University Of Akron Main Campus

University of Akron Main Campus's published cost of attendance is $26,284. Net price by income band shows how financial aid reshapes that headline figure: low-income families pay approximately $10,413, mid-low-income families pay around $10,131, middle-income families pay about $13,519, mid-high-income families pay approximately $17,800, and higher-income families pay around $20,226.

Azimuth ranks University of Akron Main Campus #414 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.

University of Akron Main Campus structures aid through federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans), state, and institutional programs. The difference between sticker price and net price reflects the institution's commitment to need-based aid, though the spread across income bands is more modest than at institutions with larger endowments.

Families should review the institution's [financial aid page ↗](#) for current aid policies and application requirements. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $23,250, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $22,000; 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 $62,809, median federal debt of $23,250 projects to a monthly payment of about $263 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 the University of Akron Main Campus earn a median of $62,809 four years after enrollment, placing the institution in the 62.9th percentile for median earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $1,785 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Akron in the 65.7th percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Both figures represent meaningful lifetime returns relative to Ohio's no-degree baseline of $32,204 — the state median earnings of working adults ages 25–34 with only a high school credential.

The earnings pattern reflects Akron's concentration in Business fields, which account for 18% of graduates. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ranks #280 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions [by Azimuth's program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/), with graduates earning a median of $76,089 four years after enrollment. Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration, Management and Operations also deliver strong outcomes, with median earnings of $87,752 and $68,285 respectively.

University of Akron Main Campus's program mix is anchored in Business, with additional depth in engineering, health, and applied-technology fields — a portfolio shaped by the university's identity as a public research institution serving northeast Ohio's workforce needs. Nursing is the largest program with 191 graduates annually, followed by Mechanical Engineering, Business Administration, Biology, General, and Psychology, General.

The dominant concentration in Business (18% of graduates), Engineering (17%), and Education (7%) reflects a program signature oriented toward applied professional and technical careers rather than research-track or graduate-dependent pathways. The strongest financial outcomes at University of Akron Main Campus are concentrated in a handful of programs that combine solid cohort scale with competitive early-career pay.

Mechanical Engineering stands out as the program combining high enrollment with strong earnings, making it a key driver of the institution's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Mechanical Engineering #152 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 170 graduates earning $87,752.

Azimuth ranks Nursing #237 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 191 graduates earning $76,089. Azimuth ranks Accounting #183 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 68 graduates earning $73,101.

Several of University of Akron Main Campus's strongest programs are high-mobility, direct-to-workforce pathways — particularly in engineering, business, and nursing — where graduates enter regional and national labor markets and four-year earnings reflect actual hiring outcomes. Programs in fields like Business Administration and Biology, General serve more locally oriented labor markets, with graduates typically entering education, health services, or public-sector roles in the Akron and broader northeast Ohio region.

Across 66 programs serving roughly 2,460 students annually, the university graduates cohorts large enough to sustain meaningful employer relationships and regional hiring pipelines. The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how these program families align with national labor-market trends.