Students from low-income backgrounds at the University of Dallas achieve earnings that rank in the top 20% nationally, demonstrating the university's ability to deliver strong economic outcomes despite its selective nature.
Graduates benefit from above-average earnings and excellent loan repayment performance that reflects the value of UD's personalized educational approach.
The University of Dallas is a small private Catholic university in Irving, Texas, that combines academic selectivity with strong long-term financial outcomes for graduates. With only about 1,400 undergraduates, UD offers an intimate educational experience centered on its distinctive Core Curriculum and close student-faculty relationships. The university serves a more selective student population, with about 26% of students receiving Pell Grants and roughly 16% being first-generation college students.
Graduates earn a median of $58,285 ten years after enrollment, placing the university in the 66th percentile nationally for earnings outcomes. This performance reflects UD's focus on preparing students for professional careers, particularly in business, education, and ministry. The university's small size allows for personalized attention and mentoring that helps students transition successfully into their chosen fields.
As a "Selective Achievers" institution, the University of Dallas demonstrates how a small private university can deliver strong economic outcomes while maintaining its distinctive Catholic intellectual tradition. The combination of academic rigor, personal attention, and career preparation makes UD an attractive option for families seeking a values-based education that also provides solid financial returns.
The University of Dallas offers a focused program portfolio that emphasizes both professional preparation and liberal arts formation. Business Administration stands out as the university's primary career-focused major, graduating about 67 students annually with early-career earnings around $48,432. This program benefits from UD's location in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, providing access to internships and job opportunities in one of the nation's major business centers.
The university also maintains a significant commitment to ministry and theological education through its Divinity/Ministry program, which graduates about 32 students annually. While these graduates earn lower early-career salaries around $28,598, they enter fields focused on service and spiritual leadership rather than financial maximization. This program reflects UD's Catholic identity and mission to prepare students for both secular and religious vocations.
What distinguishes UD's program approach is how the Core Curriculum integrates with professional preparation across all majors. Students in business, ministry, and other fields all engage with philosophy, theology, literature, and history as part of their undergraduate experience. This broad intellectual foundation, combined with small class sizes and close faculty relationships, helps explain why UD graduates often perform well in their chosen careers despite the university's modest size and specialized focus.
University of Dallas graduates achieve solid long-term earnings that reflect the value of a rigorous liberal arts education combined with professional preparation. Ten years after enrollment, graduates earn a median of $58,285, placing the university above average nationally for earnings outcomes. This performance demonstrates how a small private institution can effectively prepare students for career success across multiple fields.
The university's strongest financial outcomes come from its Business Administration program, which graduates about 67 students annually with median earnings of $48,432 early in their careers. This program represents UD's largest source of high-return graduates, combining solid enrollment with competitive pay in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. The university also graduates students in Divinity/Ministry, though these programs typically lead to lower early-career earnings around $28,598, reflecting the service-oriented nature of these career paths.
What makes UD's return story compelling is how the university's small size and personalized approach translate into career preparation advantages. The close faculty relationships and mentoring opportunities help students develop the professional networks and skills needed for long-term success. While early-career earnings vary by field, the university's emphasis on critical thinking, communication, and ethical reasoning provides a foundation for career advancement that often pays dividends over time.
The University of Dallas operates with a higher price structure typical of small private universities, but provides meaningful financial aid that makes attendance more accessible than the sticker price suggests. Low-income students pay about $14,372 annually after aid, while middle-income families see net costs around $18,311 per year. High-income families face the full weight of private tuition, with net prices reaching $34,646 annually, reflecting the university's limited ability to discount for families with substantial resources.
The university's financial aid strategy focuses on making attendance possible for students from modest backgrounds while expecting higher-income families to pay closer to full cost. This approach allows UD to maintain its small class sizes and personalized educational model while still serving some students from lower-income backgrounds. The aid structure reflects the reality that small private institutions have less flexibility than large public universities when it comes to deep discounting.
For families considering UD, the key affordability question is whether the premium for small classes, close faculty relationships, and the distinctive Core Curriculum justifies the higher costs compared to public alternatives. The university's solid earnings outcomes suggest that many graduates do see a return on this investment, though families need to carefully weigh the upfront costs against their financial capacity and educational priorities.
University Of Dallas Hub Overview
Executive summary with admissions, cost, outcomes, and program analysis
