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CollegeRanker
Private nonprofit Staten Island, NY · Urban · Mid-Atlantic · 100% data
A Earnings B Social Mobility B- Diversity
Graduation Rate
67% B-
Solid completion rate — most students graduate
Earnings (10yr)
$74,360 A
Top 6% nationally — exceptional earning power
Net Price
$28,241 F
65% more than the typical college
Acceptance Rate
88% D+
Accessible to most qualified applicants
Earnings +82% vs avg
Graduation +17% vs avg
Net Price 65% vs avg
Mobility Top 23%

Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 15.9× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $15.9 over 20 years. Ranked #3 in Best Nursing Colleges in New York.

15.9× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $15.9 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,687,906.

What The Data Says

  1. A C+ overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.

  2. Graduates earn 82% more than the national college median.

  3. Social mobility rate of 2.19% — an engine of upward economic mobility.

  4. Every $1 invested returns $15.9 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Wagner College Matters

Wagner College is a private university in Staten Island, NY and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network and a strong record of moving students up the income ladder. The result: graduates whose earnings land in the top 6% of all U.S. colleges.

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

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Private University
Carnegie Class
Master's University
Enrollment
1,651
Setting
Urban
Designations
67
Primary Strengths
Health Professions, Business & Marketing, Visual & Performing Arts, Education

Why students choose Wagner College

Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Exceptional earning outcomes
Graduate earnings in the top 6% of colleges
Strength in Health Professions
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

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

C+
Top 40% overall
A
Earnings
$74,360 median
C
Value
2.6× net price
F
Affordability
$28,241/yr net
B-
Graduation
67% graduate
B
Social Mobility
2.2% climb Q1→Q5
D+
Selectivity
88% admit rate
B-
Diversity
0.65 index

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

How we grade →

Overview

Wagner College is a fitting choice for students who are passionate about fields like Health Professions, Business, Visual Arts, and Social Sciences. With an acceptance rate of 88%, it opens its doors to a diverse group of learners seeking a supportive environment. The strong emphasis on liberal arts education means students here not only gain specialized knowledge but also develop critical thinking skills that are valuable across various careers.

Looking at what happens after graduation, students from Wagner can expect to earn an average of $74,360 a decade after they leave. This figure reflects the college’s commitment to preparing students for the workforce and highlights the potential for a solid income. While 24% of students receive Pell Grants, suggesting that affordability is a priority for many, the graduation rate stands at 67%. This means that a good number of students successfully complete their degrees, setting them up for upward mobility.

When it comes to the financial aspects, the net price after aid is about $28,241, which is a manageable figure for many families. The median debt for graduates is $25,000, a reasonable amount that doesn’t tend to overwhelm new graduates. Those who thrive here are often driven and engaged, taking full advantage of the college’s resources and community to shape their futures.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Wagner College 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 Wagner College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a private institution in Staten Island, New York, Wagner College admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 88%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,243. The graduation rate is roughly 67%.

Acceptance Rate
88%
Retention Rate
83%
SAT Average
1243
SAT Range
1190–1290
ACT Range
23–28
Full-Time Faculty
100%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$8,122
Student–Faculty Ratio
14:1
Diversity Index
0.65
First-Gen Students
28%
Applicants
2,645
Admitted
1,813

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 Wagner College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Wagner College is $53,200, 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 $28,241. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $20,993 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $25,000 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$53,200
Out-of-State
$53,200
Avg Net Price
$28,241
Median Debt
$25,000
Pell Grant Rate
24%
Federal Loan Rate
53%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$20,993
Family Income $30K–$48K
$21,944
Family Income $48K–$75K
$24,930
Family Income $110K+
$32,604

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 Wagner College — 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 Wagner College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Wagner College earn a median of $74,360, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.

6 Years After Entry
$63,439
8 Years
$69,365
10 Years
$74,360
Debt-to-Earnings
0.34x
Earning > $25K
76%

Earnings Trajectory

$63,439 6yr $69,365 8yr $74,360 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (295)
67%
100% (295)
67%
100% (295)
67%
100% (295)
67%

How Wagner Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation67%Earnings 10yr$74KNet Price$28KRetention83%Median Debt$25KPell Grant Rate24%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$21K$0-30K$22K$30-48K$25K$48-75K$33K$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%5.2%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%42.2%MOBILITY2.19%

College ROI Calculator

Is Wagner College Worth It?

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

Yes — for most students, Wagner College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $28,241/year ($112,964 total). Graduates earn $74,360 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,800,870 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,687,906 (15.9× your investment). The median debt is $25,000, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 67% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$112,964
Projected 20yr Earnings
$1,800,870
Net Return
$1,687,906
ROI Multiple
15.9×
Cost Per Year
$28,241
Median Debt
$25,000
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
67%

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 Wagner College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Wagner College 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 2.19%, among the highest in the country. About 5.2% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 42.2% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $114,400, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
2.19%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
42.2%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
5.2%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$155,430
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Wagner College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Wagner College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.85, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 8% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.85
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.01
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
8.0%
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
$3,855,017
Investment Income
$-13,006,634

Top Programs

The fields Wagner College 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 Wagner College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a private institution in Staten Island, New York, Wagner College admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 88%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,243. The graduation rate is roughly 67%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Wagner College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Wagner College is $53,200, 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 $28,241. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $20,993 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $25,000 in federal student loans.

Is Wagner College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Wagner College earn a median of $74,360, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.

Does Wagner College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Wagner College 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 2.19%, among the highest in the country. About 5.2% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 42.2% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $114,400, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is Wagner College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Wagner College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.85, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 8% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

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Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Wagner College.

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