More selective than 29% 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 $61,227. College Scorecard.
Higher than 45% of Iowa colleges we cover and 67% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 67% of Iowa colleges we cover and 68% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Simpson College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,646 applicants, Simpson College admitted 1,463 and 342 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Simpson College 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 Simpson College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Simpson College 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 | $17,941 | $75,711 | 3.3 years |
| $30–48k | $15,764 | $66,524 | 2.9 years |
| $48–75k | $19,176 | $80,923 | 3.6 years |
| $75–110k | $22,468 | $94,815 | 4.2 years |
| $110k+ | $26,586 | $112,193 | 5.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (53% 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 ($59,274) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $22,613 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.
Simpson College majors, earnings & careers
Simpson College offers 47 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 9
- Science & Math · 8
- Business & Finance · 7
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Arts & Design · 4
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Communications & Media · 3
- Education · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Engineering · 1
Highest-earning majors at Simpson College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $93,749 | — |
| Computer Science | $91,318 | $25,000 |
| Accounting | $76,272 | $27,000 |
| Business Administration | $69,958 | $26,975 |
| Mathematics | $65,097 | — |
| Political Science | $63,790 | — |
| Public Relations and Advertising | $61,219 | — |
| Criminal Justice | $57,279 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 47 majors
- Accounting$76,272
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Applied Mathematics—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business Administration$69,958
- Chemistry—
- Computer and Information Sciences$93,749
- Computer Science$91,318
- Criminal Justice$57,279
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$46,495
- Education (Subject Teaching)$49,696
- Engineering Physics—
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Administration—
- Health Sciences—
- History—
- Human Services—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International Business—
- International Relations—
- Journalism—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$54,919
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$46,237
- Management Information Systems—
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics$65,097
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Neuroscience—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$63,790
- Psychology$49,966
- Public Relations and Advertising$61,219
- Religious Studies—
- Security / Homeland Security—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- 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
Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Des Moines
Overall prices in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,360. Housing costs 15% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 39 inches of rain a year, 31 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Warren County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Warren County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Simpson College 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simpson College | 86% | $21,936 | 63% | $59,274 | This school |
| Central College | 86% | $23,377 | 66% | $54,317 | |
| Northwestern College | 80% | $25,907 | 66% | $49,802 | |
| Mount Mercy University | 83% | $20,168 | 58% | $60,787 | |
| Cornell College | 80% | $23,634 | 62% | $53,460 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Simpson College would cost you $1,441 less per year than Central College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Simpson College, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$26,668).
- Simpson College gives aided families $24,895 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Iowa resident | Simpson College | Central College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $47,656 | $20,988 | +$26,668 |
| Books & supplies | $1,134 | $1,275 | −$141 |
| Housing & meals | $10,088 | $12,220 | −$2,132 |
| Personal & travel | $4,130 | $3,242 | +$888 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,781 | +$48 | −$1,829 |
| Sticker price | $61,227 | $37,773 | +$23,454 |
| Average grants | −$39,291 | −$14,396 | −$24,895 |
| You pay | $21,936 | $23,377 | −$1,441 |
“+” means Simpson College 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 Simpson College
What is the Simpson College acceptance rate?
Simpson College accepts 86% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,463 of 1,646 applicants were admitted.
How much does Simpson College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $61,227 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $21,936 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $17,941 and families earning $110k+ pay $26,586.
How much do Simpson College graduates earn?
Former Simpson College students earn a median $59,274 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Simpson College graduation rate?
63% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 81% return for their second year.
How long does a Simpson College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Simpson College costs about $80,923 after grants ($19,176 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $59,274 ten years after starting, $22,613 more than high school graduates in Iowa ($36,661), so the cost is repaid in 3.6 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: “Simpson College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/simpson-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).