Doctoral/ProfessionalPrivate nonprofit

Elon University

Elon, North Carolina·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Southeast·elon.edu
6-yr Graduation
84%
+33.0pp vs Doctoral/Professional
Total enrollment
7,239
peer median 4,211
Avg net price
$41,048
+$17k vs Doctoral/Professional
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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
18,105
18,105 candidates competed
Admitted
12,012
66.3% acceptance rate
Enrolled
1,607
13.4% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

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

Overall completion
84%+33.0pp vs Doctoral/Professional
4-year graduation
80%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
84%
Full-time retention
90%

Pell equity

2.0pp gap
Pell recipients
82%
Non-Pell
84%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 2.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

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, 26 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 44 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
70
Passing
26
37.1% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

70programs
  • Passing26 · 37.1%
  • No Data44 · 62.9%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
1
Watch
0
Safe
25
No data
44

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.

26
Radio Television and Digital Communication
Master's Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+1.4%
$59,583 vs $58,761
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
First Professional Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+37.7%
$82,774 vs $60,112
Law
First Professional Degree · Legal Professions And Studies
+51.0%
$82,321 vs $54,534
Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians
Bachelor Degree · Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
+52.8%
$53,185 vs $34,808
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
+53.3%
$53,369 vs $34,808
Radio Television and Digital Communication
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+74.8%
$60,832 vs $34,808
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+75.3%
$105,377 vs $60,112
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
+81.1%
$63,041 vs $34,808

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Radio Television and Digital Communication
Master's Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+1.4%
+$822

Debt vs earnings

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

21
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
First Professional Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
159%
$131,318 debt · $82,774 earn
Law
First Professional Degree · Legal Professions And Studies
138%
$113,389 debt · $82,321 earn
Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
106%
$130,807 debt · $123,121 earn
Radio Television and Digital Communication
Master's Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
89%
$52,814 debt · $59,583 earn
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
47%
$49,475 debt · $105,377 earn
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
42%
$22,250 debt · $53,369 earn
Community Organization and Advocacy
Bachelor Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
36%
$23,250 debt · $64,011 earn
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
34%
$23,250 debt · $68,927 earn

Accreditation status & history

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

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Accredited since 1947Next review Jun 2029

Programmatic accreditations · 5

Action history · 8

  1. Jun 2025Grant Substantive Change: Other
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  2. Feb 2024Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  3. Jan 2024Grant Substantive Change: Other
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  4. Dec 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  5. Nov 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar · Law (LAW) - Professional schools

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$27,108
$30–48k$23,103
$48–75k$32,133
$75–110k$37,712
$110k+$48,382

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

Avg net price (private)
$41,048
+$16,984vs Doctoral/Professional median $24,064
Federal loans
24.5%
In-state tuition
$44,536
Out-of-state
$44,536

Federal aid volume & trends

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

In AY 2024–25, 835 students received $5.0M in Pell grants, alongside $52.8M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
835
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$5.0M
$4,957,547 total
Direct Loans
$52.8M
3,822 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

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

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$3.6M
862 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$5.7M
1,361 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$8.9M
534 loan awards
Parent PLUS$22.8M
674 loan awards
Grad PLUS$11.7M
391 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 892 borrowers who entered repayment, 11 (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
892
Defaulted
11
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
0.9%
2017
1.2%
2018
1.2%
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 Elon

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs93
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

1,732 total completions
01Business
54631.5%
02Communication
34419.9%
03Legal Professions
1408.1%
04Health Professions
1327.6%
05Parks/Recreation
1136.5%
06Social Sciences
1126.5%
07Psychology
1005.8%
08Visual/Performing Arts
875.0%
09Education
794.6%
10Biological Sciences
794.6%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

Fall total
7,239
12-mo unduplicated
7,562
Undergraduate
6,622
Graduate
940

Gender split

Men
41%3,112
Women
59%4,450

Race / ethnicity composition

White
78.4%
Hispanic
6.8%
Black
5.3%
Two or more
2.6%
Asian
2.3%
Non-resident
2.2%
Unknown
2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.0%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

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

Athletes
451
247 M · 204 W
Women athletes
45.2%
Athletic aid
$13.0M
Total student aid
Budget
$35.8M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$7.2M
$5.8M
Recruiting expense
$294K
$165K
Head-coach salaries
$198K
$109K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 11

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
· 150 W
$1.8M
Football
120 M ·
$7.2M
Soccer
36 M · 26 W
$2.7M
Basketball
17 M · 23 W
$5.2M
Baseball
38 M ·
$1.7M
Lacrosse
· 35 W
$1.2M

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
3.09
22 offenses · 7,123 students

3-year trend

2.812 yrs ago5.191 yr ago3.09Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
79
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
25
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
1
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
15
Burglary
3
Fondling
3
Motor vehicle theft
1

By location

22total
  • On campus22

Includes 20 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
4
Dating violence
4
Stalking
8 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons01
Drugs1973
Liquor12293

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Data quality: 2 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
11.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
501

Elon vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Elon 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
SubjectElon University
84%7,239$41,048Doctoral/Professional
Campbell University
60%87.2%4,963$23,991Doctoral/Professional
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
17%74.6%3,220$6,608Doctoral/Professional
Wingate University
46%91.1%3,458$21,371Doctoral/Professional
Gardner-Webb University
54%77.2%3,104$24,137Doctoral/Professional
St. Thomas University
48%97.9%7,652$24,275Doctoral/Professional
Peer group median51%87.2%4,211$24,064

Frequently asked questions about Elon University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Elon.

What is the graduation rate at Elon University?

Elon University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 84% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Elon University?

Elon University reports a total enrollment of 7,239 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Elon University?

The average net price at Elon University is $41,048 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Elon University?

Elon University's yield rate is 13.4%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Elon University located?

Elon University is located in Elon, North Carolina 27244-2010.

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