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University or college · Private nonprofit

Simpson College

Indianola, IA61 online only

Simpson College is a private nonprofit college in Indianola, IA, with about 1,102 students on campus.

Visit simpson.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
1,102
plus 61 studying only online
Admission rate
86%
higher than at 67% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$21,936
higher than at 59% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
63%
higher than at 66% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$59,274
higher than at 84% of U.S. colleges
In brief

What to know about Simpson College

Family background barely changes what graduates earn

Ten years after starting, students from lower-income families earn a median $59,287, about the same as the $60,188 earned by students from families making over $75,000. Outcomes ↓

Few families pay the sticker price

The full cost of a year is $61,227, but the average family on federal aid pays $21,936 after grants, about 64% less. What it costs ↓

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
63%
within 6 years · Pell students 56%
Come back for year two
81%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$59,274
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

6.6%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$276 a month against about $4,162 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

76%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 92% 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
$59k
Middle income$30–75k
$57k
Higher incomeover $75k
$60k
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Simpson College?

86%

of applicants admitted

About 17 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

ACT
31–33

The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1440.

What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $61,227 a year

Before any grants

Tuition & fees $47,656Room & board $10,500Books & supplies $1,168Other costs $1,903

After grants, the average family on aid pays $21,936.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$19,176

About $76,704 over 4 years · 69% 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 13%Health professions 11%Biology 10%Parks, recreation & fitness 9%Education 8%Communication 7%Everything else 41%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

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

Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General35 graduates a year
—not reported
Business Administration, Management and Operations30 graduates a year · typical debt $21,500
$70k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections25 graduates a year · typical debt $26,250
$57k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods19 graduates a year · typical debt $25,672
$46k4 yrs out
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities19 graduates a year · typical debt $25,836
$46k4 yrs out
Accounting and Related Services18 graduates a year · typical debt $19,586
$76k4 yrs out
English Language and Literature, General15 graduates a year
$30k1 yr out
Psychology, General14 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$50k4 yrs out
Who goes there

The students

1,227 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 72%Hispanic 13%Black 4%Asian 2%Two or more 4%International 3%

Women and men

Women 50%Men 50%
12 : 1
students per teacher
35%
get Pell grants (lower income)
71%
take federal loans
6%
undergrads 25 or older
2%
study part time
The town around it

Living in Indianola

12% of Indianola’s 16,829 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Indianola pages.

Indianola →
IndianolaIndianola, IA
$986/momedian rent · about the state median$313Ktypical home valueCSafety Grade13° / 85°January low / July high · 31" of snowB+Health GradeAll colleges in and near IndianolaCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Simpson College; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

Mercy College of Health SciencesUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Des Moines
16.2 mi668 students
Drake UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Des Moines
16.9 mi4,094 students
Grand View UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Des Moines
17.7 mi1,522 students
Des Moines University-Osteopathic Medical CenterUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · West Des Moines
17.9 mi1,412 students
Des Moines Area Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Ankeny
23.8 mi18,993 students
Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Ankeny
25.9 mi396 students

Ask around

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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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.