Private nonprofit · University

Capital University

Columbus, Ohio · Large suburb

70.2%
Admit rate
$22,576
Avg net price
60%
Graduation rate
$54,143
Median earnings

Capital University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Columbus, Ohio (large suburb setting), enrolling 1,585 undergraduates. It has a Evangelical Lutheran Church religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,585 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 70% admitNCAA Division III with football · Ohio Athletic ConferenceCold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Capital University's admitted students.

Admit rate
70.2%
SAT (mid 50%)
910–1180
Avg GPA (est.)
3.11

Enter a test score to see where you land against Capital University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Capital University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Columbus, Ohio

Columbus is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. Between 1000 B.C. and 1700 A.D., the Columbus metropolitan area was a center to indigenous cultures known as the Mound Builders, including the Adena, Hopewell and Fort Ancient peoples. Remaining physical evidence of the cultures are their burial mounds and what they contained. Columbus has over 170 notable buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places; it also maintains its own register, the Columbus Register of Historic Properties, with 82 entries. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
3 miles to Columbus, OH
To Great Lakes shore
102 miles
Nearest airport
4 miles to John Glenn Columbus (CMH) · major hub

How Capital University compares

Selectivity70.2%

More selective than 63% · #22 most selective of 65 in Ohio

SAT average1068

Higher than 20%

Graduation rate60%

Higher than 61% · #26 of 73 in Ohio

First-year retention76%

Higher than 47%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$54,143

Higher than 51% · #30 of 74 in Ohio

Average net price$22,576

Cheaper than 37% · #43 cheapest of 73 in Ohio

Median debt at graduation$26,889

Lower than 18%

Student–faculty ratio9 : 1

Lower than 83%

Undergraduate enrollment1,585

Larger than 51%

Percentiles compare Capital University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Ohio.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

2,239students
  • Undergraduate1,58571%
  • Graduate65429%

Undergraduates by gender

1,585undergrads
  • Women99263%
  • Men59337%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White66%
  • Black14%
  • Hispanic8.3%
  • Asian2.3%
  • Other or multiracial10%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,585
Graduate enrollment
654
Student–faculty ratio
9 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
34%
First-generation students
28%
Students over 25
7%
Median family income
$61,200
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$78,057
Endowment
$140,653,264

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 413 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Ohio92%
  • Other U.S. states7.5%
  • International1.0%

Most first-years stay in state — Capital University draws overwhelmingly from Ohio.

1% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
70.2%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
910–1180
SAT average
1068
SAT reading
450–590
SAT math
460–590
ACT composite
18–25
Average GPA (estimated)
3.11

Cost

In-state tuition
$43,234
Room & board
$12,984
Books & supplies
$2,516
Total cost of attendance
$57,130
Average net price
$22,576

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
60%
Graduated on time (4 years)
55%
First-year retention
76%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$45,767
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$54,143
Median debt at graduation
$26,889
Students with federal loans
63%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
58%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
55%
Low-income (Pell)
50%
First-generation
50%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
977
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
62%
Housing charge (year)
$6,976
Meal plan (year)
$6,470
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
Ohio Athletic Conference
Varsity athletes
449 (294 men · 155 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (11)

Football89
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)81
Soccer61
Lacrosse59
Baseball48
Basketball34
Softball21
Golf18
Volleyball15
Bowling14
Tennis9

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
3.8 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
9
Property offenses (2022–2024)
17

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (2,263 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

8.7reported offenses a year
3.0 violent a year5.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
3.7
Rape
2.0
Motor vehicle theft
2.0
Fondling
1.0

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$19,062
$30–48k
$18,574
$48–75k
$20,331
$75–110k
$23,348
$110k+
$27,299

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$83,834

$20,331/year × about 4.1 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

99%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$27,952
average award, among those who get one

Capital University discounts heavily: 99% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $27,952. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 518 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$54,143
Typical debt at graduation
$26,889
Debt vs. one year's pay
50%
Out-earn a HS grad
66%

Typical debt would take roughly 5.0 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$52,688
Men
$56,875

Men out-earn women by $4,187 (8%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
86°F
Winter low
19°F
Annual rain
43.2″
Annual snow
28.2″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.34.6JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Columbus-Valley Crossing, OH US station (3.6 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Capital University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Capital University side by side →

Colleges near Capital University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.