Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPrivate nonprofit

Cornerstone University

Grand Rapids, Michigan·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Great Lakes·cornerstone.edu
6-yr Graduation
62%
+1.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Total enrollment
1,695
peer median 2,268
Avg net price
$22,384
+$743 vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
2,011
2,011 candidates competed
Admitted
1,564
77.8% acceptance rate
Enrolled
291
18.6% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
62%+1.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
4-year graduation
56%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
63%
Full-time retention
78%

Pell equity

0.0pp gap
Pell recipients
57%
Non-Pell
57%

Pell and non-Pell students graduate at nearly identical rates — a notably small equity gap.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 70 Title IV programs, 15 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 55 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
70
Passing
15
21.4% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

70programs
  • Passing15 · 21.4%
  • No Data55 · 78.6%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
3
Safe
12
No data
55

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

15
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language
Master's Degree · Education
+14.4%
$51,886 vs $45,360
Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries
Bachelor Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
+16.1%
$38,298 vs $32,989
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Master's Degree · Psychology
+19.5%
$55,791 vs $46,700
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+37.0%
$79,472 vs $58,014
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Subject Areas
Bachelor Degree · Education
+38.4%
$45,673 vs $32,989
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
+43.5%
$47,341 vs $32,989
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+45.3%
$47,933 vs $32,989
Theological and Ministerial Studies
Master's Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
+48.0%
$61,838 vs $41,770

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

12
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Master's Degree · Psychology
84%
$46,924 debt · $55,791 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Subject Areas
Bachelor Degree · Education
61%
$28,000 debt · $45,673 earn
Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries
Bachelor Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
61%
$23,250 debt · $38,298 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
57%
$27,000 debt · $47,341 earn
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
56%
$27,000 debt · $47,933 earn
Social Work
Bachelor Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
51%
$27,000 debt · $52,568 earn
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
45%
$35,979 debt · $79,472 earn
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
45%
$22,113 debt · $48,923 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1977Next review Aug 2032

Programmatic accreditations · 3

Action history · 4

  1. Jan 2022Renewal of Accreditation
    Higher Learning Commission
  2. Jun 2017Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools · Theology (THEOL) - Freestanding schools, as well as programs affiliated with larger institutions, offering graduate professional education for ministry and graduate study of theology
  3. Aug 2014Change in Agency recognition
    National Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation · Music (MUS) - Institutions and units within institutions offering degree-granting and/or non-degree-granting programs
  4. Feb 2012Renewal of Accreditation
    Higher Learning Commission

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$17,129
$30–48k$18,158
$48–75k$21,507
$75–110k$23,345
$110k+$25,522

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$22,384
+$743vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $21,642
Federal loans
54.6%
In-state tuition
$29,100
Out-of-state
$29,100

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 664 students received $3.4M in Pell grants, alongside $7.7M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
664
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$3.4M
$3,366,205 total
Direct Loans
$7.7M
1,444 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
20
1k
21
0k
22
1k
23
1k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$2.0M
560 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$2.5M
637 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$2.2M
181 loan awards
Parent PLUS$817K
59 loan awards
Grad PLUS$90K
7 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 726 borrowers who entered repayment, 9 (1.2%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.2%
-1.1pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
726
Defaulted
9
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
5.9%
2017
8.8%
2018
4.3%
2019
1.2%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Cornerstone

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs72
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

433 total completions
01Business
14232.8%
02Psychology
7216.6%
03Theology
5813.4%
04Education
5011.5%
05Parks/Recreation
276.2%
06Health Professions
225.1%
07Communication
173.9%
08Public Admin
173.9%
09Visual/Performing Arts
173.9%
10Liberal Arts
112.5%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
1,695
12-mo unduplicated
2,155
Undergraduate
1,750
Graduate
405

Gender split

Men
40%871
Women
60%1,284

Race / ethnicity composition

White
72.3%
Black
6.6%
Non-resident
6.1%
Hispanic
5.4%
Unknown
4.9%
Asian
2.2%
Two or more
2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
483
266 M · 217 W
Women athletes
44.9%
Athletic aid
$1.8M
Total student aid
Budget
$4.4M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$983K
$807K
Recruiting expense
$2K
$1K
Head-coach salaries
$31K
$28K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 13

Track and Field (Indoor)
52 M · 52 W
$354K
Track and Field (Outdoor)
52 M · 52 W
$354K
Soccer
49 M · 42 W
$572K
Basketball
38 M · 33 W
$655K
Baseball
64 M ·
$332K
Cross Country
21 M · 18 W
$30K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.12
2 offenses · 1,781 students

3-year trend

0.002 yrs ago2.071 yr ago1.12Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
6
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
1
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
1

Criminal offenses by type

Motor vehicle theft
2

By location

2total
  • On campus2

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
0
Stalking
0 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs00
Liquor04

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
15.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
43

Cornerstone vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Cornerstone selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectCornerstone University
62%1,695$22,384Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Spring Arbor University
63%51.5%2,441$20,899Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Lawrence Technological University
60%55.9%3,693$33,995Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Davenport University
55%97.8%4,815$19,988Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Alverno College
51%85.7%1,317$16,722Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Viterbo University
68%72.4%2,094$22,633Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Peer group median61%72.4%2,268$21,642

Frequently asked questions about Cornerstone University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Cornerstone.

What is the graduation rate at Cornerstone University?

Cornerstone University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 62% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Cornerstone University?

Cornerstone University reports a total enrollment of 1,695 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Cornerstone University?

The average net price at Cornerstone University is $22,384 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Cornerstone University?

Cornerstone University's yield rate is 18.6%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Cornerstone University located?

Cornerstone University is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan 49525-5897.

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