1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Heritage University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Heritage University WA · Small private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #217 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/heritage-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/heritage-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/heritage-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/heritage-university/majors/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Heritage University #217 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Heritage University is a private nonprofit university in Toppenish, Washington, where Public Administration & Social Services and Education account for the largest shares of degrees. The university is built around a small set of programs, and the strongest pillar is access, which is well above average. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes most of that to a remainder it does not explain. The factors it measures — field of study, enrollment and the local labor market — add a much smaller amount. Return is well above average. Affordability is well above average, and what the typical aid recipient pays sits below the median at comparable institutions. The spread between the lowest and highest income bands is narrow, so what a family pays does not shift dramatically with income. Mobility is modestly below average. Most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study. A student drawn to Public Administration & Social Services should know that the largest program, Social Work, is also one of the best-paid. ## Heritage University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** Not reported **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 53.7% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $62,898 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $14,119 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $14,573 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $18,542 ## Heritage University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Heritage University, a private nonprofit university in Toppenish, Washington, enrolls 812 undergraduates. It sits in the upper fifth among nonprofit four-year institutions (85th percentile). The retention rate tracks the share of first-year, full-time students who come back for a second year. The four pillars sit far apart. Access is the strongest (89th percentile), with affordability and return close behind. Mobility is the weakest (34th percentile), and the gap between the two ends is wide. Access is the strongest pillar for Heritage University, sitting at the 89th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Affordability and return are close behind, at the 88th and 82nd percentiles respectively. Mobility is the weakest of the four, at the 34th percentile. The Pell share is the share of undergraduates receiving federal need-based grants. It measures financial access. That Pell share gives the access pillar its shape. Azimuth ranks Heritage University #161 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. That rank coincides with the university's reach among students receiving need-based aid. Azimuth ranks Heritage University #974 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $21,197 more than the model expects for similar students. Graduates earn about $21,197 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/) Heritage University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #217 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 34 **Access & reach** National percentile: 89 **[Affordability](/school/heritage-university/cost/)** National percentile: 88 **[Return on investment](/school/heritage-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 82 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Social Work**#8** 2. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods**#14** This school’s two highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ. [Explore major rankings](/school/heritage-university/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / Heritage University briefing ## [Heritage University cost & financial aid](/school/heritage-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) Heritage University posts a total cost of attendance of $31,209, including tuition and fees of $20,928. At this university, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) comes to $14,598. That figure sits $7,749 below the peer median of $22,347 for comparable institutions (same type and size). Grants and scholarships reduce the published cost by $16,611 for the average aid recipient. That support covers about 53% of the sticker price. Azimuth ranks Heritage University #177 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 88th percentile. The published cost of attendance at Heritage University is $31,209. Azimuth ranks the university #177 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. For families earning under $30,000, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $15,114; for those earning $48,001 to $75,000, it is $14,119; and for those earning over $110,000, it is $20,749. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $5,635. Aid covers about 53% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $14,598, which is $7,749 below the $22,347 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $14,573 in federal student loans. That is $10,427 below the $25,000 median for comparable institutions. Parents who borrow through the [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) program hold a separate median of $18,542. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $166 a month. 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**$14,119** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Heritage University Borrowers who complete a degree at Heritage University leave with a median of $14,573 in federal student loans. That median is $10,427 below the $25,000 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate population of parent borrowers, carries a median of $18,542. Those who complete a degree at Heritage University earn about $21,197 more than the model expects for similar students. That result sits at the 96th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Median earnings four years after completion are $62,898 for federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. That places the figure in the 60th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer median is the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size). The institution's median earnings run $6,983 above the peer median of $55,915. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix span from $52,311 to $72,663, with $62,898 as the typical outcome. Borrowers who finish hold a median of $14,573 in federal student loans. That amount sits $10,427 below the peer median of $25,000. If repaid over ten years, the debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $166 a month. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $18,542. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $166 a month. [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** $14,573 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $18,542 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $166/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $236/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=heritage-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/heritage-university/cost/) 02 / Heritage University briefing ## [Heritage University career outcomes & earnings](/school/heritage-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) The return pillar for Heritage University is in the 82nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median for federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled four years after completion is $62,898, in the 60th percentile. That median is $6,983 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $21,197 more than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap at the 96th 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 $643. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $20,554. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $433. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of Heritage University who are working and not enrolled show a median earnings level of $62,898. That figure falls at the 60th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The result reflects a cohort of 313 completers. The median sits $6,983 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix give a typical value of $62,898, with a downside scenario of $52,311 and an upside scenario of $72,663. These are estimates from the program mix, not observed groups. An estimated 31.4% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The median earnings figure four years after completion is $62,898, at the 60th percentile. That figure sits $6,983 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Heritage University #266 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $21,197 more than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap at the 96th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $643. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $20,554. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $433. The university's programs lean heavily toward social services and education, with only 7.4% of degrees awarded in STEM fields. Estimated from the program mix, the downside earnings scenario is $52,311 and the upside is $72,663. An estimated 31.4% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The earnings scenarios show a range from $52,311 on the downside to $72,663 on the upside, reflecting the program mix at Heritage University. At the program level, Teacher Education graduates earn a median of $60,999 four years after completion, from 35 degrees awarded. Social Work follows at $58,634, with 61 degrees awarded. Graduates earn about $21,197 more than the model expects for similar students. The median federal debt for borrowers who finish at Heritage University is $14,573, which is $10,427 below the $25,000 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Among federal aid recipients, 77.5% of federal aid recipients take out federal loans. The estimated payment if repaid over ten years is $166 a month. Aid covers about 53% of the $31,209 sticker price for the average aid recipient, though this is an average rather than a personal quote. The median Parent PLUS debt for parents who borrow is $18,542. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$643 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$20,554 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$21,197 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/heritage-university/outcomes/) 03 / Heritage University briefing ## [Heritage University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/heritage-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) The university enrolls 812 undergraduates total. Applicants who will depend on Pell Grants or who are considering transfer should confirm how their prior credits apply and what institutional aid might stack with federal grants. Admissions **Admission rate** Not reported [Read the full admissions brief](/school/heritage-university/admissions/) 04 / Heritage University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Heritage University?](/school/heritage-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) The two largest programs at Heritage University also rank among the best-paid. Social Work awards 61 degrees a year, and its graduates earn a median of $58,634 four years after completion. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #8 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Teacher Education is the second-largest program, with 35 degrees awarded, and its median earnings are $60,999. Azimuth ranks it #14 nationally in its field. The earnings picture shifts in the third-largest program. Business Administration and Management awards 20 degrees a year, and graduates earn a median of $52,449. That is the lowest among the five largest programs, and it sits below the national median for the field. Heritage University awards most of its bachelor's degrees in two fields: Public Administration & Social Services accounts for 30.3% of degrees awarded, and Education accounts for 17.4%. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 2 of the university's programs nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. The largest single program is Social Work, with 61 degrees awarded a year. Azimuth ranks it #8 within its field, and graduates earn a median of $58,634 four years after completion. The highest-earning program is Teacher Education, at $60,999 from 35 degrees awarded. Azimuth ranks it #14 nationally. The spread between the largest program's earnings and the best-paid one is narrow, and both sit above the national median for their fields. The bachelor's degree mix at Heritage University is concentrated in service fields. Public Administration & Social Services accounts for 30.3% of degrees awarded, with Education at 17.4% and Business at 16.4%. The university has 2 programs with an Azimuth national rank and 5 with published four-year earnings data. The largest program is Social Work, with 61 degrees awarded a year. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #8 nationally within its field and #1 in Washington within its field. Teacher Education has 35 degrees awarded and is ranked #3 in Washington. It is also the highest-earning program, with a median of $60,999. That figure is a benchmark ratio of 1.29x against the national median for its field. Strength here is concentrated in these two large, well-ranked programs, while the remaining programs are smaller and their earnings cluster closer to the national median for their fields. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Social Work 61 degrees awarded** $58,634 **Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods 35 degrees awarded** $60,999 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 21 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Business Administration, Management and Operations 20 degrees awarded** $52,449 **Criminal Justice and Corrections 17 degrees awarded** $55,375 **Accounting and Related Services 13 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/heritage-university/majors/) ## 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/)