1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Linfield University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Linfield University OR · Small private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #546 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/linfield-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/linfield-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/linfield-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/linfield-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/linfield-university/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Linfield University #546 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Linfield University is a private nonprofit university in Mcminnville, Oregon, where Health Professions accounts for more than half of all bachelor's degrees. The university suits a student who wants a small campus and a direct path into a health profession, and return is among the highest we track. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them, and the typical graduate earns above the median at comparable schools. The model attributes more of that gap to what it cannot explain than to the factors it measures, and the STEM component subtracts from the measured share. Pell Grant recipients finish within a few points of the overall rate, and mobility is around the average. Access is below the levels seen at many peers, and affordability is below the levels seen at many peers. The lowest income band pays far less than the published cost, and the highest band also pays less, though considerably more than the lowest. The admission rate is above the median for comparable schools, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study. A student drawn to the health professions should know that the largest program is also the best-paid one, and that earnings fall off sharply outside of it. ## Linfield University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 85.2% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 70.5% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $81,180 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $22,806 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $25,000 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $36,067 ## Linfield University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Linfield University is a private nonprofit university in Mcminnville, Oregon, enrolling 1,621 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the middle of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. The university admits 85.2% of applicants, a rate above the 75.7% median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Among first-year students studying full time, 79.7% return for a second year, against a peer median of 74.2%. Completion runs well above the peer median too: 70.5% finish within six years, compared with 54.9% at comparable institutions. An estimated 30.9% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) describes the first-time, full-time cohort. The four pillars sit far apart. Return is the strongest, while access is the weakest. Mobility sits near the middle, and affordability is closer to the bottom. Azimuth evaluates Linfield University on four pillars among nonprofit four-year institutions. Return is the strongest, at the 92nd percentile, while access is the weakest at the 20th percentile. Mobility sits near the middle at the 54th percentile, and affordability is also low at the 22nd percentile. 30.3% of undergraduates at Linfield University receive Pell Grants. Pell recipients in the first-time full-time cohort complete at 70.0%, 0.5 percentage points below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole. Azimuth ranks the university #1,179 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks the university #680 for mobility. Graduates earn about $17,466 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/) Linfield University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #546 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 54 **Access & reach** National percentile: 20 **[Affordability](/school/linfield-university/cost/)** National percentile: 22 **[Return on investment](/school/linfield-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 92 01 / Linfield University briefing ## [Linfield University cost & financial aid](/school/linfield-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) Linfield University publishes a cost of attendance of $65,935, with tuition and fees at $50,850 and room and board at $14,640. In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported on-campus food and housing of $15,160 and required fees of $840. About 20.0% of full-time undergraduates pay more than the base tuition and fees. For Linfield University, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $26,536, which is $4,189 above the $22,347 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Aid covers about 60% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, a savings of $39,399 against the sticker price. Azimuth ranks the university #1,105 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The published cost of attendance at Linfield University is $65,935. Azimuth ranks the university #1,105 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 $20,059, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $22,806, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $32,519. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,460. Aid covers about 60% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $26,536, which is $4,189 above the $22,347 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $25,000 in federal student loans, level with the peer median. 95.8% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $36,067 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 $284 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**$22,806** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Linfield University Borrowers who complete a degree at Linfield University leave with a median of $25,000 in federal student loans. 95.8% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. That is level with the $25,000 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported that 70% of graduates borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative total of $39,557 per borrower. Including 69% of graduates who held federal loans, averaging $26,308. Another 22% held private loans, averaging $42,596. Parents who borrow through the federal PLUS program hold a separate median of $36,067. Graduates earn about $17,466 more than the model expects for similar students. That result is at the 94th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Their median earnings four years after completion at Linfield University are $81,180. That places the median at the 90th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those earnings are $25,265 above the median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #119 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Estimated earnings scenarios from the program mix run from $53,006 to $109,374, with $81,180 as the typical outcome. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $25,000 in federal loans, level with the peer median (the median for comparable institutions). If repaid over ten years, the estimated monthly payment is $284. Earnings are above the peer median, and median federal student debt at completion is level with the peer median. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $36,067. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 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** $25,000 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $36,067 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $284/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $458/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=linfield-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/linfield-university/cost/) 02 / Linfield University briefing ## [Linfield University career outcomes & earnings](/school/linfield-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $81,180. That is in the 90th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That is $25,265 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $17,466 more than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap in the 94th 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 $8,336. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $9,130. Azimuth places the return pillar in the 92nd percentile. At Linfield University, the median earnings four years after completing a degree reach $81,180 for federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled. Azimuth places that figure in the 90th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 789 completers. Graduates earn about $17,466 more than the model expects for similar students. That puts the gap at the 94th percentile. The program mix shapes a wide range of possible outcomes. Earnings scenarios estimated from that mix put the typical scenario at $81,180, with a downside scenario of $53,006 and an upside scenario of $109,374. An estimated 25.5% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Four years after completion, the median for federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled is $81,180, a figure at the 90th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Comparable institutions (same type and size) show a median of $55,915, so Linfield University lands $25,265 above that peer level. Azimuth places the university at #119 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $17,466 more than the model expects for similar students. That result lands at the 94th 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 $8,336. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $9,130. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $449. Most degrees awarded are in health-related fields, alongside smaller showings in business and education. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix stretch from $53,006 on the downside to $109,374 on the upside. Based on the program mix, an estimated 25.5% of graduates continue on to graduate study. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the university's program mix, range from $53,006 on the downside to $109,374 on the upside, with $81,180 as the typical scenario. These are scenarios, not observed groups of graduates. The largest program, Nursing, is also the highest-earning. Its graduates earn a median of $109,374 four years after completion, from 238 degrees awarded. Accounting and Business Administration and Management follow at $78,683 and $77,983, respectively. Graduates of Linfield University earn about $17,466 more than the model expects for similar students. The median federal debt for borrowers who finish is $25,000, which is level with the $25,000 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month if repaid over ten years. The published cost of attendance is $65,935, but aid covers about 60% of that for the average aid recipient. After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $20,059, while those in the highest band, over $110,000, average $32,519. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,460. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $36,067 in Parent PLUS loans. The return pillar sits at the 92nd percentile, and the affordability pillar sits at the 22nd percentile. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$8,336 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$9,130 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$17,466 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/linfield-university/outcomes/) 03 / Linfield University briefing ## [Linfield University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/linfield-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Linfield University admits 85.2% of applicants, above the median of 75.7% for comparable institutions (same type and size). Admissions **Admission rate** 85.2% [Read the full admissions brief](/school/linfield-university/admissions/) 04 / Linfield University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Linfield University?](/school/linfield-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Nursing is the most common program at Linfield University, awarding 238 degrees a year and posting the highest four-year earnings at $109,374. That figure is 1.23x the national median for the field. The earnings picture shifts sharply outside of health professions. Kinesiology and Physical Education, the second-largest program with 38 degrees awarded, reports median earnings of $58,347. Psychology and Teacher Education sit lower still, at $53,493 and $52,429 respectively. Business fields offer a middle ground. Business Administration and Management graduates earn $77,983 four years after completion, from 19 degrees a year. The spread between the top-earning program and the moderate-earning ones is wide. Linfield University awarded 10 bachelor's programs with published earnings data. The largest, Nursing, accounts for 238 degrees a year and its completers earn a median of $109,374 four years after finishing. The next four programs are much smaller. Health Professions dominates the degree mix at Linfield University, accounting for 53.1% of bachelor's degrees awarded. Business is a distant second at 12.5%, followed by Parks, Recreation & Fitness at 8.2%. The university has 10 programs with published four-year earnings data. The largest single program is Nursing, at 238 degrees awarded a year. It is also the highest-earning program, with graduates earning a median of $109,374 four years after completion, a benchmark ratio of 1.23x against the national median for its field. Kinesiology and Physical Education is the second-largest program, with 38 degrees awarded and median earnings of $58,347. Psychology follows at 31 degrees and $53,493. The next highest earners are Accounting at $78,683 from 13 degrees, and Business Administration and Management at $77,983 from 19 degrees. The pattern is concentrated: one large, high-earning program in health professions sets the tone, while the remaining programs are much smaller and their earnings are more varied. Across all fields, 7.3% of degrees are in STEM. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 238 degrees awarded** $109,374 **Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 38 degrees awarded** $58,347 **Psychology, General 31 degrees awarded** $53,493 **Business Administration, Management and Operations 19 degrees awarded** $77,983 **Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods 17 degrees awarded** $52,429 **Marketing 15 degrees awarded** $66,731 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/linfield-university/majors/) 05 / Linfield University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Linfield University?](/school/linfield-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/linfield-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Linfield University. Admissions peerNew Hope Christian College-Eugene80.0% admitted+ Comparison with Linfield University | Measure | Linfield University | New Hope Christian College-Eugene | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $81,180 | $35,230\-$45,950 vs Linfield University | | Average annual net price | $26,536 | $21,600\-$4,936 vs Linfield University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 85.2% | 80.0% | Higher-admission alternativeBellin College97.2% admitted+ Comparison with Linfield University | Measure | Linfield University | Bellin College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $81,180 | $77,238\-$3,942 vs Linfield University | | Average annual net price | $26,536 | $37,408+$10,872 vs Linfield University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 85.2% | 97.2% | Nearby alternativeUniversity of PortlandNearby option · OR+ Comparison with Linfield University | Measure | Linfield University | University of Portland | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $81,180 | $80,459\-$721 vs Linfield University | | Average annual net price | $26,536 | $28,210+$1,674 vs Linfield University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 85.2% | 89.2% | Higher-earnings alternativeMolloy University$96,058 earnings+ Comparison with Linfield University | Measure | Linfield University | Molloy University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $81,180 | $96,058+$14,878 vs Linfield University | | Average annual net price | $26,536 | $24,347\-$2,189 vs Linfield University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 85.2% | 81.7% | [Explore Molloy University →](/school/molloy-university/) Lower-cost alternativeOregon State University$19,604 average net price+ Comparison with Linfield University | Measure | Linfield University | Oregon State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $81,180 | $71,799\-$9,381 vs Linfield University | | Average annual net price | $26,536 | $19,604\-$6,932 vs Linfield University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 85.2% | 77.3% | [Explore Oregon State University →](/school/oregon-state-university/) Similar profileConcordia University-IrvineMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Linfield University | Measure | Linfield University | Concordia University-Irvine | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $81,180 | $83,064+$1,884 vs Linfield University | | Average annual net price | $26,536 | $28,115+$1,579 vs Linfield University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 85.2% | 66.0% | 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/linfield-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/)