# Cornerstone University

Private nonprofit college in Grand Rapids, MI. IPEDS ID 170037.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/cornerstone-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/cornerstone-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 78% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $20,301 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 62%; beats 65% of MI colleges and 65% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $47,314; beats 27% of MI colleges and 32% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $18,634

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $20,177 |
| 30-48k | $17,674 |
| 48-75k | $17,872 |
| 75-110k | $18,489 |
| 110k+ | $23,135 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.18 years on average (56% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $47,314 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $20,177 | $84,340 | 6.1 years |
| 30-48k | $17,674 | $73,877 | 5.3 years |
| 48-75k | $17,872 | $74,705 | 5.4 years |
| 75-110k | $18,489 | $77,284 | 5.6 years |
| 110k+ | $23,135 | $96,704 | 7.0 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $42,043
- Tuition and fees: $23,000
- Housing and meals: $12,200; books: $840

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: not reported; SAT math: not reported; ACT: not reported (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 2,011 applicants, 1,472 admitted, 305 enrolled; test scores not considered
- Fall 2024: acceptance 78%, ACT not reported (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 73%, ACT not reported (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (43 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration | $53,327 | $67,148 | $28,750 |
| Marketing | $42,627 | $62,782 | $21,488 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $27,327 | $56,231 | $27,000 |
| Broadcasting / Digital Media | not reported | $54,344 | not reported |
| Social Work | not reported | $52,568 | $25,000 |
| Communications | $30,615 | $48,923 | $25,125 |
| Psychology | $34,505 | $47,933 | $37,854 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $45,753 | $47,341 | $27,000 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $42,515 | $45,673 | $29,000 |
| Pastoral Counseling / Ministry | not reported | $38,298 | not reported |
| Agriculture / Veterinary Preparatory Programs | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Journalism | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Relations and Advertising | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Publishing | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Special Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Linguistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Middle / Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| English | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Writing | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Bible Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Missions / Missionary Studies and Missiology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Theology / Ministry | $40,873 | not reported | $43,009 |
| Psychology (Research) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Psychology (Clinical / Counseling) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Film and Photography | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Music | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Pre-Med / Pre-Health | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Accounting | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Finance | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International Business | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Management Information Systems | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| History | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Business Administration → Management analyst: median wage $81,710 (Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI), $93,640 (MI), $101,860 (U.S.)
- Marketing → Marketing specialist: median wage $64,880 (Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI), $66,780 (MI), $78,760 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).