More selective than 60% of New Hampshire colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $53,499. College Scorecard.
Higher than 30% of New Hampshire colleges we cover and 45% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 30% of New Hampshire colleges we cover and 47% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Rivier University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,749 applicants, Rivier University admitted 1,430 and 292 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1055–1175 on the SAT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Rivier 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 Rivier University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Rivier 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 New Hampshire. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $23,321 | $97,015 | 9.3 years |
| $30–48k | $23,978 | $99,748 | 9.5 years |
| $48–75k | $25,106 | $104,441 | 10.0 years |
| $75–110k | $27,352 | $113,784 | 10.9 years |
| $110k+ | $31,359 | $130,453 | 12.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (49% 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 ($52,248) minus $41,763 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NH (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $10,485 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.
Rivier University majors, earnings & careers
Rivier University offers 29 bachelor's majors across 6 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 8
- Humanities & Languages · 6
- Education · 5
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Business & Finance · 3
- Science & Math · 3
Highest-earning majors at Rivier University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $91,727 | $27,000 |
| Public Health | $72,965 | $27,000 |
| Business Administration | $69,102 | $27,000 |
| Psychology | $56,686 | $27,000 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $48,523 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 29 majors
- Area Studies—
- Biology—
- Biotechnology—
- Business Administration$69,102
- Criminal Justice—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$48,523
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Education, Other—
- Educational Administration and Supervision—
- English—
- Finance—
- Health Sciences—
- History—
- Homeland Security—
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Human Services—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International / Global Studies—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Nursing$91,727
- Political Science—
- Psychology$56,686
- Public Health$72,965
- Security / Homeland Security—
- Sociology—
- Special Education—
— 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 Manchester
Overall prices in the Manchester-Nashua, NH area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,834. Housing costs 34% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 46 inches of rain a year, 67 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Hillsborough County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Hillsborough County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Rivier University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in New Hampshire 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rivier University | 83% | $28,082 | 52% | $52,248 | This school |
| Colby-Sawyer College | 80% | $27,431 | 57% | $46,474 | |
| Franklin Pierce University | 93% | $27,154 | 54% | $53,353 | |
| New England College | 92% | $26,972 | 35% | $42,092 | |
| Saint Anselm College | 78% | $34,779 | 80% | $73,371 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Rivier University would cost you $651 more per year than Colby-Sawyer College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Rivier University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$20,363).
- Rivier University gives aided families $14,321 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, New Hampshire resident | Rivier University | Colby-Sawyer College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $39,488 | $19,125 | +$20,363 |
| Books & supplies | $1,400 | $2,000 | −$600 |
| Housing & meals | $14,943 | $16,858 | −$1,915 |
| Personal & travel | $2,372 | $1,450 | +$922 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$4,704 | −$906 | −$3,798 |
| Sticker price | $53,499 | $38,527 | +$14,972 |
| Average grants | −$25,417 | −$11,096 | −$14,321 |
| You pay | $28,082 | $27,431 | +$651 |
“+” means Rivier 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 Rivier University
What is the Rivier University acceptance rate?
Rivier University accepts 83% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,430 of 1,749 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1055–1175 on the SAT.
How much does Rivier University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $53,499 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $28,082 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $23,321 and families earning $110k+ pay $31,359.
How much do Rivier University graduates earn?
Former Rivier University students earn a median $52,248 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Rivier University graduation rate?
52% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 76% return for their second year.
How long does a Rivier University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Rivier University costs about $104,441 after grants ($25,106 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $52,248 ten years after starting, $10,485 more than high school graduates in New Hampshire ($41,763), so the cost is repaid in 10.0 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: “Rivier University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/rivier-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).