is repaid in 5.3 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: “Mount Vernon Nazarene University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/mount-vernon-nazarene-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).