Cornerstone University
Grand Rapids, Michigan · Website
$47,314
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$47,314
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Cornerstone University is a private nonprofit 4-year college in Grand Rapids, Michigan with 1,298 undergraduates and 341 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $20,301 a year (tuition and fees $23,000). It admits 78% of applicants and 62% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $47,314 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $25,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$20,301
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$23,000
US median $11,837
Admission rate
78%
US median 78%
Completion rate
62%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$25,000
About $265 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$47,314
Rank 1,731 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $20,301
- Tuition and fees
- $23,000
- Cost of attendance
- $42,043
- Students with a need-based grant
- 33%
- Students with federal loans
- 52%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $20,177
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $17,674
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $17,872
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $18,489
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $23,135
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $26,100 in 2015-16 to $23,000 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 78%
- SAT reading, middle
- 555
- SAT math, middle
- 540
- ACT, middle
- 23
- Undergraduates
- 1,298
- Graduate students
- 341
- Part-time students
- 21%
- Women
- 59%
- Students per teacher
- 15
- Completion rate
- 62%
- Retention rate
- 78%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 63
- Endowment
- $17.0M
- Other
- Religious affiliation
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 1,731 of 5,094 US colleges and 40 of 145 in Michigan (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | MI median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $20,301 | $17,194 | $22,320 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $23,000 | $15,221 | $31,170 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 78% | 81% | 74% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 62% | 59% | 57% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 78% | 70% | 77% | 75% |
| Median debt | $25,000 | $13,000 | $24,287 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $42,598 | $32,840 | $44,392 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $47,314 | $36,115 | $52,928 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US private nonprofit 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 60% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 72% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
63 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 59 | $25,000 | $53,327 | $67,148 | $68,257 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied PsychologyMaster's | Master's | 33 | $45,100 | $38,622 | $55,791 | $65,184 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's | Bachelor's | 26 | $28,000 | $42,515 | $45,673 | $51,389 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 26 | $34,635 | $66,737 | $79,472 | $103,485 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 20 | $24,625 | $27,327 | $56,231 | $54,562 |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 20 | $20,616 | $42,627 | $62,782 | $69,303 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 18 | $25,957 | $34,505 | $47,933 | $50,706 |
| Theological and Ministerial StudiesMaster's | Master's | 17 | Withheld | $52,039 | $61,838 | $61,300 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 15 | $27,000 | $45,753 | $47,341 | $47,382 |
| Pastoral Counseling and Specialized MinistriesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | $38,298 | $42,915 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 12 | $25,000 | Withheld | $52,568 | $51,790 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $83,343 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesOnlineMaster's | Master's | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $110,694 |
| Human Services, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $39,422 |
| Theological and Ministerial StudiesOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 9 | $31,470 | $40,873 | Withheld | $44,535 |
| Bible/Biblical StudiesMaster's | Master's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $56,028 |
| Pastoral Counseling and Specialized MinistriesMaster's | Master's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 8 | $27,250 | Withheld | $61,067 | $48,733 |
| Educational Administration and SupervisionOnlineDoctoral | Doctoral | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $100,573 |
| Design and Applied ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $51,490 |
| Health/Medical Preparatory ProgramsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $61,911 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital CommunicationBachelor's | Bachelor's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | $54,344 | $50,497 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's | Associate's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population BiologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,842 |
| Religion/Religious StudiesMaster's | Master's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $57,737 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Grand Rapids and Michigan on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Michigan
- Homes: Homes for sale in Michigan
Questions and answers
How much does Cornerstone University cost?
$20,301 a year is the average net price at Cornerstone University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $23,000, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $42,043. Families earning under $30,000 pay $20,177 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Cornerstone University?
78% of applicants are admitted to Cornerstone University. The median admission rate of colleges in Michigan is 81%.
How much do Cornerstone University graduates earn?
$47,314 a year is the median pay of former Cornerstone University students who work, 10 years after they started ($42,598 after 6 years). That ranks 1,731 of 5,094 US colleges and 40 of 145 in Michigan. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's) at $66,737.
How much student debt do Cornerstone University graduates have?
$25,000 is the median federal student loan debt of Cornerstone University graduates, about $265 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 52% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Cornerstone University?
62% of first-time, full-time students at Cornerstone University finish within 6 years. 78% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of private nonprofit 4-year colleges is 57%.
What are the most popular majors at Cornerstone University?
Business Administration, Management and Operations (59 bachelor's graduates), Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (33 master's graduates), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (26 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 63 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.