College Azimuth

Research brief & institution hub

Concordia University-Saint Paul

MNMedium private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #477 nationally

Data snapshot Updated

Azimuth ranks Concordia University-Saint Paul #477 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions.

Who it’s a good fit for

The fit turns on field of study, and Concordia University-Saint Paul is a place where that choice matters a great deal. Return is strong and affordability is solid, while mobility is weak. The degree's payoff is not uniform across all paths.

Concordia University-Saint Paul at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate[1]
78.9%
Six-year completion[2]
45.9%
Four-year earnings[3]
$68,250

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[6]
$16,826
Median student debt[4]
$17,832
Median Parent PLUS debt[7]
$15,277

Concordia University-Saint Paul rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]

Concordia University-Saint Paul is a private nonprofit university in Saint Paul, Minnesota, enrolling 3,018 undergraduates. The university sits above the middle among nonprofit four-year institutions (68th percentile).

Its composite standing shows a profile where some rank much higher than others. The admission rate at Concordia University-Saint Paul is 78.9%, against a median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size).

For the full-time first-year cohort, 67.4% continue into the second year, against a median of 83.4% at comparable institutions. For first-time full-time students, the six-year graduation rate is 45.9%, against a median of 68.8% for comparable institutions.

An estimated 59.7% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year graduation rate captures only a minority of those who study here. The first-time cohort is not the typical path to a degree at this university.

Return leads the four pillars (79th percentile) and mobility trails far behind (17th percentile). Affordability (75th percentile) and access (61st percentile) sit between them.

Return and affordability sit close together near the top, while access and mobility are farther behind, leaving a wide spread from top to bottom.

Azimuth evaluates Concordia University-Saint Paul on four pillars among nonprofit four-year institutions. Return is the strongest, at the 79th percentile, and affordability sits close behind at the 75th percentile.

Access is in the 61st percentile, while mobility is the weakest of the four at the 17th percentile.

35.2% of undergraduates at Concordia University-Saint Paul receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks the university #577 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Pell recipients complete at 47.4%, 1.5 percentage points above the overall six-year graduation rate (45.9%). For mobility, Azimuth ranks Concordia University-Saint Paul #1,215 among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $8,756 more than expects for similar students.

How value-added outcomes are assessed · How to interpret program rankings

Concordia University-Saint Paul rankings in context
GeographyRank
National#477

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility
National percentile: 17
Access & reach
National percentile: 61
Affordability
National percentile: 75
Return on investment
National percentile: 79

Top-ranked majors

  1. Criminal Justice and Corrections#5
  2. Health and Medical Administrative Services#15
  3. Human Resources Management and Services#18

This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

Explore major rankings

01 / Concordia University-Saint Paul briefing

Concordia University-Saint Paul cost & financial aid[6][7]

At Concordia University-Saint Paul, the published cost falls by $18,777 for the average aid recipient, bringing the average net price down to $18,462. The is $8,909 below the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

The total published cost of attendance is $37,239, an average across living arrangements. Tuition and fees are $25,600 and room and board are $13,932.

Aid covers about 50% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Azimuth ranks the university #350 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 75th percentile.

The published cost of attendance at Concordia University-Saint Paul is $37,239 (an average across living arrangements). Azimuth ranks the university #350 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $16,406, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $16,826, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $23,295. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $6,889.

Aid covers about 50% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $18,462, which is $8,909 below the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $17,832 in federal student loans. That is $6,367 below the peer median of $24,199 for comparable institutions.

92.0% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. Parents who borrow through the separate Parent PLUS program hold a median of $15,277.

If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $203 a month.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$16,826

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at Concordia University-Saint Paul

Among federal-loan borrowers who complete a degree at Concordia University-Saint Paul, median debt is $17,832. 92.0% of federal aid recipients take out federal loans.

The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $24,199, so the university's median sits $6,367 below that figure. A separate parent-borrower population holds a median Parent PLUS debt of $15,277.

At Concordia University-Saint Paul, graduates earn about $8,756 more than the model expects for similar students. The gap is at the 80th percentile.

Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled show median earnings of $68,250. That pay level is at the 73rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, run from $49,115 on the downside to $95,514 on the upside, with $68,250 as the typical outcome. Completers who used federal loans hold a median debt of $17,832.

That amount is $6,367 below the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, that debt level brings an estimated payment of $203 a month.

For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $15,277. For student borrowers, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $203 a month if repaid over ten years.

How Financial GPS measures payment burden · The four risk-and-reward zones

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt
$17,832
Institution Parent PLUS debt
$15,277

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

Estimated student payment · monthly
$203/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$194/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS
Read the full cost & aid brief

02 / Concordia University-Saint Paul briefing

Concordia University-Saint Paul career outcomes & earnings[3][8][9]

Graduates of Concordia University-Saint Paul earn about $8,756 more than the model expects for similar students. That result, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, sits at the 80th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $6,409. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $2,347.

Four years after completion, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $68,250, at the 73rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure is level with the $68,250 peer median, for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth places the return pillar in the 79th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The earnings story at Concordia University-Saint Paul is one of a strong return that outpaces expectations. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $68,250.

Azimuth places that figure in the 73rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 1,220 completers. Graduates earn about $8,756 more than the model expects for similar students.

That puts the gap at the 80th percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, show a typical figure of $68,250.

The downside earnings scenario is $49,115 and the upside reaches $95,514. An estimated 23.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix.

Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of Concordia University-Saint Paul who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $68,250. That is level with the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth ranks the university #305 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $8,756 more than the model expects for similar students.

That places the gap at the 80th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $6,409.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $2,347. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $574.

The program mix yields a range of earnings scenarios. The downside estimate is $49,115, the upside is $95,514, and the typical earnings scenario is $68,250.

An estimated 23.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix.

The earnings scenarios at Concordia University-Saint Paul span a wide range, from $49,115 on the downside to $95,514 on the upside. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates.

The highest-earning program is Computer Science, where graduates earn $105,577 four years after completion, from 29 degrees awarded a year. Nursing, the largest program, reports $93,347 from 319 degrees. Human Resources Management and Services graduates earn $79,708.

Graduates at Concordia University-Saint Paul earn about $8,756 more than the model expects for similar students. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $17,832 in federal student loans.

That amount is $6,367 below the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $203 a month.

Parent borrowers hold a separate median of $15,277 in Parent PLUS loans. These two borrowing pools are distinct.

The earnings advantage and the below-peer debt point the same way for students who complete. These figures cover federal loans only, so private or institutional borrowing would sit on top of them.

What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$6,409
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
+$2,347
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
+$8,756

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

Read the full outcomes brief

03 / Concordia University-Saint Paul briefing

Concordia University-Saint Paul acceptance rate & admissions[1][10][11]

Concordia University-Saint Paul admits 78.9% of applicants, a rate that sits above the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Admissions
Admission rate
78.9%
Read the full admissions brief

04 / Concordia University-Saint Paul briefing

What are the largest majors at Concordia University-Saint Paul?[12]

Nursing is the largest program at Concordia University-Saint Paul, awarding 319 degrees a year and posting median earnings of $93,347 four years after completion. Azimuth ranks it #75 nationally in its field.

Computer Science graduates earn the most, at $105,577, though the program awards only 29 degrees a year. Azimuth ranks it #127 nationally.

Criminal Justice is the university's strongest program by national rank, at #5 in its field, with 33 degrees awarded and median earnings of $73,060. Kinesiology and Physical Education, by contrast, awards 109 degrees and posts median earnings of $49,571, ranking #147 nationally.

Health Professions accounts for 39.6% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Business at 20.7% and Parks, Recreation & Fitness at 11.5%. Azimuth ranks 12 of the university's programs nationally.

The largest single program is Nursing, with 319 degrees awarded and median earnings of $93,347 four years after completion. Azimuth ranks it #75 within its field and #1 in Minnesota.

The highest-earning program is Computer Science, at $105,577 from 29 degrees awarded; Azimuth ranks it #127 nationally. Criminal Justice holds the best national rank, at #5, with 33 degrees awarded and earnings of $73,060.

Concordia University-Saint Paul awards most of its bachelor's degrees in Health Professions, which accounts for 39.6% of the total. Business is the next largest family at 20.7%, followed by Parks, Recreation & Fitness at 11.5%.

The largest programs are Nursing with 319 degrees awarded, Business Administration and Management with 110, and Kinesiology and Physical Education with 109. The university has 12 programs with an Azimuth national rank and 13 with published four-year earnings data.

Nursing, the largest, earns a median of $93,347 four years after completion and ranks #75 nationally within its field and #1 in Minnesota. Criminal Justice is the highest-ranked program, with 33 degrees awarded a year and a benchmark ratio of 1.32x against the national median for its field.

Health and Medical Administrative Services is also strong, ranking #15 nationally with 29 degrees awarded and median earnings of $75,912. The highest-earning program is Computer Science, where graduates earn a median of $105,577 four years out.

It is a smaller program, with 29 degrees awarded a year. Human Resources Management and Services also stands out, ranking #18 nationally and #1 in Minnesota, with earnings of $79,708.

The pattern is one of concentrated strength in health and business fields, with the largest programs also among the best-paid. A few smaller programs, like Criminal Justice and Computer Science, post high ranks and earnings that outpace their size. Across all fields, 6.6% of degrees are in STEM.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 319 degrees awarded
$93,347
Business Administration, Management and Operations 110 degrees awarded
$77,037
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 109 degrees awarded
$49,571
Psychology, General 53 degrees awarded
$52,447
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services 50 degrees awarded
$55,294
Criminal Justice and Corrections 33 degrees awarded
$73,060

Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings.

Read the full majors brief

05 / Concordia University-Saint Paul briefing

What colleges are similar to Concordia University-Saint Paul?[15]

Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. How matching works.

A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with Concordia University-Saint Paul.

Admissions peerEdgewood University75.7% admitted
Comparison with Concordia University-Saint Paul
MeasureConcordia University-Saint PaulEdgewood University
Peer earnings · 4 years$68,250$68,625+$375 vs Concordia University-Saint Paul
Average annual net price$18,462$26,113+$7,651 vs Concordia University-Saint Paul · higher cost
Admission rate78.9%75.7%
Higher-admission alternativeSt Catherine University91.9% admitted
Comparison with Concordia University-Saint Paul
MeasureConcordia University-Saint PaulSt Catherine University
Peer earnings · 4 years$68,250$65,829-$2,421 vs Concordia University-Saint Paul
Average annual net price$18,462$19,764+$1,302 vs Concordia University-Saint Paul · higher cost
Admission rate78.9%91.9%
Nearby alternativeSt Catherine UniversityNearby option · MN
Comparison with Concordia University-Saint Paul
MeasureConcordia University-Saint PaulSt Catherine University
Peer earnings · 4 years$68,250$65,829-$2,421 vs Concordia University-Saint Paul
Average annual net price$18,462$19,764+$1,302 vs Concordia University-Saint Paul · higher cost
Admission rate78.9%91.9%
Higher-earnings alternativeRegis University$81,785 earnings
Comparison with Concordia University-Saint Paul
MeasureConcordia University-Saint PaulRegis University
Peer earnings · 4 years$68,250$81,785+$13,535 vs Concordia University-Saint Paul
Average annual net price$18,462$18,397-$65 vs Concordia University-Saint Paul · lower cost
Admission rate78.9%86.5%
Lower-cost alternativeSaint Mary's University of Minnesota$11,704 average net price
Comparison with Concordia University-Saint Paul
MeasureConcordia University-Saint PaulSaint Mary's University of Minnesota
Peer earnings · 4 years$68,250$72,502+$4,252 vs Concordia University-Saint Paul
Average annual net price$18,462$11,704-$6,758 vs Concordia University-Saint Paul · lower cost
Admission rate78.9%92.8%
Similar profileDavenport UniversityMatched across several measures
Comparison with Concordia University-Saint Paul
MeasureConcordia University-Saint PaulDavenport University
Peer earnings · 4 years$68,250$69,009+$759 vs Concordia University-Saint Paul
Average annual net price$18,462$17,707-$755 vs Concordia University-Saint Paul · lower cost
Admission rate78.9%97.8%

Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable.

Read the full similar schools brief

Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated Governed hub narrative Governed spoke corpus

Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection.

Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them.

Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects.

Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.

Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations · About College Azimuth

Read the analysis behind value-added earnings and the change to four-year graduate earnings. These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com.

Data notes & source fields

Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation; notes with a different source link it below.

  1. Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.

    Source fields: ADM_RATE

  2. Six-year completion. First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree.

    Source fields: C150_4

  3. Four-year institutional earnings. Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion.

    Source fields: MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

  4. Median federal student debt. Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students.

    Source fields: GRAD_DEBT_MDN

  5. National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks. Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ.

    Source fields: Azimuth rankings

    College Azimuth · Ranking methodology

  6. Annual net price by family income. Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers.

    Source fields: NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV

  7. Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration. Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations.

    Source fields: PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations

    College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology

  8. Downside and upside earnings; yellow band. The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median.

    Source fields: Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios

    College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology

  9. Value added and its components. Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

    Source fields: Azimuth statistical model

    College Azimuth · Value-added methodology

  10. SAT score range and reported midpoint. Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range.

    Source fields: SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG

  11. First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.

    Source fields: RET_FT4

  12. Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots. Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity.

    Source fields: EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE

    College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation

  13. Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.

    Source fields: PCTPELL

  14. Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group. This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns.

    Source fields: 1 − PFTFTUG1_EF

  15. Peer earnings and signed differences. Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure.

    Source fields: Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

    College Azimuth · Comparison methodology

How to interpret program rankings