Graduates of Lenoir-Rhyne University earn median 4-year earnings of $57,711, placing Lenoir-Rhyne University in the 32.6 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,739 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Lenoir-Rhyne University in the 69.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Lenoir-Rhyne University #758 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. These outcomes reflect a trajectory where graduates see meaningful earnings growth in the early career years, contributing to solid long-term financial returns relative to the cost of attendance. The earnings pattern is anchored in Business, which represents the institution's primary focus and drives much of the return story. Nursing is the largest program with 56 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $78,839, performing at 0.9x the national benchmark for the field. The Kinesiology program graduates 47 students earning median 4-year earnings of $53,609, at 1.0x the benchmark. Additional programs including Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Biology, General, and Digital Marketing round out the portfolio, collectively shaping graduate outcomes across applied professional and business-focused fields. The concentration in Business aligns with regional labor-market demand in North Carolina, where employers actively recruit graduates into stable, career-track positions.
Graduates of Lenoir-Rhyne University earn median 4-year earnings of $57,711, placing Lenoir-Rhyne University in the 32.6 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,739 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Lenoir-Rhyne University in the 69.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Lenoir-Rhyne University #758 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. These outcomes reflect a trajectory where graduates see meaningful earnings growth in the early career years, contributing to solid long-term financial returns relative to the cost of attendance. The earnings pattern is anchored in Business, which represents the institution's primary focus and drives much of the return story. Nursing is the largest program with 56 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $78,839, performing at 0.9x the national benchmark for the field. The Kinesiology program graduates 47 students earning median 4-year earnings of $53,609, at 1.0x the benchmark. Additional programs including Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Biology, General, and Digital Marketing round out the portfolio, collectively shaping graduate outcomes across applied professional and business-focused fields. The concentration in Business aligns with regional labor-market demand in North Carolina, where employers actively recruit graduates into stable, career-track positions.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
Lower quartile, 10-year field
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Healthy debt burden. Most graduates can manage $26,000 in debt with typical earnings.
Graduates of Lenoir-Rhyne University earn median 4-year earnings of $57,711, placing Lenoir-Rhyne University in the 32.6 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,739 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Lenoir-Rhyne University in the 69.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Lenoir-Rhyne University #758 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. These outcomes reflect a trajectory where graduates see meaningful earnings growth in the early career years, contributing to solid long-term financial returns relative to the cost of attendance. The earnings pattern is anchored in Business, which represents the institution's primary focus and drives much of the return story. Nursing is the largest program with 56 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $78,839, performing at 0.9x the national benchmark for the field. The Kinesiology program graduates 47 students earning median 4-year earnings of $53,609, at 1.0x the benchmark. Additional programs including Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Biology, General, and Digital Marketing round out the portfolio, collectively shaping graduate outcomes across applied professional and business-focused fields. The concentration in Business aligns with regional labor-market demand in North Carolina, where employers actively recruit graduates into stable, career-track positions.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Lenoir-Rhyne University's program mix is anchored in business and professional fields, reflecting the institution's identity as a private regional university serving the Hickory, North Carolina market. Nursing is the largest program with 56 graduates, followed by Kinesiology, Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Biology, General, and Digital Marketing. The Business concentration — accounting for a substantial share of degrees — positions the institution as a pipeline into applied business and professional careers in the region. The strongest earnings outcomes cluster in business-adjacent and professional fields. Nursing graduates earn median earnings of $78,839 four years after enrollment with 56 graduates, while Kinesiology delivers median earnings of $53,609 and Teacher Education reaches $44,131. These programs reflect direct-to-workforce pathways where graduates enter stable, in-demand roles and see earnings growth aligned with regional labor-market conditions. The program portfolio emphasizes applied professional preparation over research-intensive or grad-school-dependent pathways. This orientation supports students seeking clear, predictable career transitions into business, management, and professional-services roles in the Southeast. The supply and demand for college graduates provides context for how Lenoir-Rhyne University's dominant program families align with regional and national labor-market demand.
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Lenoir-Rhyne University earn median 4-year earnings of $57,711, placing Lenoir-Rhyne University in the 32.6 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,739 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Lenoir-Rhyne University in the 69.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Lenoir-Rhyne University #758 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. These outcomes reflect a trajectory where graduates see meaningful earnings growth in the early career years, contributing to solid long-term financial returns relative to the cost of attendance. The earnings pattern is anchored in Business, which represents the institution's primary focus and drives much of the return story. Nursing is the largest program with 56 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $78,839, performing at 0.9x the national benchmark for the field. The Kinesiology program graduates 47 students earning median 4-year earnings of $53,609, at 1.0x the benchmark. Additional programs including Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Biology, General, and Digital Marketing round out the portfolio, collectively shaping graduate outcomes across applied professional and business-focused fields. The concentration in Business aligns with regional labor-market demand in North Carolina, where employers actively recruit graduates into stable, career-track positions.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
