College Azimuth

Research brief & institution hub

University of New Hampshire-Main Campus

NHLarge public institution · Overall rank #518 nationally

Data snapshot Updated

Azimuth ranks University of New Hampshire-Main Campus #518 among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Who it’s a good fit for

University of New Hampshire-Main Campus is a public university in Durham, New Hampshire, where Business and Biological Sciences lead the degree mix. Mobility is well above average.

Graduates earn about what predicts for students like them, so the raw earnings figure shows who enrols rather than an advantage beyond that. The model attributes an addition to the factors it measures and a subtraction to the remainder it cannot explain.

Pell students complete at a rate below the overall cohort, and affordability is modestly below average. The spread between what the lowest and highest income bands pay is wide, and the published cost is well above what aid covers for the average recipient.

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 largest programs should know that the best-paid fields are smaller ones.

University of New Hampshire-Main Campus at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate[1]
88.2%
Six-year completion[2]
76.1%
Four-year earnings[3]
$71,253

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[6]
$19,446
Median student debt[4]
$26,814
Median Parent PLUS debt[7]
$36,545

University of New Hampshire-Main Campus rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]

University of New Hampshire-Main Campus is a public university in Durham, New Hampshire, enrolling 11,261 undergraduates. Its composite standing is in the middle of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (65th percentile).

The university admits 88.2% of applicants, above the 78.1% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. 87.3% of the first-time full-time cohort return for a second year, and 76.1% finish within six years.

Both rates sit above the peer medians of 83.1% and 65.0%. An estimated 14.0% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year rate describes the first-time, full-time cohort and not the full student body.

The four are spread out. Mobility is the strongest, and return sits close behind.

Access is lower, and affordability is the weakest of the four. The shape is a public university where students finish at rates above the peer median, while affordability remains the weakest pillar.

Mobility offers the best showing, landing in the 80th percentile, while affordability is the weakest pillar at the 25th percentile. Azimuth places both measures among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Azimuth puts return in the 75th percentile and access in the 45th percentile. Strong mobility and weaker affordability point in different directions for families weighing outcomes against cost.

18.1% of undergraduates at University of New Hampshire-Main Campus receive Pell Grants. The middle 50% of submitted SAT scores fell between 1,090 and 1,330, and the middle 50% of ACT scores between 26 and 30.

Azimuth ranks the university #806 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Pell recipients complete at a rate of 67.2%, which is 8.9 percentage points below the overall six-year graduation rate (76.1%).

Azimuth ranks the university #290 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $773 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level.

How value-added outcomes are assessed · How to interpret program rankings

University of New Hampshire-Main Campus rankings in context
GeographyRank
National#518

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility
National percentile: 80
Access & reach
National percentile: 45
Affordability
National percentile: 25
Return on investment
National percentile: 75

01 / University of New Hampshire-Main Campus briefing

University of New Hampshire-Main Campus cost & financial aid[6][7]

University of New Hampshire-Main Campus starts from a published annual cost of attendance of $35,537, a relatively costly position beside comparable institutions. In-state tuition and fees are $19,202, while out-of-state tuition and fees are $39,852; room and board account for $14,142.

For aid recipients, the average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $23,805. Financial aid reduces the published total by $11,732 on average.

The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $15,634, placing the university $8,171 above that benchmark. Azimuth ranks University of New Hampshire-Main Campus #1,055 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The aid-adjusted average and peer comparison both point to a less favorable cost picture than at comparable institutions.

The published cost of attendance at University of New Hampshire-Main Campus is $35,537, and costs vary markedly by family income after aid. Average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $16,523 for the lowest family-income band, $17,476 for the lower-middle band, $19,446 for the middle band, $22,815 for the upper-middle band, and $28,588 for the highest band.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,065. Azimuth ranks the university #1,055 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

For the average aid recipient, aid offsets $11,732 and covers about 33% of the published cost. Across all aid recipients, the is $23,805, which is $8,171 above the peer median of $15,634 at comparable institutions (same type and size).

Published in-state tuition and fees are $19,202, compared with out-of-state tuition and fees of $39,852; room and board is $14,142. The aid offset helps reduce listed charges, but the average price remains above that of comparable institutions.

Federal borrowing is widespread: 96.3% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt at completion is $26,814, $6,738 above the peer median of $20,076 at comparable institutions (same type and size).

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $305 a month if repaid over ten years. Median Parent PLUS borrowing is $36,545.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$19,446

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at University of New Hampshire-Main Campus

Federal borrowing is widespread at University of New Hampshire-Main Campus, where 96.3% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $26,814.

The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $20,076; the university's median is above it by $6,738. For Parent PLUS borrowers, a separate parent-borrower population, the median debt is $36,545.

At University of New Hampshire-Main Campus, earnings and borrowing present a mixed investment picture. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn median earnings of $71,253 four years after completion.

Azimuth places that figure in the 78th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $773 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level.

Azimuth places earnings beyond expectations in the 58th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings scenarios range from $52,266 in a downside scenario to $90,603 in an upside scenario, with $71,253 as the typical scenario.

Median federal student debt at completion is $26,814, above the $20,076 peer median by $6,738. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $305 a month if repaid over ten years. Earnings sit near the model expectation, while debt exceeds the peer median.

Among the separate parent-borrower population, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $36,545. For student borrowers, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $305 a month if repaid over ten years.

How Financial GPS measures payment burden · The four risk-and-reward zones

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt
$26,814
Institution Parent PLUS debt
$36,545

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

Estimated student payment · monthly
$305/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$464/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
Read the full cost & aid brief

02 / University of New Hampshire-Main Campus briefing

University of New Hampshire-Main Campus career outcomes & earnings[3][8][9]

For earnings, University of New Hampshire-Main Campus sits above comparable peers, even as modeled earnings are effectively at the expected level. Azimuth places its return pillar in the 75th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Graduates earn about $773 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. Earnings beyond expectations compares graduate earnings with the model’s estimate for similar students.

On that measure, the university is in the 58th percentile nationally. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $8,117.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $7,344. Median earnings are $71,253 four years after completion, in the 78th percentile nationally.

That is $5,643 above the peer median of $65,610, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Among federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, University of New Hampshire-Main Campus has median earnings of $71,253 four years after completion. Azimuth places that earnings measure in the 78th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The figure draws on an earnings cohort of 5,408 completers. Earnings scenarios based on the program mix range from $52,266 in the downside case to $90,603 in the upside case; the typical scenario coincides with the observed median.

Graduates earn about $773 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. An estimated 30.8% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix.

The observed midpoint sits near the model expectation, while the scenarios show how outcomes can vary by program mix.

For federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, $71,253 is the median earnings figure four years after completion, placing University of New Hampshire-Main Campus in the 78th percentile. It is $5,643 above the peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), of $65,610.

Graduates earn about $773 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. That earnings-beyond-expectations measure, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, sits in the 58th percentile.

Azimuth places the return pillar in the 75th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix range from a downside of $52,266 to an upside of $90,603.

The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $8,117. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $7,344.

Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,906. The peer comparison is above its benchmark, while the modeled expectation result is effectively level.

Business Administration and Management is the largest listed program, with 695 degrees awarded in one academic year and median earnings of $86,535 four years after completion. Its earnings stand at 1.27x the national median for its field.

Among the higher-earning programs, Computer and Information Sciences awarded 85 degrees and has median earnings of $105,078 four years after completion, at 1.14x the national median for its field.

Program choice coincides with a wide modeled earnings range at University of New Hampshire-Main Campus. The downside earnings scenario is $52,266 and the upside scenario is $90,603, with a typical scenario of $71,253.

These scenarios are modeled from the program mix rather than observed groups. At the upper end, Computer and Information Sciences completers earn a median of $105,078 four years after completion.

Electrical Engineering completers earn $104,067, and Chemical Engineering completers earn $93,711. Those field-level outcomes show the variation behind the modeled range.

Borrowing is the main cost consideration. Borrowers who complete at University of New Hampshire-Main Campus have median federal student loan debt of $26,814.

That is above the $20,076 median at comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $305 a month if repaid over ten years.

Graduates earn about $773 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. Average net price, what first-time full-time aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $23,805, above the $15,634 median at comparable institutions (same type and size).

Parent PLUS borrowers, a separate parent-borrower population, have median borrowing of $36,545. Earnings sit close to the model expectation, but both borrower debt and average net price run above comparable institutions.

What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$8,117
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
-$7,344
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
+$773

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

Read the full outcomes brief

03 / University of New Hampshire-Main Campus briefing

University of New Hampshire-Main Campus acceptance rate & admissions[1][10][11]

University of New Hampshire-Main Campus admitted 88.2% of applicants to its reported entering class, meaning admission was offered to a large share of that year’s applicant pool. That rate stands above the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size).

The rate is a school-level outcome, not a prediction for an individual application.

SAT: approximate enrolled-student range
Admission rate
88.2%
Approximate lower endpoint
1090
Reported average
1218
Approximate upper endpoint
1330

Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. The endpoints add section percentiles; they are not verified composite-score percentiles. A separate SAT-equivalent average is not plotted as a median. Source: College Scorecard; sum of section 25th/75th percentiles; enrolled score-submitters.

Read the full admissions brief

04 / University of New Hampshire-Main Campus briefing

What are the largest majors at University of New Hampshire-Main Campus?[12]

Field choice matters at University of New Hampshire-Main Campus because earnings differ substantially between higher- and moderate-earning fields. Computer and Information Sciences sits at the higher-earning end, with median earnings of $105,078 four years after completion and 85 degrees awarded.

Electrical Engineering also has median earnings of $104,067 and 20 degrees awarded. Among the larger moderate-earning fields, Business Administration and Management has median earnings of $86,535 four years after completion, alongside 695 degrees awarded.

Psychology records $56,153 in median earnings and 175 degrees awarded. The contrast between these fields means the schoolwide earnings figure is a broad summary rather than a single program outcome.

The published earnings data cover 49 bachelor's programs, and outcomes vary considerably across the largest fields. Their median earnings are measured four years after completion.

Biology awarded 174 degrees and shows $77,076, while Mechanical Engineering awarded 97 degrees and shows $93,622. The largest fields therefore range from psychology's lower median to engineering's higher one.

University of New Hampshire-Main Campus awards bachelor's degrees across 49 programs with published four-year earnings data. The program mix is anchored by Business, which accounts for 23.3% of degrees awarded.

Biological Sciences follows at 9.5%, with Social Sciences at 9.0%. The largest single program is Business Administration and Management, at 695 degrees awarded a year.

Psychology is next at 175, and Biology awards 174 degrees. The highest-earning programs are concentrated in engineering and computing.

Computer and Information Sciences graduates report the top median, at $105,078 four years after completion, from 85 degrees awarded. Electrical Engineering follows at $104,067, though it is a much smaller program at 20 degrees a year.

Mechanical Engineering, the fifth-largest program at 97 degrees awarded, also appears among the top earners at $93,622. Business Administration and Management, the largest program, earns $86,535, which is 1.27x the national median for its field.

The pattern is one where the largest programs are not the best-paid ones. The strongest earnings sit in engineering and computing programs that award fewer degrees than the business and social science majors that dominate the degree mix.

21.5% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields, and four-year earnings for fields that commonly precede graduate study may understate later trajectories.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Business Administration, Management and Operations 695 degrees awarded
$86,535
Psychology, General 175 degrees awarded
$56,153
Biology, General 174 degrees awarded
$77,076
Communication and Media Studies 148 degrees awarded
$69,098
Mechanical Engineering 97 degrees awarded
$93,622
Criminology 93 degrees awarded
$59,549

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

05 / University of New Hampshire-Main Campus briefing

How does University of New Hampshire-Main Campus serve students from different backgrounds?

Mobility is the strongest Azimuth pillar at University of New Hampshire-Main Campus, with an 80th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The six-year graduation rate for the first-time full-time cohort is 76.1%, while Pell recipients complete at 67.2%, below the overall rate by 8.9 percentage points.

Graduates earn about $773 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. The earnings-beyond-expectations measure, the gap between graduate earnings and what the model expects for similar students, sits in the 58th percentile.

Completion is comparatively strong, while earnings are effectively at the expected level.

Admission is broad at University of New Hampshire-Main Campus, where 88.2% of applicants are admitted. The public university enrolls 11,261 undergraduates, and 18.1% receive Pell Grants, a financial-access measure.

Azimuth places the access pillar in the 45th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. An estimated 14.0% of undergraduates transfer in.

The admission rate, Pell share, and transfer estimate describe access from several entry points.

06 / University of New Hampshire-Main Campus briefing

What colleges are similar to University of New Hampshire-Main Campus?[15]

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.

A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with University of New Hampshire-Main Campus.

Admissions peerSuffolk University82.3% admitted
Comparison with University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
MeasureUniversity of New Hampshire-Main CampusSuffolk University
Peer earnings · 4 years$71,253$74,456+$3,203 vs University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
Average annual net price$23,805$29,618+$5,813 vs University of New Hampshire-Main Campus · higher cost
Admission rate88.2%82.3%
Explore Suffolk University →
Higher-admission alternativeAmerican International College99.6% admitted
Comparison with University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
MeasureUniversity of New Hampshire-Main CampusAmerican International College
Peer earnings · 4 years$71,253$71,565+$312 vs University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
Average annual net price$23,805$23,274-$531 vs University of New Hampshire-Main Campus · lower cost
Admission rate88.2%99.6%
Nearby alternativeSaint Anselm CollegeNearby option · NH
Comparison with University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
MeasureUniversity of New Hampshire-Main CampusSaint Anselm College
Peer earnings · 4 years$71,253$76,334+$5,081 vs University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
Average annual net price$23,805$34,779+$10,974 vs University of New Hampshire-Main Campus · higher cost
Admission rate88.2%78.1%
Higher-earnings alternativeMassachusetts Maritime Academy$103,680 earnings
Comparison with University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
MeasureUniversity of New Hampshire-Main CampusMassachusetts Maritime Academy
Peer earnings · 4 years$71,253$103,680+$32,427 vs University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
Average annual net price$23,805$21,582-$2,223 vs University of New Hampshire-Main Campus · lower cost
Admission rate88.2%94.7%
Explore Massachusetts Maritime Academy →
Lower-cost alternativeSalem State University$15,996 average net price
Comparison with University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
MeasureUniversity of New Hampshire-Main CampusSalem State University
Peer earnings · 4 years$71,253$62,605-$8,648 vs University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
Average annual net price$23,805$15,996-$7,809 vs University of New Hampshire-Main Campus · lower cost
Admission rate88.2%95.9%
Explore Salem State University →
Similar profileUniversity of Massachusetts-BostonMatched across several measures
Comparison with University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
MeasureUniversity of New Hampshire-Main CampusUniversity of Massachusetts-Boston
Peer earnings · 4 years$71,253$69,532-$1,721 vs University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
Average annual net price$23,805$17,707-$6,098 vs University of New Hampshire-Main Campus · lower cost
Admission rate88.2%83.8%
Explore University of Massachusetts-Boston →

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

Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated Governed hub narrative Governed spoke corpus

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, founder of College Azimuth.

Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations · About College Azimuth

Read the analysis behind value-added earnings and the change to four-year graduate earnings. 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; 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

  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 is 150% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, for the year the API serves. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. The parent table is the 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS as a share of household income above 200% of the guideline for a household of three: under 6% Safe, 6–10% Caution, over 10% High pressure. 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

  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

  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

  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

  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

How to interpret program rankings