Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Dover

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
University or college · Public

Delaware State University

Dover, DEHistorically Black college625 online only

Delaware State University is a public university in Dover, DE, with about 5,203 students on campus.

Visit www.desu.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
5,203
plus 625 studying only online
Admission rate
47%
lower than at 86% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$13,910
lower than at 77% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
39%
lower than at 79% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$49,307
higher than at 70% of U.S. colleges
In brief

The short version on Delaware State University

A low price for what graduates go on to earn

After aid, Delaware State University costs $13,910 a year, less than 77% of 4-year colleges. Ten years after starting, former students earn a median $49,307, more than at 70% of colleges. Outcomes ↓

Delaware State University is a historically Black college

It was founded to educate Black students, and 76% of undergraduates today are Black. The students ↓

What you study here makes a big difference to pay

Among Delaware State University’s biggest bachelor’s programs, nursing graduates earn a median $94,568 four years out. Communication and media studies graduates earn $46,440. Majors ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

★ What stands out · Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
39%
within 6 years · Pell students 35%
Come back for year two
70%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$49,307
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$26,000
about $276 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

8.8%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$276 a month against about $3,125 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

31%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 20% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Earnings by family background

Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment

Lower incomeunder $30k
$47k
Middle income$30–75k
$49k
Higher incomeover $75k
$52k
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Delaware State University?

47%

of applicants admitted

About 9 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

SAT reading
420–520
SAT math
380–500
ACT
20–24

The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 940.

What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $27,939 a year

Before any grants · out-of-state tuition $20,634

Tuition & fees (in state) $10,670Room & board $16,664Books & supplies $1,500

After grants, the average family on aid pays $13,910.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$15,701

About $62,804 over 4 years · 44% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Business 12%Health professions 11%Biology 10%Liberal arts 10%Psychology 10%Parks, recreation & fitness 8%Everything else 40%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing66 graduates a year · typical debt $29,930
$95k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness57 graduates a year · typical debt $26,000
$49k4 yrs out
Communication and Media Studies55 graduates a year · typical debt $25,000
$46k4 yrs out
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities50 graduates a year · typical debt $23,540
$56k4 yrs out
Psychology, General45 graduates a year · typical debt $26,000
$49k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations45 graduates a year · typical debt $25,500
$60k4 yrs out
Criminology42 graduates a year · typical debt $26,000
$53k4 yrs out
Biology, General39 graduates a year · typical debt $26,000
$59k4 yrs out
Who goes there

The students

4,398 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 6%Hispanic 8%Black 76%Asian 1%Two or more 6%International 2%

Women and men

Women 65%Men 35%
17 : 1
students per teacher
49%
get Pell grants (lower income)
52%
take federal loans
5%
undergrads 25 or older
12%
study part time
The town around it

Living in Dover

15% of Dover’s 40,592 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Dover pages.

Dover →
DoverDover, DE
$1,344/momedian rent · 4% below the state$343Ktypical home valueD−Safety Grade26° / 87°January low / July high · 13" of snowC−Health GradeAll colleges in and near DoverCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Delaware State University; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

Delaware Technical Community College-TerryCommunity college · Public · Dover
1.3 mi10,288 students
Washington CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Chestertown
28.4 mi916 students

Ask around

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.