More selective than 90% 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 $25,676. College Scorecard.
Higher than 2% of Ohio colleges we cover and 2% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 11% of Ohio colleges we cover and 9% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Wilberforce University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 12,661 applicants, Wilberforce University admitted 6,676 and 204 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Wilberforce 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
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 Wilberforce University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Wilberforce University took 4.5 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 | $5,630 | $25,504 | 8.9 years |
| $30–48k | $5,313 | $24,068 | 8.4 years |
| $48–75k | $5,211 | $23,606 | 8.3 years |
| $75–110k | $5,217 | $23,633 | 8.3 years |
| $110k+ | $5,226 | $23,674 | 8.3 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (8% 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 ($38,298) minus $35,438 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OH (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $2,860 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.
Wilberforce University majors, earnings & careers
Wilberforce University offers 24 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 5
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Engineering · 4
- Communications & Media · 2
- Health & Medicine · 2
- Humanities & Languages · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Arts & Design · 1
- Science & Math · 1
Highest-earning majors at Wilberforce University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | $52,144 | $35,674 |
Quick list of all 24 majors
- Accounting—
- Biology—
- Business Administration—
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other$52,144
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Science—
- Criminal Justice—
- Electrical Engineering—
- English—
- Literature—
- Management Information Systems—
- Marketing—
- Mechanical Engineering—
- Music—
- Nuclear Engineering—
- Political Science—
- Psychology—
- Public Health—
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Social Work—
- Sociology—
— 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 →Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Computer and Information Sciences → Software developer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Dayton
Overall prices in the Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,248. Housing costs 27% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 43 inches of rain a year, 20 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Greene County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Greene County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Wilberforce University 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilberforce University | 41% | $5,567 | 12% | $38,298 | This school |
| Ohio Christian University | 38% | $20,607 | 34% | $39,813 | |
| Defiance College | 48% | $26,337 | 31% | $49,351 | |
| Bryant & Stratton College-Parma | — | $12,849 | 19% | $32,568 | |
| Art Academy of Cincinnati | 34% | $34,253 | 41% | $34,368 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Wilberforce University would cost you $15,040 less per year than Ohio Christian University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Wilberforce University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$8,152).
- Wilberforce University gives aided families $5,699 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Ohio resident | Wilberforce University | OCU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $16,448 | $24,600 | −$8,152 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,200 | $0 |
| Housing & meals | $7,700 | $9,612 | −$1,912 |
| Personal & travel | $2,000 | $2,350 | −$350 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,672 | −$2,745 | +$1,073 |
| Sticker price | $25,676 | $35,017 | −$9,341 |
| Average grants | −$20,109 | −$14,410 | −$5,699 |
| You pay | $5,567 | $20,607 | −$15,040 |
“+” means Wilberforce 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 Wilberforce University
What is the Wilberforce University acceptance rate?
Wilberforce University accepts 41% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 6,676 of 12,661 applicants were admitted.
How much does Wilberforce University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $25,676 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $5,567 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $5,630 and families earning $110k+ pay $5,226.
How much do Wilberforce University graduates earn?
Former Wilberforce University students earn a median $38,298 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Wilberforce University graduation rate?
12% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 74% return for their second year.
How long does a Wilberforce University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Wilberforce University costs about $23,606 after grants ($5,211 a year for 4.5 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $38,298 ten years after starting, $2,860 more than high school graduates in Ohio ($35,438), so the cost is repaid in 8.3 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: “Wilberforce University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/wilberforce-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).