Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks Marietta College #1088 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn at roughly the same level as similar students at comparable institutions, placing Marietta College in the 60.9 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Marietta College #580 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. --- Marietta College's composite ranking reflects strong outcomes across Azimuth's core pillars of return, affordability, access, and mobility. Graduates earn at roughly the same level as similar students at comparable institutions, positioning the institution among the strongest-performing private four-year institutions nationally.
Azimuth ranks Marietta College #1088 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. A private master's university in Marietta, Ohio, Marietta College enrolls roughly 952 undergraduates. Retention stands at 69.4% and the six-year graduation rate is 61.4%, reflecting solid completion outcomes for a residential liberal arts–focused institution. Where Marietta College performs strongest is return on investment. Azimuth ranks Marietta College #580 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn at roughly the same level as similar students at comparable institutions, placing Marietta College in the 60.9 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. The institution's program portfolio, anchored in Business, delivers outcomes that outperform what comparable institutions achieve for similar students. Access and affordability sit lower in the composite. Marietta College sits in the 22.9 percentile for access and the 29.3 percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. As a private institution with a sticker price above the public-university median, Marietta College's positioning reflects the trade-off between selective enrollment and the financial aid required to serve 33.6% Pell-eligible and 26.0% first-generation undergraduates. Mobility outcomes rank in the 13.3 percentile, indicating that while graduates achieve solid earnings, the institution's economic-mobility impact sits below the strongest performers in the peer set.
Marietta College's published cost of attendance is $53,709. Financial aid reshapes that figure across income levels: low-income families pay approximately $18,254, middle-income families pay around $18,547, and higher-income families pay approximately $25,570. Azimuth ranks Marietta College #1008 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown. Marietta College participates in federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans), state, and institutional aid programs. Need-based aid covers a meaningful share of cost for many students. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $27,000, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $39,556; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the Parent PLUS risk framework for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $64,527, median federal debt of $27,000 projects to a monthly payment of about $305 under standard ten-year repayment. In a downside earnings scenario anchored on lower-earning program clusters, four-year earnings of $49,719 would shift the real monthly burden substantially — a pattern worth exploring at the program level rather than the institutional average. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
Marietta College is a strong fit for students interested in Business and related fields who want a private college experience in OH. Its outcomes are especially compelling for Pell-eligible and first-generation students, who benefit from broad access and strong graduation rates backed by earnings that exceed those of similar students at comparable institutions. Graduates earn median earnings four years after enrollment of $64,527, placing Marietta College in the 64.3 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. They also earn at roughly the same level as similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 60.9 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. The aid structure is need-based. For admitted Pell-eligible and first-generation students — 33.6% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 26.0% are first-generation — that structure can meaningfully close the gap between the published cost and what families actually pay. Fit depends on two realistic filters: the 79.3% admit rate makes the application process competitive, and the program mix favors Business and related fields. Students whose interests align with those areas and who can navigate the application process will find the earnings trajectory and aid package among the strongest in the region.
This school profile was generated using Azimuth's proprietary ROI framework, developed by founder Daniel Rogers. Our methodology transforms federal education data into actionable insights for families.
College Azimuth is a private research initiative and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. Data sourced from College Scorecard.
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or professional advice. Consult a qualified advisor before making any financial decisions.
Comprehensive Analysis
Detailed metrics, charts, and full data breakdown
Financial GPS Tool
Personalized cost and earnings calculator
This is the Marietta College hub overview page. Related admissions, cost, outcomes, majors, and similar-school pages provide the detailed school data.
Petroleum Engineering
35 graduates
Marketing
23 graduates
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
6 graduates
Marietta College's program mix centers on business and applied professional fields, reflecting the institution's positioning as a career-focused liberal arts college. Petroleum Engineering is the largest program with 35 graduates, followed by Digital Marketing, Business Administration, Political Science, and Psychology, General.
Across 0 ranked programs, several deliver strong four-year earnings outcomes aligned with regional labor-market demand. Petroleum Engineering leads the earnings profile, with graduates earning median earnings of $99,295 four years after enrollment [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/).
The concentration in Business — representing 24% of graduates — combined with meaningful enrollment in Engineering (approximately 13%) and Social Sciences (approximately 9%), creates a portfolio where most graduates enter direct workforce pathways with stable early-career outcomes. This program mix is characteristic of regional private institutions where applied business and professional preparation drive both enrollment and earnings.
The earnings pattern reflects Marietta College's positioning in a mid-sized Ohio market with diversified employer demand. Most programs are high-mobility direct-to-workforce pathways where four-year earnings reflect immediate labor-market entry rather than graduate-school-dependent trajectories.
The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how the institution's dominant program families align with regional and national labor-market trends.
Peer institutions with comparable quality and outcomes:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Goldey-Beacom College Similar quality tier (#29427 ranked) | DE | 85% | $59,892 | #29427 | Compare |
Shorter University Similar quality tier (#29412 ranked) | GA | 96% | $44,604 | #29412 | Compare |
Rollins College Similar quality tier (#29429 ranked) | FL | 48% | $58,295 | #29429 | Compare |
Trine University Similar quality tier in Midwest (#29430 ranked) | IN | 85% | $57,165 | #29430 | Compare |
West Virginia Wesleyan College Similar quality tier (#29432 ranked) | WV | 93% | $51,593 | #29432 | Compare |
Based on federal data for students receiving aid. Actual costs may vary.
Marietta College's published cost of attendance is $53,709. Financial aid reshapes that figure across income levels: low-income families pay approximately $18,254, middle-income families pay around $18,547, and higher-income families pay approximately $25,570.
Azimuth ranks Marietta College #1008 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.
Marietta College participates in federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans), state, and institutional aid programs. Need-based aid covers a meaningful share of cost for many students.
Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $27,000, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $39,556; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $64,527, median federal debt of $27,000 projects to a monthly payment of about $305 under standard ten-year repayment.
In a downside earnings scenario anchored on lower-earning program clusters, four-year earnings of $49,719 would shift the real monthly burden substantially — a pattern worth exploring at the program level rather than the institutional average. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).
Graduates of Marietta College earn median 4-year earnings of $64,527, placing Marietta College in the 64.3 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn at roughly the same level as similar students at comparable institutions, placing Marietta College in the 60.9 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Azimuth ranks Marietta College #580 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Marietta College's concentration in business and professional fields.
Petroleum Engineering is the largest program with 35 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $99,295, representing 0.9× the national benchmark for the field. Digital Marketing and Business Administration follow as substantial programs, with Political Science and Psychology, General rounding out the institution's primary degree pathways.
This program mix—anchored in Business—supports consistent outcomes across the student body and aligns with regional employer demand in Ohio's professional services and management sectors.
