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CollegeRanker
Private nonprofit Burbank, CA · Urban · Far West · 87% data
A+ Social Mobility A Diversity A Earnings
Graduation Rate
58% C
About half of students who start complete their degree
Earnings (10yr)
$65,668 A
Top 10% nationally — exceptional earning power
Net Price
$33,692 F
97% more than the typical college
Acceptance Rate
82% C-
Accessible to most qualified applicants
Earnings +61% vs avg
Graduation +1% vs avg
Net Price 97% vs avg
Mobility Top 1%

Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 15.2× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $15.2 over 20 years. Ranked #5 in Best Online Computer Science Programs in California.

15.2× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $15.2 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,916,463.

What The Data Says

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

  2. Graduates earn 61% more than the national college median.

  3. Social mobility rate of 6.36% — an engine of upward economic mobility.

  4. Every $1 invested returns $15.2 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Woodbury University Matters

Woodbury University is a private university in Burbank, CA 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 10% 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
779
Setting
Urban
Designations
HSI
Primary Strengths
Computer Science & IT, Business & Marketing, Communications, Criminal Justice

Why students choose Woodbury University

Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Exceptional earning outcomes
Graduate earnings in the top 10% of colleges
Engine of upward mobility
A strong record of moving students up the income ladder

CollegeRanker Report Card

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

C+
Top 40% overall
A
Earnings
$65,668 median
D+
Value
1.9× net price
F
Affordability
$33,692/yr net
C
Graduation
58% graduate
A+
Social Mobility
6.4% climb Q1→Q5
C-
Selectivity
82% admit rate
A
Diversity
0.76 index

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

How we grade →

Overview

Woodbury University has an acceptance rate of 82%, making it accessible for students seeking a private education in California. With a small enrollment of 779, students can expect a more personalized experience and closer interactions with faculty.

According to Opportunity Insights data, Woodbury University does not have published mobility rates. However, graduates earn a median salary of $65,668 ten years after enrollment, which indicates a solid return on investment for many alumni. The graduation rate stands at 58%, reflecting the challenges some students may face in completing their degrees.

The net price to attend Woodbury University is $33,692, with a median debt of $26,960 for graduates. Students who thrive here often come from diverse backgrounds, as evidenced by the 46% Pell Grant rate. Those interested in business, computer science, and the arts will find strong programs to support their career goals.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Woodbury 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 Woodbury University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in Burbank, California, Woodbury University admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 82%. The graduation rate is roughly 58%.

Acceptance Rate
82%
Retention Rate
74%
Student–Faculty Ratio
8:1
Diversity Index
0.76
First-Gen Students
41%
Applicants
1,460
Admitted
914

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 Woodbury University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Woodbury University is $47,056, 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 $33,692. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $28,815 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $26,960 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$47,056
Out-of-State
$47,056
Avg Net Price
$33,692
Median Debt
$26,960
Pell Grant Rate
46%
Federal Loan Rate
58%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$28,815
Family Income $30K–$48K
$28,368
Family Income $48K–$75K
$30,748
Family Income $110K+
$39,808

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 Woodbury 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 Woodbury University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Woodbury University earn a median of $65,668, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

6 Years After Entry
$47,665
8 Years
$53,328
10 Years
$65,668
Debt-to-Earnings
0.41x
Earning > $25K
63%

Earnings Trajectory

$47,665 6yr $53,328 8yr $65,668 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (60)
43%
100% (60)
43%
100% (60)
43%
100% (60)
43%

How Woodbury Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation58%Earnings 10yr$66KNet Price$34KRetention74%Median Debt$27KPell Grant Rate46%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$29K$0-30K$28K$30-48K$31K$48-75K$40K$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%18.7%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%34.1%MOBILITY6.36%

College ROI Calculator

Is Woodbury University Worth It?

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

Yes — for most students, Woodbury University delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $33,692/year ($134,768 total). Graduates earn $65,668 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $2,051,231 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,916,463 (15.2× your investment). The median debt is $26,960, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 58% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$134,768
Projected 20yr Earnings
$2,051,231
Net Return
$1,916,463
ROI Multiple
15.2×
Cost Per Year
$33,692
Median Debt
$26,960
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
58%

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

Woodbury 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 6.36%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 18.7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 34.1% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $61,900, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
6.36%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
34.1%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
18.7%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$84,100
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Woodbury 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 Woodbury University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.69, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 4% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.69
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.00
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
3.5%
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
$3,302,393
Investment Income
$-3,778,754

Top Programs

The fields Woodbury 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 Woodbury University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in Burbank, California, Woodbury University admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 82%. The graduation rate is roughly 58%.

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

Published tuition at Woodbury University is $47,056, 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 $33,692. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $28,815 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $26,960 in federal student loans.

Is Woodbury University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Woodbury University earn a median of $65,668, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

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

Woodbury 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 6.36%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 18.7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 34.1% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $61,900, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is Woodbury 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 Woodbury University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.69, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 4% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Similar Schools

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