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CollegeRanker
Private nonprofit Rome, GA · Urban · Southeast · 100% data
C+ Earnings C Value C Affordability
Graduation Rate
37% D
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$44,604 C+
Roughly in line with national averages
Net Price
$16,646 C
Close to the national average
Acceptance Rate
96% F
Accessible to most qualified applicants
Earnings +9% vs avg
Graduation -35% vs avg
Net Price +-3% vs avg
Mobility Top 52%

Bottom line: A C overall grade — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges. 14.4× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $14.4 over 20 years. Ranked #5 in Best Education Colleges in Georgia.

14.4× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $14.4 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $889,420.

What The Data Says

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

  2. Graduation of 37% — 35% below the national average.

  3. Every $1 invested returns $14.4 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Shorter University Matters

Shorter University is a private university in Rome, GA 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
1,028
Setting
Urban
Designations
54
Primary Strengths
Business & Marketing, Education, Health Professions, Biology & Biomedical

Why students choose Shorter 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 55% overall
C+
Earnings
$44,604 median
C
Value
2.7× net price
C
Affordability
$16,646/yr net
D
Graduation
37% graduate
C
Social Mobility
1.4% climb Q1→Q5
F
Selectivity
96% admit rate
C
Diversity
0.59 index

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

How we grade →

Overview

Shorter University has an acceptance rate of 96%, making it highly accessible for students. With an enrollment of 1,028, it maintains a close-knit community. This environment can be beneficial for students seeking personalized attention and support throughout their academic journey.

The Chetty/Opportunity Insights data is not available for Shorter University, making it difficult to assess long-term outcomes and upward mobility for graduates. However, the graduation rate is 37%, which suggests that challenges may exist for students in completing their degrees. The absence of detailed mobility data means prospective students should consider their support systems when evaluating their chances of success.

The net price of attendance is $16,646, and graduates earn a median income of $44,604 ten years after enrollment. Graduates carry an average debt of $25,000. Students who thrive at Shorter University are often those who seek a community-oriented atmosphere and are focused on practical programs like Business, Education, Health Professions, Criminal Justice, and Biology.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Shorter 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 Shorter University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Shorter University, located in Rome, Georgia, admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 96%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,115. The graduation rate is roughly 37%.

Acceptance Rate
96%
Retention Rate
61%
SAT Average
1115
ACT Midpoint
21
SAT Range
1040–1200
ACT Range
18–25
Full-Time Faculty
59%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$5,054
Student–Faculty Ratio
15:1
Diversity Index
0.59
First-Gen Students
35%
Applicants
871
Admitted
849

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 Shorter University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Shorter University is $24,630, 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 $16,646. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $15,929 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $25,000 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$24,630
Out-of-State
$24,630
Avg Net Price
$16,646
Median Debt
$25,000
Pell Grant Rate
38%
Federal Loan Rate
48%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$15,929
Family Income $30K–$48K
$21,482
Family Income $48K–$75K
$22,944
Family Income $110K+
$18,898

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 Shorter 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 Shorter University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Shorter University report median earnings of $44,604, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$41,860
8 Years
$43,939
10 Years
$44,604
Debt-to-Earnings
0.56x
Earning > $25K
65%

Earnings Trajectory

$41,860 6yr $43,939 8yr $44,604 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (99)
33%
100% (99)
33%
100% (99)
33%
100% (99)
33%

How Shorter Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation37%Earnings 10yr$45KNet Price$17KRetention61%Median Debt$25KPell Grant Rate38%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$16K$0-30K$21K$30-48K$23K$48-75K$19K$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%6.9%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%20.6%MOBILITY1.43%

College ROI Calculator

Is Shorter University Worth It?

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

Yes — for most students, Shorter University delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $16,646/year ($66,584 total). Graduates earn $44,604 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $956,004 in total earnings — a net gain of $889,420 (14.4× your investment). The median debt is $25,000, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 37% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$66,584
Projected 20yr Earnings
$956,004
Net Return
$889,420
ROI Multiple
14.4×
Cost Per Year
$16,646
Median Debt
$25,000
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
37%

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 Shorter University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Shorter 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 1.43%, well above the typical college. About 6.9% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 20.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $84,000, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
1.43%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
20.6%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
6.9%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$114,127
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Shorter 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 Shorter University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.40, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.04), 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
1.40
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.04
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
4.7%
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
$3,498,218
Investment Income
$36,356

Top Programs

The fields Shorter 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 Shorter University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Shorter University, located in Rome, Georgia, admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 96%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,115. The graduation rate is roughly 37%.

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

Published tuition at Shorter University is $24,630, 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 $16,646. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $15,929 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $25,000 in federal student loans.

Is Shorter University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Shorter University report median earnings of $44,604, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

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

Shorter 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 1.43%, well above the typical college. About 6.9% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 20.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $84,000, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is Shorter 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 Shorter University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.40, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.04), 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.

Similar Schools

Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Shorter 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