Delaware State University

Delaware State University's program mix is anchored in health and applied professional fields, with Health representing the largest share of degree output. The university serves 662 students annually across 24 programs, with 14 meeting Azimuth's ranking threshold.

The largest programs by graduate count include Kinesiology, Nursing, Psychology, General, Communication and Media Studies, and Business Administration — a mix that reflects the institution's orientation toward health sciences, social services, and applied business fields. The highest-earning programs at Delaware State University are anchored in health and technical fields.

Azimuth ranks Nursing #164 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $94,568 from a cohort of 65 graduates. Azimuth ranks Business Administration #329 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $59,689.

Azimuth ranks Social Work #120 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $56,937. Several of the institution's largest programs — including Kinesiology and Nursing — lead into local-labor and public-service career pathways where four-year earnings reflect stable, in-demand roles rather than high-mobility national markets.

The highest-earning programs, by contrast, are direct-to-workforce pathways where graduates enter the labor market immediately and earnings reflect near-term sector demand. The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how Delaware State University's dominant program families align with national labor-market trends.

Delaware State University's published cost of attendance is $27,939. Financial aid reshapes that figure across income levels: low-income families pay approximately $11,135, families in the lower-middle income band pay around $12,452, middle-income families pay about $15,701, families in the upper-middle band pay approximately $17,633, and higher-income families pay roughly $17,326.

Azimuth ranks Delaware State University #647 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.

As a public institution, Delaware State participates in federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans), state, and institutional aid programs. The university's net-price positioning reflects both its public-tuition structure and the breadth of need-based aid available to qualifying students.

Families should review the institution's financial aid page for current aid policies, application requirements, and the full range of scholarships and grants available. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $26,000, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $42,541; 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 $56,957, median federal debt of $26,000 projects to a monthly payment of about $294 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 earn median 4-year earnings of $56,957, placing Delaware State University in the 31.7 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $6,567 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Delaware State University in the 30.6 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Azimuth ranks Delaware State University #1007 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Delaware State University also sits in the 8.6 percentile for median low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions — a [historical 10-year Scorecard measure](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/) not yet updated to the four-year horizon, with low-income graduates earning $35,700.

The program mix at Delaware State University is anchored by Health, which shapes both the scale and character of graduate earnings. Nursing stands out as the program combining the largest graduate cohort with strong median earnings, making it a key driver of institution-wide outcomes.

Kinesiology is the largest program by scale, graduating 81 students with median earnings of $49,115 four years after enrollment; Azimuth ranks Kinesiology #185 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/). The Nursing program graduates 65 students with median earnings of $94,568, and Azimuth ranks Nursing #164 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Among the highest-earning programs, Psychology, General program graduates 59 students with median earnings of $49,132 four years after enrollment, while Communication and Media Studies and Business Administration round out the upper tier of the earnings distribution.