Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks Rowan University #217 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Rowan University #93 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Rowan University #233 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Rowan University's composite ranking is anchored by mobility and access working together — moving a broad-access student population through degree completion at scale. The university serves a substantial share of Pell-eligible and first-generation students at New Jersey public-tuition pricing, with mobility and access forming the institution's strongest pillars in the Azimuth coverage set.
Azimuth ranks Rowan University #217 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. A public university in Glassboro, NJ, Rowan University enrolls roughly 15,841 undergraduates. Retention stands at 82.3% and the six-year graduation rate is 67.4%, figures that reflect a mid-sized regional university still building its completion infrastructure. What anchors Rowan University in the composite is mobility. The university sits in the 93.7 percentile for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions, driven by strong outcomes for the large share of students who arrive from lower-income backgrounds — 33.1% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 35.1% are first-generation college students. Access reinforces that story: the 77.7% admission rate reflects a broad-access posture, and Rowan University sits in the 84.3 percentile for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Affordability adds further support, with the university in the 51.2 percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Return on investment is the lower-ranked pillar in the composite — Rowan University sits in the 36.9 percentile for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median earnings four years after enrollment of $62,686, below the $65,228 median at comparable institutions. Graduates earn about $6,276 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Rowan University in the 31.7 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings figures reflect NJ's regional labor market and a student population whose post-graduation outcomes represent meaningful returns relative to the no-degree-equivalent baseline of $34,809, even where they fall below selective-peer averages.
Rowan University's published cost of attendance is $35,842, but need-based aid reshapes that figure meaningfully across income levels. Low-income families pay approximately $15,305 per year in net price, middle-income families see annual costs around $19,245, and higher-income families pay correspondingly more at approximately $30,378. Azimuth ranks Rowan University #696 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. Rowan University participates in federal, state, and institutional aid programs, and New Jersey's robust state grant landscape — including the NJ Student Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarship — can meaningfully reduce net price for qualifying residents. The gap between Rowan University's published cost and what families actually pay reflects a combination of need-based institutional grants and state aid layered on top of federal Pell eligibility. Families weighing the net price illusion should compare net price figures rather than sticker price when evaluating affordability across institutions. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $20,500, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $27,445; 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 $62,686, median federal debt of $20,500 projects to a monthly payment of about $232 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
Rowan University is a strong fit for students in NJ and the surrounding region who want a public university grounded in applied, career-oriented fields — particularly those drawn to Business, engineering, and health-related programs — and who want reliable post-graduation earnings without taking on outsized financial risk. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $62,686, placing Rowan University in the 62.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, and earn about $6,276 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Rowan University in the 31.7 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Rowan University enrolls a meaningful share of Pell-eligible and first-generation students — 33.1% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 35.1% are first-generation — and Rowan University sits in the 85.7 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions on a historical 10-year Scorecard measure, signaling that access and outcomes are reasonably well aligned for students from lower-income backgrounds. Fit depends on two realistic filters: the program mix leans toward applied professional fields, so students whose interests align with Business, engineering, and health will find the strongest outcomes, and students who need to borrow should weigh median debt of $20,500 against the earnings trajectory before committing.
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 Rowan University hub overview page. Related admissions, cost, outcomes, majors, and similar-school pages provide the detailed school data.
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
58 graduates
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
83 graduates
Chemical Engineering
36 graduates
Mechanical Engineering
97 graduates
Computer and Information Sciences, General
150 graduates
Rowan University's program mix is anchored in Business, which accounts for 16% of degree output, followed by Engineering at 8% and Education at 8%. That applied-professional concentration shapes the institution's earnings profile: the largest programs by cohort size tend to sit in fields with direct workforce entry points rather than grad-school-dependent pathways.
Psychology, General is the largest program with 432 graduates, followed by Business Administration (310 graduates), Biology, General (307 graduates), Criminal Justice (259 graduates), and Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (190 graduates). Business Administration combines strong enrollment scale with solid earnings, making it a key driver of Rowan University's overall financial outcomes.
On the earnings side, Artificial Intelligence leads with median earnings of $86,475 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #107 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Accounting follows at $76,524 with a cohort of 125 graduates, and Azimuth ranks it #148 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The Finance program graduates 153 students and earns $75,697, while Azimuth ranks the program #140 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Several of Rowan University's strongest programs are high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the workforce directly — particularly in business, engineering, and health fields where four-year earnings reflect actual labor-market outcomes.
Programs in biology and psychology are more likely grad-school-dependent, where four-year earnings undercount the lifetime trajectory of graduates who continue to medical or graduate study. Across 57 programs serving roughly 4,223 students annually, 41 meet Azimuth's [ranking threshold](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/), and the concentration in applied-professional fields helps explain why the institution's earnings outcomes skew toward direct workforce entry.
The [supply-demand map](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides additional context for how these program families align with national labor-market demand.
Peer institutions with comparable quality and outcomes:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University Of Nevada-Reno Similar quality tier (#7012 ranked) | NV | 74% | $60,614 | #7012 | Compare |
The University Of Alabama Similar quality tier (#7528 ranked) | AL | 77% | $59,221 | #7528 | Compare |
University Of Arkansas Similar quality tier (#7011 ranked) | AR | 74% | $58,191 | #7011 | Compare |
Colorado School Of Mines Similar quality tier (#7529 ranked) | CO | 61% | $97,335 | #7529 | Compare |
University Of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Similar quality tier (#5471 ranked) | WI | 91% | $54,990 | #5471 | Compare |
Based on federal data for students receiving aid. Actual costs may vary.
Rowan University's published cost of attendance is $35,842, but need-based aid reshapes that figure meaningfully across income levels. Low-income families pay approximately $15,305 per year in net price, middle-income families see annual costs around $19,245, and higher-income families pay correspondingly more at approximately $30,378.
Azimuth ranks Rowan University #696 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.
Rowan University participates in federal, state, and institutional aid programs, and New Jersey's robust state grant landscape — including the NJ Student Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarship — can meaningfully reduce net price for qualifying residents. The gap between Rowan University's published cost and what families actually pay reflects a combination of need-based institutional grants and state aid layered on top of federal Pell eligibility.
Families weighing the [net price illusion](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) should compare net price figures rather than sticker price when evaluating affordability across institutions. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $20,500, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $27,445; 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 $62,686, median federal debt of $20,500 projects to a monthly payment of about $232 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).
Graduates of Rowan University earn median earnings of $62,686 four years after enrollment, placing Rowan University in the 62.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).
Graduates earn about $6,276 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 31.7 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent lifetime returns relative to NJ's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $34,809 — the state median earnings of working adults with only a high school credential.
The degree mix at Rowan University is anchored by Business, which accounts for 16% of graduates, followed by Engineering at 8% and Education at 8%. Business Administration combines strong enrollment with solid earnings, making it a key contributor to the institution's overall return profile.
Azimuth ranks Psychology, General #145 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/), with 432 graduates earning median earnings of $51,878. The Business Administration program graduates 310 students with median earnings of $73,631, and Azimuth ranks Biology, General #60 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 307 graduates earning median earnings of $64,921.
