Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks Davidson College #465 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $72,718, placing Davidson College in the 73.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Davidson College #398 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Davidson College's composite standing reflects a consistent pattern of strong graduate earnings relative to cost, with median 4-year earnings placing the college well above most nonprofit four-year institutions on Azimuth's return measure. The return ranking captures how Davidson's graduates — many of whom pursue careers in finance, law, medicine, and public service from a social-sciences-dominant program base — convert a liberal arts degree into durable financial outcomes.
Azimuth ranks Davidson College #465 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. A private university in Davidson, NC, Davidson College enrolls roughly 1,867 undergraduates. Retention stands at 94.6% and the six-year graduation rate is 91.1%, placing the college among the strongest nationally for converting enrollment into degree completion. Where Davidson College performs strongest is return on investment. Azimuth ranks Davidson College #398 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $72,718, well above the $57,042 median at comparable institutions, and they earn meaningfully more than similar students at other institutions, reflecting a return profile that consistently outpaces what the entering student mix would predict. Social Sciences is the college's primary academic concentration, and the breadth of the liberal arts curriculum channels graduates into careers across finance, consulting, law, and the public sector. Access and affordability sit lower in the composite. Davidson College admits about 13.4% of applicants — a selectivity level that, by design, limits the size of each entering class and the number of low-income students the institution enrolls (17.6% Pell, 15.8% first-generation). The college sits in the 50.8 percentile for access and the 59.5 percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions, with mobility in the 61.5 percentile. For admitted students who qualify, Davidson's need-based aid program is designed to meet demonstrated financial need, which meaningfully reshapes the net price relative to the sticker cost.
Davidson College's published cost of attendance is $79,475, but need-based aid reshapes that figure across income levels. Low-income families pay approximately $9,497; middle-income families pay around $6,759; higher-income families pay approximately $42,346. Azimuth ranks Davidson College #578 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown. Davidson College's aid structure is need-based, with financial aid applied to close the gap between sticker price and what families are expected to contribute based on demonstrated need. The college participates in federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans), state, and institutional aid programs. Most admitted students receive need-based scholarships, and work-study is available as part of the aid package. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $18,688, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $52,622; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the Parent PLUS risk framework for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $72,718, median federal debt of $18,688 projects to a monthly payment of about $211 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
Davidson College is a strong fit for students drawn to the liberal arts — particularly those interested in Social Sciences, humanities, and interdisciplinary study — who want a small, residential private university experience in NC with a track record of strong long-term earnings outcomes. Graduates earn median $72,718 four years after enrollment, placing Davidson College in the 73.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions — a strong result for a liberal arts college whose program mix skews toward the social sciences and humanities rather than applied professional fields. The aid structure matters here. Davidson College enrolls 17.6% Pell-eligible undergraduates and 15.8% first-generation students; higher-income families pay a net price of $42,346, and typical student debt at graduation is $18,688. Families who can navigate the sticker price — or who qualify for need-based aid — will find the earnings trajectory competitive with institutions that cost considerably more. Fit depends on two realistic filters: Davidson College admits roughly 13.4% of applicants, making it highly competitive, and its program portfolio is oriented toward research and analytical fields rather than direct-to-career professional tracks. Students whose academic interests align with the liberal arts model and who can manage the application process will find Davidson College delivers strong post-graduation financial outcomes relative to its cost and peer group.
This school profile was generated using Azimuth's proprietary ROI framework, developed by founder Daniel Rogers. Our methodology transforms federal education data into actionable insights for families.
College Azimuth is a private research initiative and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. Data sourced from College Scorecard.
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or professional advice. Consult a qualified advisor before making any financial decisions.
Comprehensive Analysis
Detailed metrics, charts, and full data breakdown
Financial GPS Tool
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This is the Davidson College hub overview page. Related admissions, cost, outcomes, majors, and similar-school pages provide the detailed school data.
Consider these schools with similar outcomes but higher acceptance rates:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Elon University Higher acceptance rate (52.8 percentage points higher) and located 86 miles away; similar graduate earnings | NC | 67% | $74,545 | Compare |
Virginia Military Institute Higher acceptance rate (67.3 percentage points higher) with similar program focus; similar graduate earnings | VA | 82% | $77,369 | Compare |
University Of Maryland-College Park Higher acceptance rate (30.4 percentage points higher) with similar program focus; similar graduate earnings | MD | 45% | $82,860 | Compare |
Wake Forest University Same state (54 miles away) with nearly identical earnings and similar program focus; same institution type | NC | 22% | $78,158 | Compare |
Furman University Same region (98 miles away) (earnings difference: 15.7%) and similar program focus; same institution type | SC | 53% | $68,635 | Compare |
Peer institutions with comparable quality and outcomes:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University Of Saint Mary Similar quality tier (#15543 ranked) | KS | 87% | $59,483 | #15543 | Compare |
Nebraska Methodist College Of Nursing & Allied Health Similar quality tier (#15532 ranked) | NE | 73% | $65,071 | #15532 | Compare |
University Of The Incarnate Word Similar quality tier (#15529 ranked) | TX | 98% | $56,733 | #15529 | Compare |
Wilberforce University Similar quality tier (#15557 ranked) | OH | 41% | $38,298 | #15557 | Compare |
Benedictine University Similar quality tier (#15505 ranked) | IL | 95% | $63,446 | #15505 | Compare |
Based on federal data for students receiving aid. Actual costs may vary.
Davidson College's published cost of attendance is $79,475, but need-based aid reshapes that figure across income levels. Low-income families pay approximately $9,497; middle-income families pay around $6,759; higher-income families pay approximately $42,346.
Azimuth ranks Davidson College #578 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.
Davidson College's aid structure is need-based, with financial aid applied to close the gap between sticker price and what families are expected to contribute based on demonstrated need. The college participates in federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans), state, and institutional aid programs.
Most admitted students receive need-based scholarships, and work-study is available as part of the aid package. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $18,688, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $52,622; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.
For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $72,718, median federal debt of $18,688 projects to a monthly payment of about $211 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).
Graduates of Davidson College earn median 4-year earnings of $72,718, placing Davidson College in the 73.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $57,042 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).
Graduates also [earn beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) compared with similar students at other institutions, placing Davidson College in the 73.2 percentile for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Davidson College #398 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The earnings pattern at Davidson College reflects its concentration in Social Sciences and related analytical disciplines. Social Sciences accounts for 30% of degrees, followed by other STEM fields at 4% and Arts at 3% — a distribution that channels graduates into finance, consulting, law, and graduate-track fields where earnings tend to rise sharply in the years following graduation.
The highest aggregate-return major, Psychology, General, combines meaningful cohort scale with strong four-year earnings, making it a key driver of the institution's overall return profile. Among the most popular programs, Economics (75 graduates), Political Science ((64 graduates), and Biology, General (60 graduates) enroll the largest shares of students and reflect Davidson College's liberal arts breadth, while programs such as Psychology, General and Computer Science tend to cluster graduates into higher-earning early-career roles.
As a focused liberal arts institution in NC, Davidson College graduates a relatively small cohort each year, which concentrates alumni networks and supports strong employer relationships in finance, consulting, and professional services — fields where its graduates [perform well relative to program-level benchmarks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/).
Davidson College's program mix is anchored in Social Sciences, reflecting the college's liberal arts identity and its emphasis on analytical, writing-intensive, and policy-oriented fields. The three largest programs by graduate count are Economics (75 graduates), Political Science (64 graduates), and Biology, General (60 graduates), with Psychology, General (59 graduates) and Computer Science (34 graduates) rounding out the most popular fields.
Across 21 programs serving roughly 537 students annually, Social Sciences accounts for 30% of degrees, followed by other STEM fields at 4% and Arts at 3% — a distribution closer in character to peer liberal arts colleges than to research universities with large professional-school enrollments. Psychology, General anchors Davidson College's strongest aggregate financial outcomes, combining meaningful cohort scale with competitive earnings that place it among the higher-return programs in the Azimuth coverage set, [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/).
Among 0 programs that meet Azimuth's ranking threshold, the strongest financial outcomes tend to cluster in quantitative social science, economics-adjacent fields, and natural sciences — disciplines where Davidson graduates enter both high-mobility direct-to-workforce roles and selective graduate or professional programs. Several of Davidson College's most prominent programs are grad-school-dependent pathways — fields such as biology, chemistry, and psychology where a meaningful share of graduates continue to medical, law, or doctoral programs, meaning four-year earnings undercount the longer-term trajectory.
Economics and mathematics-adjacent programs, by contrast, are higher-mobility direct-to-workforce pathways where graduates enter finance, consulting, and technology roles and four-year earnings more fully reflect labor-market outcomes. The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how these program families align with national hiring trends.
