+21%
In-state tuition
In-state tuition at Elon University rose 21% between 2021 and 2024 ($38.7k → $47.0k).
North Carolina · Private nonprofit · Predominantly bachelor's
Elon University
Elon, North Carolina. 6,402 undergraduate students. 74 programs in the federal Field-of-Study dataset.
ANOMALY ENGINE · NOTABLE SIGNALS
Earnings, completion, debt, and enrollment anomalies at Elon University
Short-arc shifts (recent 3-year window), peer outliers, earnings trend breaks, completion drops, enrollment cliffs, and debt-to-earnings warnings — surfaced deterministically from the federal record. Multi-decade shifts are reported separately in the Long Arc section, since 25-year tuition drift isn't really an anomaly.
-100%
3-year cohort default rate
3-year cohort default rate at Elon University fell 100% between 2021 and 2024 (1.2% → 0.0%).
+21%
Out-of-state tuition
Out-of-state tuition at Elon University rose 21% between 2021 and 2024 ($38.7k → $47.0k).
+63%
Private nonprofit bachelor's-predominant peer
10-year earnings at Elon University are 63% above the private nonprofit bachelor's-predominant peer median ($74.5k vs $45.7k).
SECTION 01 · OUTCOMES SNAPSHOT
Elon University earnings, debt, and completion vs. the North Carolina median
Each tile compares this institution to the North Carolina median for the same metric. Sub-line shows the comparison value, not an interpretation. Sparklines trace the federally available history.
$74,545+28% · 6→10y
North Carolina median $36,030$58,082
Treasury earnings · 6y post-entry83.0%+36% · '97→'24
North Carolina median 46.1%$18,500+92% · '97→'20
At program completion6,402+88% · '96→'24
latest IPEDS90.4%+2% · '04→'24
first-time, full-time67.3%+3% · '01→'24
latest cohort$44,536+241% · '00→'24
out-of-state $44,536SECTION 02 · EARNINGS HORIZONS
How Elon University earnings spread, 4 to 10 years after entry
Treasury tax-record earnings for federally aided students who first enrolled at this institution. Each point is a horizon from the most-recent vintage. Single median per horizon (no p25/p75 publishing).
Earnings widen with time post-entry. Selection: federal-aid recipients only — not all graduates.Methodology →
SECTION 03 · DEBT-TO-EARNINGS
What loans cost relative to earnings at Elon University
Annual debt service as a share of median earnings 10 years after entry, computed under federal Direct loan terms (10-year fixed at 6%). The 8% line is the gainful-employment threshold from federal regulation; above 12% has historically been considered “failing” under prior rule cycles.
Institution-wide
3.3%Median federal debt $18,500 amortized over 10 years vs. median earnings $74,545 (10y after entry).
SECTION 04 · LONG ARC
Elon University enrollment, completion, and debt over time
Federally available history. Coverage varies by metric — IPEDS publishes some series only after 2009 and others only before.
Undergraduate enrollment.
150%-time completion rate.
Median federal student debt at exit.
+36%
Elon University · completion · 150% rose
61.9% → 84.0%
+63%
Elon University · completion · 100% rose
48.9% → 79.9%
+88%
Elon University · undergrad enrollment rose
3,426 → 6,452
+241%
Elon University · in-state tuition rose
$13,781 → $46,958
+241%
Elon University · out-of-state tuition rose
$13,781 → $46,958
+92%
Elon University · median debt rose
$10,685 → $20,500
-85%
Elon University · cohort default rate fell
1.7% → 0.0%
+53%
Elon University · earnings_median_10yr rose
$48,600 → $74,545
+51%
Elon University · earnings_median_8yr rose
$43,800 → $65,954
+54%
Elon University · earnings_median_6yr rose
$37,700 → $58,082
SECTION 05 · PROGRAMS
Elon University programs ranked by 5-year earnings
Each row is one (CIP × credential) program reported by the institution in College Scorecard's Field-of-Study data. Cohort floor is 30 students; below this, federal data is suppressed.
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions$130,327Finance and Financial Management Services$106,904Accounting and Related Services$103,374Economics$95,431Business Administration, Management and Operations$95,371Marketing$86,296Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other$84,875Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions$80,151Radio, Television, and Digital Communication$79,285Law$75,274Communication and Media Studies$74,002Political Science and Government$70,667Biology, General$67,978English Language and Literature, General$67,741Public Health$66,896Health and Physical Education/Fitness$63,499Journalism$62,026International Relations and National Security Studies$61,915Natural Resources Conservation and Research$61,399History$60,586Psychology, General$58,985Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods$48,252Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft$43,297Visual and Performing Arts, Other$16,958
SECTION 06 · BY CIP FAMILY
24 Elon University programs with earnings, grouped by field
Programs are grouped by 2-digit CIP family. Programs without reported earnings are hidden to keep the list focused.
EDUCATION · CIP 13
LEGAL PROFESSIONS · CIP 22
ENGLISH LANGUAGE & LITERATURE · CIP 23
BIOLOGICAL & BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES · CIP 26
PARKS, RECREATION & FITNESS · CIP 31
PSYCHOLOGY · CIP 42
SOCIAL SCIENCES · CIP 45
VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS · CIP 50
HEALTH PROFESSIONS · CIP 51
BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT & MARKETING · CIP 52
HISTORY · CIP 54
NATURAL RESOURCES & CONSERVATION · CIP 03
COMMUNICATION & JOURNALISM · CIP 09
FINANCIAL OUTCOME · ILLUSTRATION
Estimate the financial outcome at Elon University
Pick a program. Cost from Scorecard net price by family income; earnings from Treasury 5-year-post-completion median, projected forward with a Mincer age-earnings curve. The selection-bias toggle applies the Dale-Krueger shrinkage. Outcomes illustration, not a forecast — see methodology.
Shrinks the earnings premium toward the matched-applicant mean. STEM <15%, business ~40%, arts & education ~60%.
NET PRESENT VALUE
$1,253,979
Over 40 years, discounted 5.0%
BREAKEVEN
Year 7
First year cumulative discounted earnings cross zero
- Cost per year
- $32,133
- HS-only baseline · NC
- $35,600
- Years to complete
- 4
- CIP family
- 52
Outcomes illustration · not a forecast. Projects observed Scorecard earnings forward with a Mincer age-earnings curve under your assumptions. See methodology for the math.
SECTION 07 · SIMILAR INSTITUTIONS
Institutions similar to Elon University in North Carolina
Picked by Carnegie sector × predominant credential level. These are not rankings — just nearest-neighbour surfaces for comparison.
CAUSAL DISCIPLINE
“Elon University graduates earn $X” — not “Elon University makes you earn $X”
Median earnings describe what cohorts earned. They do not describe what attending Elon University caused. Selection effects (who admits, who enrolls, who completes) are real. We publish federal data with strict descriptive phrasing — and link the methodology where you can read about the limitations directly.