Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPrivate nonprofit

Southern New Hampshire University

Manchester, New Hampshire·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·New England·snhu.edu
6-yr Graduation
43%
-20.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Total enrollment
189,531
peer median 7,116
Avg net price
$33,742
-$347 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
44,306
44,306 candidates competed
Admitted
44,089
99.5% acceptance rate
Enrolled
16,760
38.0% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

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

Overall completion
43%-20.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
4-year graduation
34%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
44%
Full-time retention
61%

Pell equity

28.0pp gap
Pell recipients
31%
Non-Pell
59%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 28.0-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 159 Title IV programs, 79 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 79 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
159
Passing
79
49.7% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
1
0.6% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.6%
vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

159programs
  • Passing79 · 49.7%
  • No Data79 · 49.7%
  • Failing1 · 0.6%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
1
Recoverable
0
At Risk
4
Watch
13
Safe
62
No data
79

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.

80
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Associate Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-13.0%
$30,298 vs $34,808
Accounting and Related Services
Graduate Certificate · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+1.4%
$60,976 vs $60,112
History
Master's Degree · History
+2.0%
$54,961 vs $53,884
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+5.0%
$63,147 vs $60,112
English Language and Literature General
Master's Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+9.1%
$54,001 vs $49,483
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
+10.3%
$51,153 vs $46,391
Fine and Studio Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+10.3%
$53,264 vs $48,304
Political Science and Government
Master's Degree · Social Sciences
+13.9%
$68,469 vs $60,112

Near the line (±5%)

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

3
Accounting and Related Services
Graduate Certificate · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+1.4%
+$864
History
Master's Degree · History
+2.0%
+$1,077
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+5.0%
+$3,035

Debt vs earnings

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

74
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
100%
$62,988 debt · $63,147 earn
English Language and Literature General
Master's Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
80%
$42,936 debt · $54,001 earn
History
Master's Degree · History
75%
$41,000 debt · $54,961 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
72%
$36,900 debt · $51,153 earn
Psychology General
Master's Degree · Psychology
70%
$41,000 debt · $58,824 earn
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Master's Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
65%
$41,000 debt · $62,698 earn
Public Relations Advertising and Applied Communication
Master's Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
65%
$45,650 debt · $70,574 earn
Education General
Bachelor Degree · Education
62%
$26,000 debt · $42,034 earn

Accreditation status & history

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

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

New England Commission of Higher Education

Accredited since 1973Next review Jun 2029

Programmatic accreditations · 3

Action history · 4

  1. Oct 2019Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
  2. Oct 2019Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels
  3. Feb 2019Renewal of Accreditation
    New England Commission of Higher Education
  4. Mar 2012Renewal of Accreditation
    New England Commission of Higher Education

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$33,202
$30–48k$32,903
$48–75k$34,048
$75–110k$35,992
$110k+$36,682

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

Avg net price (private)
$33,742
-$347vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $34,089
Federal loans
59.1%
In-state tuition
$16,450
Out-of-state
$16,450

Federal aid volume & trends

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

In AY 2024–25, 123,087 students received $372.6M in Pell grants, alongside $857.7M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
123,087
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$372.6M
$372,623,907 total
Direct Loans
$857.7M
231,323 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

71k
20
81k
21
97k
22
107k
23
123k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$277.0M
107,430 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$313.9M
102,685 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$245.6M
19,690 loan awards
Parent PLUS$5.8M
407 loan awards
Grad PLUS$15.4M
1,111 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 38,544 borrowers who entered repayment, 801 (2.0%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
2.0%
-0.3pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
38,544
Defaulted
801
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
12.4%
2017
12.5%
2018
8.7%
2019
2.0%
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 Southern New Hampshire

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs75
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

35,222 total completions
01Business
14,73841.8%
02Psychology
4,49412.8%
03Computer Sciences
3,83910.9%
04Health Professions
3,50710.0%
05Liberal Arts
2,7357.8%
06Security/Protective
1,8495.2%
07English Language
1,4354.1%
08Visual/Performing Arts
1,0903.1%
09Communication
8322.4%
10Education
7032.0%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

Fall total
189,531
12-mo unduplicated
255,134
Undergraduate
212,123
Graduate
43,011

Gender split

Men
36%92,543
Women
64%162,591

Race / ethnicity composition

White
51.6%
Black
18.1%
Hispanic
14.4%
Unknown
8.4%
Two or more
3.8%
Asian
2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.6%
Non-resident
0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.4%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

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

Athletes
398
213 M · 185 W
Women athletes
46.5%
Athletic aid
$2.2M
Total student aid
Budget
$8.9M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$985K
$1.2M
Recruiting expense
$30K
$24K
Head-coach salaries
$57K
$50K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 13

Lacrosse
47 M · 26 W
$737K
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
· 67 W
$334K
Soccer
30 M · 31 W
$1.1M
Baseball
33 M ·
$574K
Ice Hockey
26 M ·
$215K
Basketball
13 M · 12 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
0.09
14 offenses · 164,091 students

3-year trend

0.032 yrs ago0.121 yr ago0.09Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
36
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
6
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
1
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
2

Criminal offenses by type

Fondling
7
Rape
4
Burglary
2
Motor vehicle theft
1

By location

14total
  • On campus14

Includes 12 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

1
Domestic violence
1
Dating violence
2
Stalking
4 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs02
Liquor084

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
24.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
138

Southern New Hampshire vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Southern New Hampshire 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
SubjectSouthern New Hampshire University
43%189,531$33,742Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
New England College
35%92.1%3,275$30,299Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Antioch University-New England
992Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
University of New Haven
63%60.4%9,229$34,089Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Berklee College of Music
67%43.5%8,369$50,404Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Merrimack College
70%70.0%5,862$37,899Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Peer group median63%65.2%7,116$34,089

Frequently asked questions about Southern New Hampshire University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Southern New Hampshire.

What is the graduation rate at Southern New Hampshire University?

Southern New Hampshire University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 43% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Southern New Hampshire University?

Southern New Hampshire University reports a total enrollment of 189,531 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Southern New Hampshire University?

The average net price at Southern New Hampshire University is $33,742 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Southern New Hampshire University?

Southern New Hampshire University's yield rate is 38.0%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Southern New Hampshire University located?

Southern New Hampshire University is located in Manchester, New Hampshire 03106-1045.

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