Rural Colleges: Costs & Outcomes (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Colleges in Rural: median public in-state tuition $14,160 (+156.9% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $58,295 (+7.2% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 86.4% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $12,000 (-9.6% vs U.S.) 3,610,516 students enrolled statewide.
Key Facts
- Institutions in this profile: 1,649 campuses
- Total college enrollment: 3,610,516 students
- Median public in-state tuition: $14,160 (+156.9% vs U.S.)
- Median earnings 10 years after entry: $58,295 (+7.2% vs U.S.)
- Working & not enrolled (8-yr cohort proxy): 86.4% (-1.6 pp vs U.S.)
- Median net price: $18,700 (+87.6% vs U.S.)
- Median student debt at graduation: $12,000 (-9.6% vs U.S. $13,271). Debt rank: #1 nationally of 50 (lower debt = better rank)
- Average completion rate (institutions in state): 54.0%
- Median first-year retention (full-time, 4-yr): 78.0%
- Student debt rank: #1 nationally of 50 (lower debt = better rank)
Download the data
Full profile payload including top-college lists and peer comparisons.
Overview
Colleges classified as Rural sit in NCES Rural — fringe, distant, and remote rural locales. 1,649 reporting campuses in this profile, with about 3,610,516 students enrolled in federal data, and median in-state tuition near $14,160. Tables below compare costs, completion, earnings, and top rural campuses against U.S. medians and other campus settings from the College Scorecard.
Rural vs 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural | $14,160 | $18,700 | $12,000 | 54.0% | 3,610,516 |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,969 | $13,271 | 50.3% | 14,468,221 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Rural 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural | $58,295 | 86.4% | 78.0% | 4.4% | — | 75.2% | 0.40 |
| United States | $54,384 | 88.0% | 76.4% | 5.0% | — | 73.7% | 0.41 |
Campus settings compared
Other NCES campus-setting groups (urban, suburban, town, rural).
| Setting | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural | $14,160 | $18,700 | $12,000 | 54.0% | 3,610,516 | $58,295 | 86.4% |
| Urban | $15,200 | $20,053 | $14,000 | 54.7% | 4,168,431 | $57,648 | 86.6% |
| Town | $9,600 | $14,971 | $15,000 | 52.2% | 3,644,971 | $52,248 | 89.6% |
| Suburban | $13,135 | $18,048 | $13,938 | 51.7% | 2,375,539 | $55,043 | 88.1% |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,969 | $13,271 | 50.3% | 14,468,221 | $54,384 | 88.0% |
Outcomes by sector in Rural
Median campus-level metrics within each ownership type (public, private nonprofit, private for-profit).
| Sector | Campuses | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working share (8 yr) | Retention | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private for-profit | 26 | $40,092 | 81.1% | 69.7% | 10.5% | — | 45.3% |
| Private nonprofit | 250 | $58,179 | 86.0% | 79.3% | 3.7% | — | 77.1% |
| Public | 111 | $60,431 | 87.2% | 77.1% | 5.7% | — | 75.3% |
Top 10 colleges in Rural 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.
-
Rank 1, Graduation Rate, 100.0%, Strayer University-Florida
Strayer University-Florida
-
Rank 2, Graduation Rate, 100.0%, Chamberlain University-Virginia
Chamberlain University-Virginia
-
Rank 3, Graduation Rate, 95.6%, University of Virginia-Main Campus
University of Virginia-Main Campus
-
Rank 4, Graduation Rate, 95.2%, University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
-
Rank 5, Graduation Rate, 94.3%, Washington University in St Louis
Washington University in St Louis
-
Rank 6, Graduation Rate, 93.5%, Tufts University
Tufts University
-
Rank 7, Graduation Rate, 93.2%, Pomona College
Pomona College
-
Rank 8, Graduation Rate, 93.1%, Babson College
Babson College
-
Rank 9, Graduation Rate, 92.9%, United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
-
Rank 10, Graduation Rate, 92.3%, Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Top 10 colleges in Rural 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.
-
Rank 1, Employment Outcome, 96.6%, College of Saint Benedict
College of Saint Benedict
-
Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 95.9%, Concordia College at Moorhead
Concordia College at Moorhead
-
Rank 3, Employment Outcome, 95.7%, Walsh University
Walsh University
-
Rank 4, Employment Outcome, 95.4%, Illinois State University
Illinois State University
-
Rank 5, Employment Outcome, 95.3%, Saint Norbert College
Saint Norbert College
-
Rank 6, Employment Outcome, 94.8%, Franklin College
Franklin College
-
Rank 7, Employment Outcome, 94.5%, William Jewell College
William Jewell College
-
Rank 8, Employment Outcome, 94.4%, Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University
-
Rank 9, Employment Outcome, 94.3%, Maryville University of Saint Louis
Maryville University of Saint Louis
-
Rank 10, Employment Outcome, 94.3%, Concordia University-Wisconsin
Concordia University-Wisconsin
Top 10 most selective colleges in Rural (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.
-
Rank 1, Admission Rate, 3.6%, Stanford University
Stanford University
-
Rank 2, Admission Rate, 7.1%, Pomona College
Pomona College
-
Rank 3, Admission Rate, 7.5%, Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
-
Rank 4, Admission Rate, 9.3%, United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
-
Rank 5, Admission Rate, 9.6%, Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna College
-
Rank 6, Admission Rate, 11.3%, University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
-
Rank 7, Admission Rate, 11.5%, Tufts University
Tufts University
-
Rank 8, Admission Rate, 12.1%, Washington University in St Louis
Washington University in St Louis
-
Rank 9, Admission Rate, 12.4%, Haverford College
Haverford College
-
Rank 10, Admission Rate, 12.7%, Harvey Mudd College
Harvey Mudd College
Top 10 colleges in Rural 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.
-
Rank 1, Entry-Level Earnings, $166,573, Harvey Mudd College
Harvey Mudd College
-
Rank 2, Entry-Level Earnings, $144,190, Barry University
Barry University
-
Rank 3, Entry-Level Earnings, $143,084, Pomona College
Pomona College
-
Rank 4, Entry-Level Earnings, $141,588, University of Washington-Bothell Campus
University of Washington-Bothell Campus
-
Rank 5, Entry-Level Earnings, $138,613, Stanford University
Stanford University
-
Rank 6, Entry-Level Earnings, $125,646, Sonoma State University
Sonoma State University
-
Rank 7, Entry-Level Earnings, $125,391, Neumann University
Neumann University
-
Rank 8, Entry-Level Earnings, $124,392, California State University-East Bay
California State University-East Bay
-
Rank 9, Entry-Level Earnings, $119,356, California State University-Stanislaus
California State University-Stanislaus
-
Rank 10, Entry-Level Earnings, $118,232, University of Virginia-Main Campus
University of Virginia-Main Campus
Top 10 colleges in Rural 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.
-
Rank 1, Early-Career Earnings, $217,051, Pomona College
Pomona College
-
Rank 2, Early-Career Earnings, $214,907, Stanford University
Stanford University
-
Rank 3, Early-Career Earnings, $198,257, Harvey Mudd College
Harvey Mudd College
-
Rank 4, Early-Career Earnings, $185,551, Washington University in St Louis
Washington University in St Louis
-
Rank 5, Early-Career Earnings, $177,213, Wellesley College
Wellesley College
-
Rank 6, Early-Career Earnings, $175,616, University of Washington-Bothell Campus
University of Washington-Bothell Campus
-
Rank 7, Early-Career Earnings, $160,313, University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
-
Rank 8, Early-Career Earnings, $156,419, Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology
-
Rank 9, Early-Career Earnings, $156,343, Tufts University
Tufts University
-
Rank 10, Early-Career Earnings, $154,784, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
Top 10 colleges in Rural 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.
-
Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $115,107, Harvey Mudd College
Harvey Mudd College
-
Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $102,887, Stanford University
Stanford University
-
Rank 3, Mid-Career Earnings, $96,770, United States Merchant Marine Academy
United States Merchant Marine Academy
-
Rank 4, Mid-Career Earnings, $91,354, Babson College
Babson College
-
Rank 5, Mid-Career Earnings, $90,326, Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology
-
Rank 6, Mid-Career Earnings, $88,185, Loma Linda University
Loma Linda University
-
Rank 7, Mid-Career Earnings, $87,603, Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna College
-
Rank 8, Mid-Career Earnings, $86,210, University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
-
Rank 9, Mid-Career Earnings, $84,905, Villanova University
Villanova University
-
Rank 10, Mid-Career Earnings, $84,533, Chamberlain University-Louisiana
Chamberlain University-Louisiana
Top 10 colleges in Rural 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.
-
Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $144,598, Harvey Mudd College
Harvey Mudd College
-
Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $109,851, Stanford University
Stanford University
-
Rank 3, 8-Yr Earnings, $105,942, Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna College
-
Rank 4, 8-Yr Earnings, $102,507, Babson College
Babson College
-
Rank 5, 8-Yr Earnings, $100,949, Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology
-
Rank 6, 8-Yr Earnings, $99,847, Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
-
Rank 7, 8-Yr Earnings, $96,520, United States Merchant Marine Academy
United States Merchant Marine Academy
-
Rank 8, 8-Yr Earnings, $94,844, University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
-
Rank 9, 8-Yr Earnings, $94,574, Villanova University
Villanova University
-
Rank 10, 8-Yr Earnings, $90,777, Colorado School of Mines
Colorado School of Mines
Top 10 colleges in Rural 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.
-
Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $138,687, Harvey Mudd College
Harvey Mudd College
-
Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $124,080, Stanford University
Stanford University
-
Rank 3, 10-Yr Earnings, $123,938, Babson College
Babson College
-
Rank 4, 10-Yr Earnings, $108,772, Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology
-
Rank 5, 10-Yr Earnings, $104,736, Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna College
-
Rank 6, 10-Yr Earnings, $100,423, Villanova University
Villanova University
-
Rank 7, 10-Yr Earnings, $99,980, University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
-
Rank 8, 10-Yr Earnings, $97,335, Colorado School of Mines
Colorado School of Mines
-
Rank 9, 10-Yr Earnings, $92,405, Chamberlain University-Louisiana
Chamberlain University-Louisiana
-
Rank 10, 10-Yr Earnings, $92,405, Chamberlain University-Illinois
Chamberlain University-Illinois
Top 10 colleges in Rural 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.
-
Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $491,118, Stanford University
Stanford University
-
Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $490,267, Harvey Mudd College
Harvey Mudd College
-
Rank 3, 10-Yr ROI, $487,586, Franklin W Olin College of Engineering
Franklin W Olin College of Engineering
-
Rank 4, 10-Yr ROI, $443,240, United States Merchant Marine Academy
United States Merchant Marine Academy
-
Rank 5, 10-Yr ROI, $356,148, Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna College
-
Rank 6, 10-Yr ROI, $336,008, Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
-
Rank 7, 10-Yr ROI, $335,073, University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
-
Rank 8, 10-Yr ROI, $327,034, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
-
Rank 9, 10-Yr ROI, $325,382, Babson College
Babson College
-
Rank 10, 10-Yr ROI, $308,532, Colorado School of Mines
Colorado School of Mines
Top 10 most affordable colleges in Rural (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.
-
Rank 1, Net Price, $4,543, Be'er Yaakov Talmudic Seminary
Be'er Yaakov Talmudic Seminary
-
Rank 2, Net Price, $5,130, Indiana University-Northwest
Indiana University-Northwest
-
Rank 3, Net Price, $6,174, United States Merchant Marine Academy
United States Merchant Marine Academy
-
Rank 4, Net Price, $19,096, William & Mary
William & Mary
-
Rank 5, Net Price, $6,067, California State University-Stanislaus
California State University-Stanislaus
-
Rank 6, Net Price, $6,555, California State University-Fullerton
California State University-Fullerton
-
Rank 7, Net Price, $9,120, Oakland University
Oakland University
-
Rank 8, Net Price, $8,191, Northern Kentucky University
Northern Kentucky University
-
Rank 9, Net Price, $6,079, Purdue University Northwest
Purdue University Northwest
-
Rank 10, Net Price, $7,888, Indiana University-Southeast
Indiana University-Southeast
Top 10 colleges in Rural 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.
-
Rank 1, First-Year Retention, 100.0%, Strayer University-Texas
Strayer University-Texas
-
Rank 2, First-Year Retention, 100.0%, Chamberlain University-Virginia
Chamberlain University-Virginia
-
Rank 3, First-Year Retention, 100.0%, Strayer University-Maryland
Strayer University-Maryland
-
Rank 4, First-Year Retention, 100.0%, Charter Oak State College
Charter Oak State College
-
Rank 5, First-Year Retention, 99.1%, University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
-
Rank 6, First-Year Retention, 98.3%, Be'er Yaakov Talmudic Seminary
Be'er Yaakov Talmudic Seminary
-
Rank 7, First-Year Retention, 98.2%, Stanford University
Stanford University
-
Rank 8, First-Year Retention, 98.1%, Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna College
-
Rank 9, First-Year Retention, 97.5%, University of Virginia-Main Campus
University of Virginia-Main Campus
-
Rank 10, First-Year Retention, 97.5%, Pomona College
Pomona College
In-state tuition: Rural vs benchmarks
Sticker price
Rural median in-state tuition is $14,160, +156.9% vs the U.S. median.
Student debt: Rural vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Rural is $12,000 (-9.6% vs U.S. median $13,271). Rank: #1 nationally of 50 (lower debt = better rank).
Median earnings (10 years out): Rural vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Rural center around $58,295 (+7.2% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Rural vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 86.4% at the median Rural campus (-1.6 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
Rural median public in-state tuition is $14,160, about +156.9% vs the national median.
Median graduate debt is $12,000 (-9.6% below the U.S. median of $13,271). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Student debt rank: #1 nationally of 50 (lower debt = better rank) (1 = lowest median debt).
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Rural are $58,295, about +7.2% vs the U.S. campus median ($54,384).
The median campus reports 86.4% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 88.0% (-1.6 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 78.0% vs a U.S. median of 76.4%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 4.4% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 75.2% (U.S. 73.7%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include College of Saint Benedict (96.6%), Concordia College at Moorhead (95.9%), Walsh University (95.7%), Illinois State University (95.4%), Saint Norbert College (95.3%), Franklin College (94.8%), William Jewell College (94.5%), Valparaiso University (94.4%), Maryville University of Saint Louis (94.3%), Concordia University-Wisconsin (94.3%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Within Rural, sector medians diverge: Private for-profit median 10-yr earnings $40,092 (26 campuses); Private nonprofit median 10-yr earnings $58,179 (250 campuses); Public median 10-yr earnings $60,431 (111 campuses). Public campuses often dominate enrollment while private nonprofits can show higher earnings medians at selective institutions.
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Rural is 54.0% (national institution average about 50.3%).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many rural campuses are in the U.S.?
This profile covers 1,649 campuses classified as Rural in the College Scorecard extract, with about 3,610,516 total reported enrollment.
How much does college cost at rural campuses?
Median in-state tuition among rural campuses is $14,160 and median net price is $18,700. U.S. medians are $5,512 (tuition) and $9,969 (net price). Rural tuition is +156.9% vs the national median.
What do graduates earn from rural campuses?
Median 10-year earnings for rural campuses is $58,295 vs $54,384 nationally.
What is student debt like at rural campuses?
Median completer debt at rural campuses is $12,000 vs $13,271 nationally (-9.6% vs U.S.).
What NCES locale codes are included in Rural?
NCES Rural — fringe, distant, and remote rural locales. College Scorecard locale codes in this bucket: 21, 22, 23.
What are the top colleges at rural campuses?
Top campuses on this page include Strayer University-Florida (graduation) and Harvey Mudd College (10-yr earnings). See Top 10 lists for admission, affordability, and employment metrics.
How do rural campuses compare to other campus settings?
Peer setting profiles include Urban, Town, Suburban. See the campus-settings comparison table for tuition, debt, and earnings medians.
Sources & related
- All college profiles
- All campus-setting profiles
- Average cost by campus setting
- National benchmarks
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
- Download: JSON