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Morningside University logo
Private nonprofit Sioux City, IA · Urban · Plains · 93% data
B Earnings B Diversity B- Social Mobility
Graduation Rate
52% C-
About half of students who start complete their degree
Earnings (10yr)
$55,494 B
Well above the typical college graduate
Net Price
$31,320 F
83% more than the typical college
Acceptance Rate
71% C+
Accessible to most qualified applicants
Earnings +36% vs avg
Graduation -10% vs avg
Net Price 83% vs avg
Mobility Top 33%

Bottom line: A C overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 10.6× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $10.6 over 20 years. Ranked #7 in Best Psychology Colleges in Iowa.

10.6× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $10.6 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,205,305.

What The Data Says

  1. A C overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.

  2. Earnings 36% above the national college median.

  3. Every $1 invested returns $10.6 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Morningside University Matters

Morningside University is a private university in Sioux City, IA and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduate earnings well above the typical college.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Private University
Carnegie Class
Master's University
Enrollment
1,163
Setting
Urban
Designations
71
Primary Strengths
Business & Marketing, Education, Health Professions, Biology & Biomedical

Why students choose Morningside University

Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Strength in Business & Marketing
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

C
Top 49% overall
B
Earnings
$55,494 median
D+
Value
1.8× net price
F
Affordability
$31,320/yr net
C-
Graduation
52% graduate
B-
Social Mobility
1.8% climb Q1→Q5
C+
Selectivity
71% admit rate
B
Diversity
0.69 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

Morningside University has an acceptance rate of 71%, making it accessible to a wide range of students. With an enrollment of 1,163, the university fosters a tight-knit community where students can engage closely with faculty and peers.

According to Chetty/Opportunity Insights data, specific mobility metrics are not available for Morningside. However, graduates earn an average of $55,494 within ten years of completing their degree. This indicates that many students find career success after attending this institution, even if detailed mobility rates are not provided.

The net price for attending Morningside is $31,320, with a median debt of $26,028. Students who thrive here are often those pursuing degrees in business, education, health professions, biology, or psychology. The university attracts students who value personal attention and a supportive learning environment.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Morningside University is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Morningside University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a private institution in Sioux City, Iowa, Morningside University admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 71%. The graduation rate is roughly 52%.

Acceptance Rate
71%
Retention Rate
74%
Full-Time Faculty
100%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$7,538
Student–Faculty Ratio
13:1
Diversity Index
0.69
First-Gen Students
23%
Applicants
3,222
Admitted
2,275

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Morningside University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Morningside University is $39,660, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $31,320. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $33,738 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $26,028 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$39,660
Out-of-State
$39,660
Avg Net Price
$31,320
Median Debt
$26,028
Pell Grant Rate
34%
Federal Loan Rate
66%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$33,738
Family Income $30K–$48K
$21,201
Family Income $48K–$75K
$19,124
Family Income $110K+
$41,981

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Morningside University — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is Morningside University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Morningside University earn a median of $55,494, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

6 Years After Entry
$47,687
8 Years
$50,866
10 Years
$55,494
Debt-to-Earnings
0.47x
Earning > $25K
77%

Earnings Trajectory

$47,687 6yr $50,866 8yr $55,494 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (173)
49%
100% (173)
49%
100% (173)
49%
100% (173)
49%

How Morningside Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation52%Earnings 10yr$55KNet Price$31KRetention74%Median Debt$26KPell Grant Rate34%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$34K$0-30K$21K$30-48K$19K$48-75K$42K$110K+

The Mobility Equation

Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?

ACCESS% from bottom 20%6.5%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%28.1%MOBILITY1.84%

College ROI Calculator

Is Morningside University Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, Morningside University delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $31,320/year ($125,280 total). Graduates earn $55,494 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,330,585 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,205,305 (10.6× your investment). The median debt is $26,028, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 52% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$125,280
Projected 20yr Earnings
$1,330,585
Net Return
$1,205,305
ROI Multiple
10.6×
Cost Per Year
$31,320
Median Debt
$26,028
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
52%

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Mobility

Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records

Does Morningside University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Morningside University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.84%, well above the typical college. About 6.5% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 28.1% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $67,100, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
1.84%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
28.1%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
6.5%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$91,165
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Morningside University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Morningside University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.77, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.77
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.02
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
5.2%
Support Ratio
1.00
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Federal Grants
$614,638
Investment Income
$-3,205,673

Top Programs

The fields Morningside University awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into Morningside University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a private institution in Sioux City, Iowa, Morningside University admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 71%. The graduation rate is roughly 52%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Morningside University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Morningside University is $39,660, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $31,320. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $33,738 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $26,028 in federal student loans.

Is Morningside University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Morningside University earn a median of $55,494, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

Does Morningside University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Morningside University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.84%, well above the typical college. About 6.5% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 28.1% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $67,100, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is Morningside University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Morningside University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.77, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

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Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Morningside University.

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

The 2026 Annual Report

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

Free · 21 pages · 5,745 institutions · 100% federal data, no surveys