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University or college · Private nonprofit

Defiance College

Defiance, OH51 online only

Defiance College is a private nonprofit college in Defiance, OH, with about 460 students on campus.

Visit www.defiance.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
460
plus 51 studying only online
Admission rate
48%
lower than at 85% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$26,337
higher than at 75% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
31%
lower than at 88% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$49,351
higher than at 70% of U.S. colleges
In brief

What to know about Defiance College

Little price break for lower-income families

Families earning under $30,000 pay about $27,196 a year after grants, about the same as the $26,637 paid by families over $110,000. What it costs ↓

Fewer first-year students return than at most colleges

Only 56% of full-time first-year students return for a second year, fewer than at 91% of 4-year colleges. Outcomes ↓

Defiance College is very small

About 460 students attend on campus. With classes this small, a handful of students can move the graduation rate from one year to the next. The students ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard; at a college this small, rates can swing from year to year.

★ What stands out · What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $53,667 a year

Before any grants

Tuition & fees $29,320Room & board $12,606Books & supplies $1,400Other costs $10,341

After grants, the average family on aid pays $26,337.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$25,884

About $103,536 over 4 years · 52% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Defiance College?

48%

of applicants admitted

About 10 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

No SAT or ACT ranges reported. Defiance College is likely test-optional.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
31%
within 6 years · Pell students 28%
Come back for year two
56%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$49,351
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$26,813
about $284 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

8.7%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$284 a month against about $3,275 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

53%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 64% 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
$42k
Middle income$30–75k
$52k
Higher incomeover $75k
$54k
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Education 17%Parks, recreation & fitness 17%Public administration & social work 15%Business 14%Public safety 11%Biology 5%Everything else 20%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

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

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness22 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$40k4 yrs out
Business/Commerce, General13 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$47k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods10 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$39k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections8 graduates a year
$55k4 yrs out
Special Education and Teaching6 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
—not reported
Psychology, General6 graduates a year
—not reported
Social Work6 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$51k4 yrs out
Design and Applied Arts6 graduates a year
—not reported
Who goes there

The students

499 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 53%Hispanic 7%Black 35%Two or more 2%International 1%

Women and men

Women 36%Men 64%
11 : 1
students per teacher
50%
get Pell grants (lower income)
72%
take federal loans
5%
undergrads 25 or older
4%
study part time
The town around it

Living in Defiance

7% of Defiance’s 17,009 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Defiance pages.

Defiance →
$853/momedian rent · 18% below the state$185Ktypical home valueC+Safety Grade19° / 85°January low / July high · 24" of snowCHealth GradeAll colleges in and near DefianceCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

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

Northwest State Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Ridgeville Township
11.1 mi3,455 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.