Delaware Colleges: Tuition, Debt & Earnings (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Colleges in Delaware: median public in-state tuition $5,445 (-1.2% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $56,868 (+4.7% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 84.1% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $10,500 (-21.8% vs U.S.) 44,606 students enrolled statewide.
Key Facts
- Total college enrollment: 44,606 students
- Median public in-state tuition: $5,445 (-1.2% vs U.S.)
- Median earnings 10 years after entry: $56,868 (+4.7% vs U.S.)
- Working & not enrolled (8-yr cohort proxy): 84.1% (-3.8 pp vs U.S.)
- Median net price: $13,910 (+39.6% vs U.S.)
- Median student debt at graduation: $10,500 (-21.8% vs U.S. $13,432); regional median $13,000. Debt rank: #7 nationally of 48 (lower debt = better rank); #1 in Mid East of 5
- Average completion rate (institutions in state): 43.9%
- Median first-year retention (full-time, 4-yr): 70.9%
- Earnings rank: #17 nationally (higher median 10-yr earnings = better rank)
- Employment-outcome rank: #37 nationally (higher working share = better rank)
- Tuition rank: #26 of 48 states (lower sticker = better rank)
- Student debt rank: #7 nationally of 48; #1 in Mid East of 5 (lower debt = better rank)
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Overview
Higher education in Delaware includes public research universities, private colleges, and community colleges serving transfer students and workforce training. About 44,606 students enrolled statewide in federal data, with median public in-state tuition near $5,445. Major campuses include University of Delaware and Wilmington University. The tables below compare costs, completion, earnings, debt, and employment outcomes for 5 reporting campuses against U.S. and Mid East medians.
Delaware vs regional & national benchmarks
Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.
| Geography | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware (DE) | $5,445 | $13,910 | $10,500 | 43.9% | 44,606 |
| Mid East (region median) | $7,382 | $12,412 | $13,000 | 57.8% | 1,930,190 |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,967 | $13,432 | 50.3% | 14,484,370 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Delaware vs benchmarks
Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.
| Geography | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working & not enrolled (8 yr) | Retention (FT yr 1) | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment progress | Debt ÷ earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware (DE) | $56,868 | 84.1% | 70.9% | 6.3% | — | 60.2% | 0.35 |
| Mid East (region median) | $61,295 | 76.9% | 79.4% | 4.5% | — | 77.9% | 0.39 |
| United States | $54,323 | 87.9% | 76.3% | 5.0% | — | 73.7% | 0.41 |
Delaware vs peer states (Mid East region)
Peer states are other campuses in the same Scorecard region, chosen by similar total enrollment.
| State | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware (DE) | $5,445 | $13,910 | $10,500 | 43.9% | 44,606 | $56,868 | 84.1% |
| Maryland (MD) | $5,166 | $10,555 | $13,000 | 55.8% | 253,216 | $61,797 | 86.0% |
| New Jersey (NJ) | $6,300 | $11,024 | $11,998 | 51.4% | 316,789 | $59,988 | 84.0% |
| Pennsylvania (PA) | $11,486 | $17,754 | $17,500 | 57.9% | 469,126 | $62,101 | 87.2% |
| New York (NY) | $7,340 | $9,373 | $15,215 | 56.3% | 800,389 | $60,386 | 42.9% |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,967 | $13,432 | 50.3% | 14,484,370 | $54,323 | 87.9% |
Educational attainment context (Delaware)
U.S. Census ACS 2024 — adults age 25+.
- Bachelor's degree or higher: 35.8% of adults 25+
- Some college, no degree (ACS): 18.73%
Program completions produced in Delaware (IPEDS 2024)
Award completions by CIP family — supply-side context for nursing, cosmetology, and other pathways. Not placement rates.
| Program area | Completions | Institutions |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing (CIP 51.38) | 938 | 5 |
| Cosmetology (CIP 12.04) | 386 | 7 |
| Computer Science (CIP 11.01) | 346 | 5 |
| Business (CIP 52.01) | 73 | 2 |
State workforce wages (BLS OEWS May 2024)
Context for graduate earnings — not a unemployment rate for recent grads (CEW state series not in repo).
- All occupations median annual wage: $51,030
- Education occupations (SOC 25-xxxx) median: $66,020
Program-level earnings in Delaware (Scorecard)
- Median 1-yr post-completion program earnings (across reporting campuses): $82,668
- Median 4-yr post-completion: $93,706
- Campuses with program earnings data: 6
Public 4-year in-state tuition trend: Delaware
Median published in-state tuition, public 4-year institutions. Source: College Scorecard multi-year pull.
Top 4 colleges in Delaware by graduation rate (150% time)
Ranked by 150% time completion rate (4-year bachelor's-predominant institutions, enrollment ≥ 500). Higher rate = more students finishing within 150% of normal time.
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Rank 1, Graduation Rate, 80.5%, University of Delaware
University of Delaware
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Rank 2, Graduation Rate, 57.4%, Goldey-Beacom College
Goldey-Beacom College
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Rank 3, Graduation Rate, 39.1%, Delaware State University
Delaware State University
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Rank 4, Graduation Rate, 19.8%, Wilmington University
Wilmington University
Top 4 colleges in Delaware by employment outcome (8 yrs after entry, working & not enrolled)
Ranked by share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled — a federal outcome proxy, not a verified job-placement rate. Enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Employment Outcome, 87.1%, Wilmington University
Wilmington University
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Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 86.9%, Goldey-Beacom College
Goldey-Beacom College
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Rank 3, Employment Outcome, 81.3%, University of Delaware
University of Delaware
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Rank 4, Employment Outcome, 78.8%, Delaware State University
Delaware State University
Top 3 most selective colleges in Delaware (lowest admission rate)
Ranked by lowest admission rate (most selective first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500 and a reported admission rate.
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Rank 1, Admission Rate, 46.6%, Delaware State University
Delaware State University
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Rank 2, Admission Rate, 70.6%, University of Delaware
University of Delaware
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Rank 3, Admission Rate, 84.5%, Goldey-Beacom College
Goldey-Beacom College
Top 4 colleges in Delaware by entry-level earnings (1 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings one year after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; reflects completers in reported CIP programs, not all entrants.
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Rank 1, Entry-Level Earnings, $86,703, Wilmington University
Wilmington University
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Rank 2, Entry-Level Earnings, $84,049, Delaware State University
Delaware State University
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Rank 3, Entry-Level Earnings, $81,286, University of Delaware
University of Delaware
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Rank 4, Entry-Level Earnings, $57,534, Goldey-Beacom College
Goldey-Beacom College
Top 4 colleges in Delaware by early-career earnings (4 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings four years after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; program cohort, not institution-wide median.
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Rank 1, Early-Career Earnings, $111,520, University of Delaware
University of Delaware
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Rank 2, Early-Career Earnings, $98,411, Delaware State University
Delaware State University
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Rank 3, Early-Career Earnings, $97,666, Wilmington University
Wilmington University
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Rank 4, Early-Career Earnings, $70,765, Goldey-Beacom College
Goldey-Beacom College
Top 4 colleges in Delaware by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings six years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $58,846, University of Delaware
University of Delaware
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $49,635, Wilmington University
Wilmington University
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Rank 3, Mid-Career Earnings, $45,097, Goldey-Beacom College
Goldey-Beacom College
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Rank 4, Mid-Career Earnings, $37,503, Delaware State University
Delaware State University
Top 4 colleges in Delaware by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings eight years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $69,215, University of Delaware
University of Delaware
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Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $53,189, Wilmington University
Wilmington University
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Rank 3, 8-Yr Earnings, $46,889, Goldey-Beacom College
Goldey-Beacom College
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Rank 4, 8-Yr Earnings, $43,083, Delaware State University
Delaware State University
Top 4 colleges in Delaware by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings ten years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $72,950, University of Delaware
University of Delaware
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Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $59,892, Goldey-Beacom College
Goldey-Beacom College
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Rank 3, 10-Yr Earnings, $53,844, Wilmington University
Wilmington University
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Rank 4, 10-Yr Earnings, $49,307, Delaware State University
Delaware State University
Top 4 colleges in Delaware by 10-year ROI
Ranked by 10-year return on investment (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200 and a computed ROI in the EDsmart dataset.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $251,469, University of Delaware
University of Delaware
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $184,822, Wilmington University
Wilmington University
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Rank 3, 10-Yr ROI, $166,476, Goldey-Beacom College
Goldey-Beacom College
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Rank 4, 10-Yr ROI, $137,656, Delaware State University
Delaware State University
Top 4 most affordable colleges in Delaware (net price)
Ranked by lowest average net price (most affordable first). Uses overall net price, or mid-income bracket net price for public schools when available. Enrollment ≥ 300.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $17,799, University of Delaware
University of Delaware
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Rank 2, Net Price, $15,554, Goldey-Beacom College
Goldey-Beacom College
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Rank 3, Net Price, $15,644, Wilmington University
Wilmington University
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Rank 4, Net Price, $13,910, Delaware State University
Delaware State University
Top 4 colleges in Delaware by first-year retention (full-time)
Ranked by first-year, full-time retention rate (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, First-Year Retention, 92.0%, University of Delaware
University of Delaware
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Rank 2, First-Year Retention, 71.8%, Goldey-Beacom College
Goldey-Beacom College
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Rank 3, First-Year Retention, 70.0%, Delaware State University
Delaware State University
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Rank 4, First-Year Retention, 61.2%, Wilmington University
Wilmington University
In-state tuition: Delaware vs benchmarks
Sticker price
Delaware median in-state tuition is $5,445, -1.2% vs the U.S. median.
Student debt: Delaware vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Delaware is $10,500 (-21.8% vs U.S. median $13,432). Regional median: $13,000. Rank: #7 nationally of 48 (lower debt = better rank); #1 in Mid East of 5.
Median earnings (10 years out): Delaware vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Delaware center around $56,868 (+4.7% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Delaware vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 84.1% at the median Delaware campus (-3.8 pp vs U.S.).
Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).
Analysis & insights
EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.
Costs & borrowing
Delaware median public in-state tuition is $5,445, about -1.2% vs the national median. Versus the Mid East region, tuition is -26.2%.
Median graduate debt is $10,500 (-21.8% below the U.S. median of $13,432, and -19.2% vs the Mid East regional median of $13,000). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Student debt rank: #7 nationally of 48 (lower debt = better rank); #1 in Mid East of 5 (1 = lowest median debt).
On published in-state tuition, Delaware ranks #26 nationally (1 = lowest median sticker among states with data).
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Delaware are $56,868, about +4.7% vs the U.S. campus median ($54,323).
The median campus reports 84.1% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 87.9% (-3.8 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.
First-year, full-time retention at the median campus is 70.9% vs a U.S. median of 76.3%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 6.3% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 60.2% (U.S. 73.7%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Nationally, Delaware ranks earnings #17 and employment proxy #37 on these outcome medians (1 = best).
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include Wilmington University (87.1%), Goldey-Beacom College (86.9%), University of Delaware (81.3%), Delaware State University (78.8%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Delaware is 43.9% (national institution average about 50.3%).
National Student Clearinghouse data cite roughly 74,167 residents with some college but no credential in Delaware (YoY change 5.90%). That stock of incomplete credentials sits alongside the completion and employment metrics above.
City profiles in this state
Metro and city aggregates for places with at least three reporting campuses in the College Scorecard.
| City | Campuses |
|---|---|
| Newark | 5 |
| Wilmington | 4 |
FAQ
How much does college cost in Delaware?
Median in-state tuition among reporting campuses in Delaware is $5,445 and median net price is $13,910. U.S. medians are $5,512 (tuition) and $9,967 (net price). Delaware tuition is about -1.2% vs the national median; net price is +39.6%.
What is typical student debt for graduates in Delaware?
Median federal loan debt among completers in Delaware is $10,500 vs a U.S. median of $13,432 (Delaware ranks #7 nationally for median debt among states.)
What do graduates earn in Delaware?
Median earnings 10 years after entry for Delaware campuses reporting to the College Scorecard is $56,868 vs $54,323 nationally. Six-year medians are $47,366.
What share of Delaware graduates are working after college?
The federal employment-outcome proxy used on this site (8-year cohort working and not enrolled) has a median of 84.1% in Delaware vs 87.9% nationally.
How many colleges are in Delaware?
This profile aggregates 5 campuses with cost or outcomes data in Delaware and roughly 44,606 total reported enrollment.
What are the top colleges in Delaware?
Rankings on this page are drawn from College Scorecard medians; standouts include highest 150%-time graduation rate: University of Delaware; highest 10-year earnings: University of Delaware; lowest net price among large campuses: University of Delaware. See the ranked lists below for full details.
Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in Delaware?
Among 18 campuses in Delaware, 1 historically Black college or university (HBCU, IPEDS HBCU flag), including Delaware State University.
How does Delaware compare to its Census region?
Delaware is in the Mid East region. Regional median in-state tuition is $7,382 and median debt is $13,000 vs $5,445 tuition and $10,500 debt in Delaware.
Sources & related
- U.S. national benchmarks
- All college profiles
- Delaware trade school profile
- States & cities with the most colleges
- Compare University of Delaware vs Delaware State University vs Wilmington University
- Delaware college costs drilldown
- Top colleges in Delaware by ROI
- Student loan debt by state
- College enrollment statistics
- Supplemental: Census ACS attainment, IPEDS completions, BLS OEWS, NSC SCNC, tuition trends
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
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