More selective than 12% of Illinois colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $49,169. College Scorecard.
Higher than 23% of Illinois colleges we cover and 37% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 36% of Illinois colleges we cover and 55% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Rockford University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 2,979 applicants, Rockford University admitted 1,705 and 191 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 850–1070 on the SAT or 17–23 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Rockford 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 Rockford University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Rockford University took 4.9 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 Illinois. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $20,877 | $101,462 | 5.3 years |
| $30–48k | $20,841 | $101,287 | 5.3 years |
| $48–75k | $22,987 | $111,717 | 5.9 years |
| $75–110k | $21,229 | $103,173 | 5.4 years |
| $110k+ | $27,097 | $131,691 | 6.9 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.9 years, the average time graduates took (5% 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 ($54,794) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $18,997 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.
Rockford University majors, earnings & careers
Rockford University offers 36 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 7
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Education · 5
- Arts & Design · 4
- Business & Finance · 4
- Science & Math · 4
- Health & Medicine · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Engineering · 1
Highest-earning majors at Rockford University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $70,537 | $30,500 |
| Business Administration | $63,331 | $24,000 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $46,780 | $27,000 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $46,642 | $30,875 |
Quick list of all 36 majors
- Accounting—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology—
- Business Administration$63,331
- Chemistry—
- Classics—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Science—
- Construction Engineering Technology / Technician—
- Criminology—
- Dance—
- Economics—
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$46,780
- Education (Subject Teaching)$46,642
- Education, Other—
- English—
- History—
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- International / Global Studies—
- International Relations—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Management Information Systems—
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Nursing$70,537
- Philosophy—
- Political Science—
- Psychology—
- Social Sciences—
- Sociology and Anthropology—
- 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 →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 Rockford
Overall prices in the Rockford, IL area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,172. Housing costs 30% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 39 inches of rain a year, 37 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Winnebago County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Winnebago County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Rockford University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Illinois 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockford University | 93% | $22,436 | 47% | $54,794 | This school |
| Concordia University-Chicago | 93% | $18,436 | 36% | $54,089 | |
| Greenville University | 98% | $19,533 | 40% | $46,827 | |
| Benedictine University | 95% | $22,313 | 50% | $63,446 | |
| Saint Anthony College of Nursing | 100% | — | — | $77,709 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Rockford University would cost you $4,000 more per year than Concordia University-Chicago, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Rockford University, mostly from a higher estimate for personal & travel costs (+$2,060).
- Concordia University-Chicago gives aided families $214 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Illinois resident | Rockford University | Concordia University-Chicago | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $37,780 | $37,488 | +$292 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,200 | $0 |
| Housing & meals | $10,940 | $11,140 | −$200 |
| Personal & travel | $3,460 | $1,400 | +$2,060 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$4,211 | −$5,845 | +$1,634 |
| Sticker price | $49,169 | $45,383 | +$3,786 |
| Average grants | −$26,733 | −$26,947 | +$214 |
| You pay | $22,436 | $18,436 | +$4,000 |
“+” means Rockford 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 Rockford University
What is the Rockford University acceptance rate?
Rockford University accepts 93% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,705 of 2,979 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 850–1070 on the SAT or 17–23 on the ACT.
How much does Rockford University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $49,169 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $22,436 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $20,877 and families earning $110k+ pay $27,097.
How much do Rockford University graduates earn?
Former Rockford University students earn a median $54,794 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Rockford University graduation rate?
47% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 65% return for their second year.
How long does a Rockford University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Rockford University costs about $111,717 after grants ($22,987 a year for 4.9 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $54,794 ten years after starting, $18,997 more than high school graduates in Illinois ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 5.9 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: “Rockford University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/rockford-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).