PA · Medium private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #992 nationally
Data snapshot · Updated
Composite standing: 32nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Who it’s a good fit for
Duquesne University is a private nonprofit university in Pittsburgh whose degree mix is led by Health Professions and Business. Return is well above average, while affordability is below the levels seen at many peers, so the financial case depends heavily on the program a student chooses.
Graduates out-earn what predicts for students like them. The model attributes that gain to the factors it measures — field of study, enrollment and the local labor market — while what it cannot explain subtracts from it.
The largest program, Nursing, pays well, but the highest-earning programs are in health and technology fields that award far fewer degrees. Pell Grant recipients complete at a rate below that of the entering cohort as a whole, and mobility is above average.
Access is modestly below average. The admission rate is above the median for comparable institutions, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study.
A student drawn to the health professions or business will find the largest programs here, but should weigh the published cost carefully against the aid they are likely to receive.
Duquesne University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]
A private nonprofit university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Duquesne University enrolls 5,350 undergraduates. The university sits in the lower half of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (32nd percentile), with its four spread across a wide range rather than clustering together.
The university accepts 83.6% of applicants, against a median of 71.2% for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Among full-time first-year students, 84.2% continue into the second year, compared with a peer median of 83.4%.
77.5% of that same cohort finish within six years, against a peer median of 68.8%. An estimated 12.7% of undergraduates arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year figure covers only those who started here full time.
The four pillars sit far apart. Return is the strongest, while affordability is the weakest, with mobility and access landing between them.
That wide spread means the university's overall standing mixes very different performances rather than clustering near a single level across all four measures.
Return is the clearest positive in the profile for Duquesne University, and it is the university’s strongest pillar. Azimuth places return in the 78th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Mobility reaches the 58th percentile, access the 31st percentile, and affordability the 4th percentile. The pillars point in different directions: comparatively strong return sits alongside affordability as the weakest part of the profile.
20.2% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, a measure of financial access that shows the share of the student body receiving this federal grant aid. Azimuth ranks Duquesne University #1,012 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The access pillar draws on the Pell share and on how those students progress once enrolled. Pell recipients complete at 72.1%, which sits 5.4 percentage points below the overall six-year graduation rate (77.5%).
That distance separates the Pell completion rate from the rate for the entering cohort as a whole, and it is one of the factors shaping the access pillar. Azimuth ranks the university #620 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Graduates earn about $1,460 more than the model expects for similar students, an outcome that sits alongside the mobility pillar's rank.
At Duquesne University, a published cost of attendance of $67,776 makes price a central consideration for families weighing charges against likely aid. Tuition and fees are $48,986, while room and board are $16,374 within that published budget.
Across aid recipients, the average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $37,730; financial aid reduces the sticker total by $30,046. That net price is $10,359 above the peer median of $27,371 at comparable institutions (same type and size).
Azimuth ranks Duquesne University #1,360 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The sticker price, net price, and peer comparison all point to a costly affordability picture.
The published cost of attendance at Duquesne University is $67,776. Azimuth ranks the university #1,360 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $29,986 for families earning under $30,000, $32,102 for those earning $48,001 to $75,000, and $41,273 for those earning over $110,000. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,287.
Aid covers about 44% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, leaving an of $37,730 across all bands. That is $10,359 above the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who finish carry a median of $26,244 in federal student loans, $2,045 above the $24,199 peer median. 96.4% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.
Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $57,511 in Parent PLUS loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $298 a month.
Your family income
Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.
Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$32,102
After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.
Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.
Borrowing and repayment at Duquesne University
Federal loans are common among undergraduates at Duquesne University, with 96.4% taking them. For borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $26,244.
The median is above the $24,199 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $2,045. Parent borrowers are a separate population, with median Parent PLUS borrowing of $57,511.
In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 72% of graduates borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative amount of $57,681 per borrower. The reported figures include 68% of graduates with federal loans averaging $22,716. They also include 36% of graduates with private loans averaging $73,027.
Graduates of Duquesne University earn a median of $74,665 four years after completion, a figure that is $6,415 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places that earnings level at the 83rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Graduates earn about $1,460 more than the model expects for similar students, an outcome at the 60th percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from $50,800 in a downside case to $88,877 in an upside case, with $74,665 as the typical scenario.
The median federal student debt at completion is $26,244, which is $2,045 above the $24,199 peer median. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $298 a month if repaid over ten years.
The investment case here turns on whether the earnings premium outweighs the extra borrowing.
For parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $57,511, a separate federal borrowing population from student borrowers. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $298 a month if repaid over ten years.
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
Estimated student payment · monthly
$298/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$731/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.
Duquesne University presents a favorable return picture for federally aided completers four years after completion. Azimuth places its return pillar in the 78th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Graduates earn about $1,460 more than the model expects for similar students. That figure puts earnings beyond expectations in the 60th percentile.
The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $8,231. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $6,771.
Median earnings are $74,665 four years after completion, in the 83rd percentile. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $68,250, with the university's figure $6,415 above it. The peer comparison and model gap point the same way.
Duquesne University graduates post earnings above the peer middle four years after completion. Among federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, median earnings are $74,665 four years after completion, placing the university in the 83rd percentile.
That median is above the peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), of $68,250 by $6,415. The earnings cohort includes 2,018 completers.
Graduates earn about $1,460 more than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places earnings beyond expectations in the 60th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Earnings scenarios show $74,665 in the typical case, $50,800 in the downside case, and $88,877 in the upside case. An estimated 30.1% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix.
The above-peer median and point in the same direction.
Duquesne University shows earnings above its comparable-institution benchmark, though earnings scenarios vary across its program mix. Four years after completion, federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $74,665, placing the university in the 83rd percentile.
The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $68,250; its median is $6,415 above that figure. Graduates earn about $1,460 more than the model expects for similar students.
Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, sits in the 60th 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 $8,231.
The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $6,771. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,262.
Azimuth places the return pillar in the 78th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix range from $50,800 on the downside to $88,877 on the upside.
Allied Health Professions sets the high end of the published program results, with 41 degrees awarded and median earnings of $105,387 four years after completion. Among larger fields, Nursing awarded 257 degrees and had median earnings of $84,802; Biology awarded 109 degrees with $70,958 in median earnings; and Teacher Education awarded 81 degrees with $49,883.
The range across these large fields gives the school-level median a different context depending on the field chosen.
Duquesne University shows a broad spread across its earnings scenarios. Four years after completion, the downside earnings scenario is $50,800, the typical scenario is $74,665, and the upside scenario is $88,877.
At the upper end four years after completion, Allied Health Professions completers earn a median of $105,387, Health and Medical Administrative Services completers earn $95,128, and Computer and Information Sciences completers earn $92,789. These are among the university's highest-earning programs.
Graduates of Duquesne University earn a median of $74,665 four years after completion, which is $6,415 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The university's return pillar sits at the 78th percentile nationally, the strongest of its four pillars.
The cost side is where the picture gets complicated. The published cost of attendance is $67,776, but aid covers about 44% of that for the average aid recipient.
The average net price—what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships—is $37,730, which is $10,359 above the peer median of $27,371. Borrowers who complete leave with a median of $26,244 in federal student loans, $2,045 above the $24,199 peer median.
That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $298 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $57,511 in Parent PLUS loans.
What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$8,231
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
-$6,771
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
+$1,460
These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.
Duquesne University admitted 83.6% of applicants, above the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 13,270 first-year applicants, 11,464 admitted applicants, and 1,404 enrolled first-year students.
SAT: reported composite scores
Admission rate
83.6%
25th percentile
1130
Median
1250
75th percentile
1333
CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff.
Allied Health Professions stands apart in the program earnings picture, with median earnings of $105,387 four years after completion and 41 degrees awarded. Health and Medical Administrative Services also sits in the higher-earning group at $95,128, though its 5 degrees awarded represent a much smaller annual program count.
Computer and Information Sciences combines median earnings of $92,789 with 44 degrees awarded, placing another technical field near the upper end of the selected programs. By contrast, Teacher Education reports $49,883 four years after completion across 81 degrees awarded.
The difference between these higher- and more moderate-earning fields shows why the schoolwide earnings figure can conceal substantial variation by field.
Health Professions accounts for 28.1% of bachelor’s degrees awarded, making it the largest program family at Duquesne University. The largest individual fields span health care, science, business, education, and finance, with different earnings levels four years after completion.
The program mix at Duquesne University is anchored by Health Professions, which accounts for 28.1% of bachelor's degrees awarded. Business follows at 21.4%, with Education a distant third at 9.8%.
The university awards bachelor's degrees across 30 programs with published four-year earnings data, and the largest single programs are Nursing at 257 degrees awarded, Biology at 109, and Marketing at 105. The highest-earning program is Allied Health Professions, where graduates earn a median of $105,387 four years after completion, from 41 degrees awarded a year.
Health and Medical Administrative Services follows at $95,128, though it awards only 5 degrees annually. Computer and Information Sciences is the largest of the top earners, with 44 degrees awarded and median earnings of $92,789.
The pattern is one of concentration in the health professions, which supply both the largest program and the top of the earnings list. The largest program, Nursing, earns a median of $84,802, a benchmark ratio of 0.95x against the national median for its field. 17.6% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields.
Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 257 degrees awarded
$84,802
Biology, General 109 degrees awarded
$70,958
Marketing 105 degrees awarded
$66,542
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods 81 degrees awarded
$49,883
Psychology, General 68 degrees awarded
$48,850
Finance and Financial Management Services 68 degrees awarded
$83,781
Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings.
How does Duquesne University serve students from different backgrounds?
Duquesne University shows above-expected modeled earnings alongside a completion gap between Pell recipients and the overall cohort. Graduates earn about $1,460 more than the model expects for similar students.
Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, stands in the 60th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth places the mobility pillar in the 58th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
For the first-time full-time cohort, the six-year graduation rate is 77.5%; Pell recipients complete at 72.1%, below the overall rate by 5.4 percentage points. The earnings result is favorable, while Pell completion remains below overall completion.
Admission is broad in the reported entering class, where 83.6% of applicants were admitted. Duquesne University enrolls 5,350 undergraduates; 20.2% receive Pell Grants, and an estimated 12.7% entered as transfers or part-time students.
Azimuth places its access pillar in the 31st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
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 Duquesne University.
Admissions peerWashington & Jefferson College80.6% admitted+
Comparison with Duquesne University
Measure
Duquesne University
Washington & Jefferson College
Peer earnings · 4 years
$74,665
$66,045-$8,620 vs Duquesne University
Average annual net price
$37,730
$25,002-$12,728 vs Duquesne University · lower cost
Admission rate
83.6%
80.6%
Higher-admission alternativeUniversity of Maine at Fort Kent97.9% admitted+
Comparison with Duquesne University
Measure
Duquesne University
University of Maine at Fort Kent
Peer earnings · 4 years
$74,665
$74,979+$314 vs Duquesne University
Average annual net price
$37,730
$7,482-$30,248 vs Duquesne University · lower cost
Admission rate
83.6%
97.9%
Nearby alternativeSaint Francis UniversityNearby option · PA+
Comparison with Duquesne University
Measure
Duquesne University
Saint Francis University
Peer earnings · 4 years
$74,665
$73,068-$1,597 vs Duquesne University
Average annual net price
$37,730
$23,526-$14,204 vs Duquesne University · lower cost
Admission rate
83.6%
76.8%
Higher-earnings alternativeMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences$93,192 earnings+
Comparison with Duquesne University
Measure
Duquesne University
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Peer earnings · 4 years
$74,665
$93,192+$18,527 vs Duquesne University
Average annual net price
$37,730
$39,545+$1,815 vs Duquesne University · higher cost
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.
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.
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.
Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.
Source fields: ADM_RATE
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
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
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
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.
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
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 is 150% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, for the year the API serves. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. The parent table is the 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS as a share of household income above 200% of the guideline for a household of three: under 6% Safe, 6–10% Caution, over 10% High pressure. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations.
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.
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.
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.
First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.
Source fields: RET_FT4
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.
Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.
Source fields: PCTPELL
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
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