1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Dominican University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Dominican University IL · Medium private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #376 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/dominican-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/dominican-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/dominican-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/dominican-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/dominican-university/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Dominican University #376 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Dominican University is a private nonprofit university in River Forest, Illinois, where the largest degree families are Business and Health Professions. Access is well above average, and affordability is well above average. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes more of that to a remainder it does not explain than to the factors it measures — field of study, enrollment and the local labor market. Pell recipients finish at a rate above the overall cohort, and what families in the lowest income band pay on average sits well below the published cost. The spread between what the lowest and highest bands pay is modest. The admission rate is above the median for comparable institutions, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study. The largest program is Psychology, and the highest-earning program is Computer Science. ## Dominican University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 90.3% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 55.3% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $59,507 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $11,891 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $24,411 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $19,865 ## Dominican University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) A private nonprofit university in River Forest, Illinois, Dominican University enrolls 2,561 undergraduates. The university sits near the top of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (74th percentile). Admission is open: Dominican University accepts 90.3% of those who apply, compared with a median of 71.2% among comparable institutions (same type and size). Among full-time first-year students, 77.9% continue into the second year, below the 83.4% median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 55.3%, against a peer median of 68.8%. An estimated 22.5% of students enter as transfers or part-time students, so that rate describes only a portion of the undergraduate population. Access is the strongest of the four pillars, at the 77th percentile, and affordability is nearly as high at the 77th percentile. Return is at the 67th percentile, sitting between the two stronger pillars and the weakest. Mobility is the weakest, at the 47th percentile, and the four sit far apart rather than clustered together. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Dominican University #376 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. Access is the strongest pillar, in the 77th percentile, and affordability sits close behind at the 77th percentile. Return is in the 67th percentile. Mobility is the weakest of the four, at the 47th percentile. 51.5% of undergraduates at Dominican University receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks Dominican University #332 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Pell recipients complete at 61.1%, 5.8 percentage points above the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the entering cohort. Azimuth ranks the university #784 for mobility. Graduates earn about $13,823 more than the model expects for similar students. [How value-added outcomes are assessed](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) · [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Dominican University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #376 | | [Illinois](/rankings/best-colleges-in-illinois/) | #17 | | [Midwest](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-midwest/) | #64 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 47 **Access & reach** National percentile: 77 **[Affordability](/school/dominican-university/cost/)** National percentile: 77 **[Return on investment](/school/dominican-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 67 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Natural Sciences**#5** 2. Criminology**#38** 3. Sociology**#105** This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ. [Explore major rankings](/school/dominican-university/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / Dominican University briefing ## [Dominican University cost & financial aid](/school/dominican-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is the amount aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships. Aid recipients at Dominican University pay an average net price of $11,745, $15,626 below the median at comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places the affordability pillar in the 77th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Borrowers who finish leave with a median of $24,411 in federal student loans, $212 above the peer median. Families earning under $30,000 average $9,759; those over $110,000 average $17,963. Net prices sit below the peer median, while debt sits above it. The published cost of attendance at Dominican University is $43,891 (an average across living arrangements). Azimuth ranks the university #326 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $9,759, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $11,891, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $17,963. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $8,204. Aid covers about 73% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $11,745, which is $15,626 below the median of $27,371 for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who finish carry a median of $24,411 in federal student loans. That figure is $212 above the peer median of $24,199. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $19,865 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $277 a month. It estimates what a family might pay at this school based on their own finances. Your family income Choose a household income range to see estimated net price. $0–30K$30–48K$48–75K$75–110K$110K+ Reported average annual net price · $48–75K**$11,891** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Dominican University Federal borrowing is widespread at Dominican University, with 90.8% of federal aid recipients taking federal loans. Among borrowers who complete, the median federal student loan debt is $24,411. That median is $212 above the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Parents who borrow through [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) hold a separate median of $19,865. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 62% of its 231 bachelor's graduates borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative debt of $25,903 per borrower. Of those graduates, 61% held federal loans averaging $22,718. A smaller group, 8%, held private loans averaging $25,853. Dominican University graduates earn a median of $59,507 four years after completing a degree, which is the 49th percentile. That figure is $8,743 below the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The earnings picture shifts when measured against the model's expectation. Graduates earn about $13,823 more than the model expects for similar students, a result at the 90th percentile. Estimated from the program mix, the earnings scenarios range from $48,301 on the downside to $81,888 on the upside, with a typical scenario of $59,507. Borrowers who finish leave with a median of $24,411 in federal student loans, $212 above the peer median. If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $277 a month. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $19,865. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $277 a month if repaid over ten years. [How Financial GPS measures payment burden](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) · [The four risk-and-reward zones](/analysis/4-zones-of-college-risk-and-reward/) Financial GPS ### What does repayment look like? **Institution median student debt** $24,411 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $19,865 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $277/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $252/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](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=dominican-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/dominican-university/cost/) 02 / Dominican University briefing ## [Dominican University career outcomes & earnings](/school/dominican-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Azimuth places Dominican University at the 67th percentile for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $59,507, at the 49th percentile. That is $8,743 below the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $13,823 more than the model expects for similar students. That puts the gap at the 90th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $1,695. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $12,128. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $59,507. That figure sits $8,743 below the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size), and Azimuth places it in the 49th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $13,823 more than the model expects for similar students. That gap lands at the 90th percentile, so the earnings picture is stronger than the raw median alone suggests. Earnings scenarios, estimated from Dominican University's program mix, show the range: a typical scenario of $59,507, a downside of $48,301, and an upside of $81,888. An estimated 34.1% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The median earnings figure at Dominican University sits below the peer median. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $59,507, at the 49th percentile. That is $8,743 below the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #484 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $13,823 more than the model expects for similar students. That puts the gap at the 90th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $1,695. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $12,128. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,390. The program mix tilts toward fields where earnings are moderate, with Business and Health Professions accounting for the largest shares of degrees. Earnings scenarios estimated from that mix range from $48,301 on the downside to $81,888 on the upside. An estimated 34.1% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The earnings scenarios show a spread from $48,301 on the downside to $81,888 on the upside. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates. At the higher end, Computer Science graduates earn $86,730 four years after completion, and Nursing graduates earn $80,703. Accounting follows at $77,878. The median federal student loan debt for borrowers who finish at Dominican University is $24,411, $212 above the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $277 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $19,865 in Parent PLUS loans. The earnings picture and the debt picture point in different directions here. Graduates earn about $13,823 more than the model expects for similar students, while the median debt sits close to the peer median. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$1,695 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$12,128 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$13,823 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. [Read the full outcomes brief](/school/dominican-university/outcomes/) 03 / Dominican University briefing ## [Dominican University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/dominican-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Dominican University admits 90.3% of applicants, a rate above the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). The university is accessible to most students who apply. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 6,525 first-year applicants, 5,715 admitted, and 601 enrolled. SAT: reported composite scores **Admission rate** 90.3% **25th percentile** 870 **Median** 990 **75th percentile** 1120 CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/dominican-university/admissions/) 04 / Dominican University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Dominican University?](/school/dominican-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) The earnings spread across Dominican University's selected programs is wide. Computer Science graduates report the highest median, at $86,730 four years after completion, from 18 degrees awarded. Nursing, the second-largest program with published earnings, follows at $80,703 with 36 degrees awarded. Business Administration and Management is the university's only nationally ranked program. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #253 within its field. It is also #11 in Illinois, with median earnings of $66,871 and 28 degrees awarded. At the more moderate end, Psychology is the largest program at 42 degrees awarded and a median of $51,093. Sociology graduates earn $54,686 from 24 degrees awarded. Business accounts for 20.4% of bachelor's degrees awarded, with Health Professions second at 16.9%. The university has 7 nationally ranked program and 15 programs with published earnings data. The largest single program is Psychology, at 42 degrees a year, where graduates earn a median of $51,093 four years after completion. Nursing is close behind with 36 degrees and a median of $80,703. The highest earnings come from Computer Science, at $86,730, though the program awards only 18 degrees a year. Natural Sciences is the university's best nationally ranked program: [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #5 in its field and #1 in Illinois. The degree mix at Dominican University is spread across several fields, with Business accounting for 20.4% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Health Professions at 16.9% and Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies at 12.0%. The university has 7 program with an Azimuth national rank and 15 with published four-year earnings data. The largest programs with published earnings are Psychology at 42 degrees awarded, Nursing at 36, and Natural Sciences at 30. The highest-earning program is Computer Science, where graduates earn a median of $86,730 four years after completion from 18 degrees awarded a year. Nursing, the second-largest program on campus, follows at $80,703. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #1 in Illinois within its field. The pattern is one of breadth rather than concentration: no single program family dominates, and the highest-earning fields are not the largest by degrees awarded. 18.4% of degrees are in STEM fields. The largest programs with published earnings show mixed results against the national median for their field: Psychology earns a benchmark ratio of 1.01x, while Nursing earns 0.91x. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Psychology, General 42 degrees awarded** $51,093 **Health/Medical Preparatory Programs 37 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 36 degrees awarded** $80,703 **Natural Sciences 30 degrees awarded** $56,555 **Business Administration, Management and Operations 28 degrees awarded** $66,871 **Finance and Financial Management Services 28 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report 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](/school/dominican-university/majors/) 05 / Dominican University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Dominican University?](/school/dominican-university/similar/)[\[15\]](#hub-data-note-peers) 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](/school/dominican-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Dominican University. Admissions peerRoosevelt University97.2% admitted+ Comparison with Dominican University | Measure | Dominican University | Roosevelt University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $59,507 | $58,796\-$711 vs Dominican University | | Average annual net price | $11,745 | $20,194+$8,449 vs Dominican University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 90.3% | 97.2% | [Explore Roosevelt University →](/school/roosevelt-university/) Nearby alternativeRoosevelt UniversityNearby option · IL+ Comparison with Dominican University | Measure | Dominican University | Roosevelt University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $59,507 | $58,796\-$711 vs Dominican University | | Average annual net price | $11,745 | $20,194+$8,449 vs Dominican University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 90.3% | 97.2% | [Explore Roosevelt University →](/school/roosevelt-university/) Higher-earnings alternativeSaint Xavier University$66,961 earnings+ Comparison with Dominican University | Measure | Dominican University | Saint Xavier University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $59,507 | $66,961+$7,454 vs Dominican University | | Average annual net price | $11,745 | $10,970\-$775 vs Dominican University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 90.3% | 84.3% | [Explore Saint Xavier University →](/school/saint-xavier-university/) Lower-cost alternativeTrinity International University-Illinois$2,835 average net price+ Comparison with Dominican University | Measure | Dominican University | Trinity International University-Illinois | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $59,507 | $51,985\-$7,522 vs Dominican University | | Average annual net price | $11,745 | $2,835\-$8,910 vs Dominican University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 90.3% | 100.0% | Similar profileAugustana CollegeMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Dominican University | Measure | Dominican University | Augustana College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $59,507 | $60,377+$870 vs Dominican University | | Average annual net price | $11,745 | $22,736+$10,991 vs Dominican University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 90.3% | 62.7% | [Explore Augustana College →](/school/augustana-college/) 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](/school/dominican-university/similar/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 28, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 28, 2026 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](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. [Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations](/methodology/) · [About College Azimuth](/about/) Read the analysis behind [value-added earnings](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) and the [change to four-year graduate earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). 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](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/files/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf); 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](/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](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) 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](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) 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](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) 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](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/FieldOfStudyDataDocumentation.pdf) 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](/methodology/) [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)