Simpson College
Indianola, IA 50125
About Simpson College
Simpson College is a private research university in Indianola, Iowa, enrolling about 1,227 students. Admission is moderately selective for first-time degree-seeking undergraduates reporting admissions data to the Education Department. The acceptance rate is about 86.22% in the latest College Scorecard admissions data. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $59,274 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- Simpson College charges 63% above the national private non-profit median tuition ($47,656).
- Versus the Iowa median, sticker tuition is about 2.4×.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 63.33%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $59,274.
Research findings
Finding
Average net price at Simpson College is about 54% below published tuition.
Published tuition is $47,656; average net price is $21,936 in the latest Scorecard extract.
Interpretation: Institutional aid and grants compress sticker price into a substantially lower typical undergraduate cost signal.
Limitation: Average net price masks variation by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the campus average.
Finding
Modeled return on investment at Simpson College is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 576% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simpson College | $47,656 | $21,936 | 1 |
| Private Non-profit (national median) | $29,325 | — | 1,444 |
| Iowa (state median) | $20,270 | $11,272 | 49 |
| Town (locale median) | $9,600 | $14,971 | 1,517 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
Average net price is 54% below published tuition at Simpson College
Key findings
- Simpson College's average net price ($21,936) is 54% below published tuition ($47,656).
- Simpson College charges 63% above the national private non-profit median tuition ($47,656).
- Versus the Iowa median, sticker tuition is about 2.4×.
Simpson College tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $47,656
Finding Simpson College charges 63% above the national private non-profit median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $47,656. That is 63% above the national private non-profit median ($29,325). Versus the Iowa median ($20,270), sticker tuition is about 2.4×. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is about 4.0×.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to private non-profit and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at Simpson College versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at Simpson College versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Simpson College is $21,936.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $21,936 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $10,664 above the Iowa median net price. Versus town campuses, net price runs $6,965 above the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Key takeaway Simpson College’s published tuition substantially overstates typical undergraduate cost: average net price is about 54% lower after grants and scholarships.
Simpson College: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Simpson College—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
Completion, earnings, and net price together describe a campus where sticker price overstates typical undergraduate cost while outcomes remain at the high end of Scorecard distributions.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$47,656
Avg. net price
$21,936
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $17,941 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $15,764 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $19,176 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $22,468 |
| $110,001+ | $26,586 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $190,624. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Simpson College is known for
Top program completions
- Business Administration and Management, General29
- Health and Wellness, General25
- Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies18
- Sport and Fitness Administration/Management17
- Accounting17
See earnings & programs for more.
Admissions landscape
- Broad access — most applicants are admitted.
- Yield: 23% of admitted students enrolled.
- Average SAT: 1440
- Midpoint ACT: 24
See Admissions for the full funnel.
Is Simpson College a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Simpson College is a good school for those looking for strong completion and solid mid-career earnings—especially where average net price sits well below published tuition (about 54% lower in this extract).
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Simpson College.
Campus
Location
Indianola, IA
City / state
- ZIP
- 50125
- NCES locale
- Town fringe
Compared with Town campuses nationally, net price is 47% above the median for Town campuses ($14,971 median).
Control
Institution type
Private Non-profit
Control
- Region
- Plains
- Carnegie
- Special Focus Four-Year: Faith-Related Institutions
Size
Enrollment
1,227
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 1,303
- Graduate
- 16
- Full-time share
- 98%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$26,000
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 34.56%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Simpson College.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Simpson College was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Simpson College in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | $30,999 | $30,999 | $20,163 |
| 2014 | $32,550 | $32,550 | $20,907 |
| 2015 | $34,175 | $34,175 | $22,120 |
| 2016 | $35,876 | $35,876 | $22,964 |
| 2017 | $37,663 | $37,663 | $22,077 |
| 2018 | $39,144 | $39,144 | $23,187 |
| 2019 | $40,666 | $40,666 | $19,151 |
| 2020 | $42,246 | $42,246 | $19,644 |
| 2021 | $44,030 | $44,030 | $20,680 |
| 2022 | $45,108 | $45,108 | $22,925 |
| 2023 | $46,212 | $46,212 | $22,231 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
This institution has a moderate acceptance rate, accepting most qualified applicants.
Applicants → admits → first-time enrollment from College Scorecard / IPEDS. Bar widths are scaled for readability at highly selective schools.
Test Scores
Average 1440 (middle 50% not reported)
Midpoint 24 (middle 50% not reported)
Scores for enrollees who submitted tests (College Scorecard).
Academic Requirements
Estimated from admission selectivity and test scores. Scorecard does not publish admitted-student GPA for most institutions.
Estimated range · median 3.80
Estimated GPA band from selectivity and test scores — not an official requirement.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Simpson College reported total enrollment of about 1,227 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 50% male and 50% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (72.5%), Hispanic or Latino (12.9%), and Black or African American (4.2%). About 34.56% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 23.4% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
97.9% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Simpson College in 2024 is 1,227 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 1,303 students. Graduate enrollment is about 16 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
81.3%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
51.39% 100% Completion Time
63.33% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 51.39% of students graduating from Simpson College completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Business Administration and Management, General: 48% male / 52% female
- Health and Wellness, General: 40% male / 60% female
- Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies: 17% male / 83% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
Simpson College graduates earn a median of $59,274 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Simpson College.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $59,274. Median federal loan debt: $26,000. Average net price used in cost models: $21,936.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway Simpson College graduates report median earnings of $59,274 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Simpson College.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 10 programs by IPEDS completions (42 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Simpson College.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Simpson College graduates.
How financially powerful is this institution?
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Simpson College—endowment assets (fiscal year 2023), instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Institutional endowment
$81.9M
End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023
- Iowa median 2.3× the median ($36.3M)
- Plains median 3.4× the median ($24.1M)
- U.S. median 3.1× the median ($26.4M)
- Iowa median 2.4× the median ($28,406)
- Plains median 4.6× the median ($15,020)
- U.S. median 5.7× the median ($12,100)
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 51.6%
- Iowa median 36.0 pp below median (87.6%)
- Plains median 13.1 pp below median (64.7%)
- U.S. median 6.3 pp below median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $6,723
- Iowa median near the median ($7,039)
- Plains median 0.93× the median ($7,194)
- U.S. median 0.88× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $12,667
- Iowa median 1.5× the median ($8,352)
- Plains median 1.6× the median ($8,150)
- U.S. median 1.7× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Simpson College at a glance
Simpson College
Simpson College is a private non-profit institution in Indianola, IA, classified as Special Focus Four-Year: Faith-Related Institutions.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Business Administration and Management, GeneralHealth and Wellness, GeneralLiberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
- Largest enrollment groups
- White or Caucasian72.5%Hispanic or Latino12.9%Black or African American4.2%
Schools near Simpson College
Other campuses in Indianola, IA when available, plus nearby institutions in Iowa.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade C) within Iowa, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Simpson College located?
Simpson College is located in Indianola, IA.
What is Simpson College's acceptance rate?
The acceptance rate at Simpson College is 86.2% among first-time degree-seeking students reporting admissions data. IPEDS reports 1,646 applicants and 1,463 admits in the latest admissions cycle in our extract.
What is Simpson College's tuition?
Simpson College tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $47,656 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $21,936 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does Simpson College cost?
Reported tuition is $47,656 and average net price is $21,936 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $10,500 annually.
Why is Simpson College's net price so much lower than tuition?
At Simpson College, published tuition is $47,656 while average net price is $21,936—about 54% lower. Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid (College Scorecard). Institutional aid therefore compresses sticker price into a lower typical undergraduate cost signal. The campus average still masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average. EDsmart Data treats the sticker–net gap as an analytical finding, not advice about individual aid offers.
What explains Simpson College's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($21,936), completion (63.3% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($59,274). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
What is the student body demographics at Simpson College?
Simpson College reports undergraduate enrollment of about 1,303 students, White (72.5%), Hispanic or Latino (12.9%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Simpson College?
About 23.4% of students at Simpson College are first-generation college students.
What test scores do students need for Simpson College?
Among enrolled students who submitted scores, Simpson College reports midpoint SAT about 1440 and midpoint ACT about 24.
What do graduates of Simpson College earn?
Median earnings are $49,946 six years after entry and $59,274 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at Simpson College?
The 150%-time completion rate is 63.3% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do Simpson College students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $26,000.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.