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Simpson College

Simpson College is based in the town of Indianola, IA — a private campus in a small-town setting. The school reports a United Methodist affiliation in its federal filings.

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What could it cost?

Start with net price after grants, then read the published costs. Each chart names its academic year and the students it covers.

Net price by family income

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Average annual cost after grants for each family-income band. These group averages are not personal price quotes.

IPEDS Income brackets, 2022–23

family-income band

$15,172

family income
under $30k

$17,775

$30–48k

$19,007

$48–75k

$24,744

$75–110k

$26,854

over $110k

Average net price

$21,9362023–24Skip to data table

Average annual attendance cost after grants for the reported student group. Your own aid offer and costs may differ.

Average net price at Simpson College rose from $19,227 (2008) to $21,936 (2023).

Average net price — data
Year	Net price
2008	$19,227
2009	$17,145
2010	$18,756
2011	$19,933
2012	$20,163
2013	$20,907
2014	$22,120
2015	$22,964
2016	$22,077
2017	$23,187
2018	$19,151
2019	$19,644
2020	$20,680
2021	$22,925
2022	$22,231
2023	$21,936

IPEDS 16 federal reports, 2008–2023

Total cost of attendance

$61,2272024–25Skip to data table

Estimated annual attendance budget before grants, including tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Not every expense is billed by the school.

Total cost at Simpson College rose from $34,756 (2009) to $61,227 (2024).

Total cost of attendance — data
Year	Cost
2009	$34,756
2010	$35,661
2011	$37,772
2012	$38,705
2013	$40,186
2014	$43,008
2015	$44,863
2016	$46,428
2017	$48,241
2018	$50,095
2019	$51,943
2020	$53,845
2021	$55,610
2022	$57,690
2023	$58,937
2024	$61,227

IPEDS Academic-year cost 2009–2024

Tuition & fees

Skip to data table

Published tuition and fees before grants. Housing, food, books and other attendance costs are separate.

Tuition & fees — data
Year	Tuition & fees
2000	$15,015
2001	$15,908
2002	$16,649
2003	$17,908
2004	$19,635
2005	$20,911
2006	$21,186
2007	$23,596
2008	$23,596
2013	$30,999
2014	$32,550
2015	$34,175
2016	$35,876
2017	$37,663
2018	$39,144
2019	$40,666
2020	$42,246
2021	$44,030
2022	$45,108
2023	$46,212

IPEDS Published price 2000–01 to 2023–24 (not adjusted for inflation)

Cost, size & completion summary

Cost, size & completion

Simpson College reports published tuition of $47,656 in this record. Simpson College's $47,656 tuition excludes other attendance costs; aid can reduce the bill. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.

Simpson College reports 1,227 undergraduates. This count does not measure class size or advising access.

63.3% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at Simpson College within six years (2026-06-10 release). This measure excludes other student groups.

Do students finish — and what comes after?

Graduation, debt and earnings cover different groups. Read each chart's entering class or fiscal period; they are not one group's journey.

Six-year graduation rate

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63.3%entered Fall 2018Skip to data table

The share of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants who completed at this institution within six years. Other students are not included.

The six-year graduation rate at Simpson College has held near 63.3% from Fall 1991 to Fall 2018 entering cohorts.

A six-year rate can only describe a class that entered six or more years ago — by definition the last point on the line is that old.

Six-year graduation rate — data
Year	Graduated within 6 yrs
1991 cohort	61.1%
1992 cohort	62.1%
1993 cohort	64.8%
1994 cohort	66.7%
1995 cohort	73.2%
1996 cohort	66.4%
1997 cohort	64%
1998 cohort	66%
1999 cohort	69.9%
2000 cohort	69.2%
2001 cohort	64.9%
2002 cohort	68.2%
2003 cohort	65.1%
2004 cohort	67.5%
2005 cohort	68.8%
2006 cohort	66.8%
2007 cohort	64.9%
2008 cohort	72.5%
2009 cohort	67.7%
2010 cohort	63%
2011 cohort	68.3%
2012 cohort	69.6%
2013 cohort	71.5%
2014 cohort	70.9%
2015 cohort	68.9%
2016 cohort	66.7%
2017 cohort	65.7%
2018 cohort	63.3%

IPEDS Entering cohorts 1991–2018

Median debt at exit (completers vs non-completers)

Historical student groups

key chart

Skip to data table

Median federal student loan debt when students left school, shown separately for those who completed and those who did not.

CompletedLeft without degree

Each point combines two years. Neighboring points share one year, so changes should be read with that overlap in mind.

These two-year windows closed before today's students borrowed — they describe past cohorts, not the current price of a degree.

Median debt at exit — data
Year	Completed	Left without degree
Left school in fiscal years 1997 and 1998 (FY1997/98)	$17,125	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 1998 and 1999 (FY1998/99)	$17,125	$2,750
Left school in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 (FY1999/00)	$16,948	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 2000 and 2001 (FY2000/01)	$16,981	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 2001 and 2002 (FY2001/02)	$17,125	$4,375
Left school in fiscal years 2002 and 2003 (FY2002/03)	$17,125	$6,125
Left school in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 (FY2003/04)	$17,125	$10,500
Left school in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 (FY2004/05)	—	$11,955
Left school in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 (FY2005/06)	—	$12,340
Left school in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 (FY2007/08)	$17,125	$9,750
Left school in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 (FY2008/09)	$17,125	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 (FY2009/10)	$19,477	$6,667
Left school in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 (FY2010/11)	$22,125	$7,500
Left school in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (FY2011/12)	$25,000	$7,658
Left school in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 (FY2012/13)	$27,000	$7,962
Left school in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 (FY2013/14)	$27,000	$7,866
Left school in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 (FY2014/15)	$27,000	$7,500
Left school in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 (FY2015/16)	$27,000	$7,500
Left school in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (FY2016/17)	$27,000	$7,625
Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18)	$25,500	$8,750
Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19)	$26,000	$7,374
Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20)	$26,000	$6,500
Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21)	$26,000	$7,895

NSLDS GRAD_DEBT_MDN / WDRAW_DEBT_MDN, merged FY periods · via College Scorecard

Earnings after entry

Historical student groups

Median annual earnings after entering college, for federally aided students who were working and not enrolled when measured.

Entered: academic years 2013–14 or 2014–15

$49,946

6 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2011–12 or 2012–13

$50,552

8 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2009–10 or 2010–11

$59,274

10 years after entry

Each figure covers a different group of students who entered college in the stated years. Earnings were measured in the same two years; these are not one group followed over time.

Measured in 2020–21, adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars. Each figure pools two entering academic years.

Treasury Pooled entering cohorts · Scorecard 2020–21 historical file

What does the admissions record show?

Rates and score ranges describe a past admissions cycle. Submitted scores are not cutoffs or a prediction of admission.

Admissions snapshot & test policies

Simpson College admitted 1,764 of 2,046 applicants in Fall 2024. The 86.2% rate describes that application pool.

86.2%

acceptance rate · Fall 2024 admissions cycle

rate trend $46,212 tuition · 2023–24 1,227 undergraduates · Fall 2024

Test-optional (considered) · Fall 2024

Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →

Admissions

Simpson College: scores were considered but optional in the Fall 2024 admissions cycle.

Check current requirements with admissions.

Score	25th	50th	75th
ACT Composite	31	32	33

25th / 75th: a quarter of enrolled submitters scored below the first number, a quarter above the second. These are not cutoffs.

Only students who submitted scores are counted — at test-optional schools, many enrolled students aren't in this table.

Percentiles are among enrolled students who submitted scores (Fall 2024 admissions cycle).

In the Fall 2024 cycle, Simpson College received 2,046 applications and admitted 1,764 (86.2%), with 381 enrolling.

Acceptance rate

86.2%Fall 2024Skip to data table

The share of applicants offered a spot — lower means more selective; read it alongside the score ranges below.

Acceptance rate — data
Year	Acceptance rate
Fall 2002	85.5%
Fall 2003	86.5%
Fall 2004	85.7%
Fall 2005	86.1%
Fall 2006	87.8%
Fall 2007	87.7%
Fall 2008	88.4%
Fall 2009	88.5%
Fall 2010	86.2%
Fall 2011	84.8%
Fall 2012	88.7%
Fall 2013	88%
Fall 2014	85.5%
Fall 2015	89.5%
Fall 2016	85.5%
Fall 2017	83.9%
Fall 2018	84.2%
Fall 2019	80.5%
Fall 2020	86.6%
Fall 2021	90.8%
Fall 2022	89.1%
Fall 2023	88.9%
Fall 2024	86.2%

IPEDS Fall cycles 2002–2024

SAT range (section sums, 25th–75th)

890–1280Fall 2021 · submittersSkip to data table

Sums of the reading/writing and math percentiles among enrolled submitters — not percentiles of total SAT scores or admission cutoffs.

SAT range (section sums) — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2008	940	1220
Fall 2015	975	1205
Fall 2016	917	1235
Fall 2017	1070	1220
Fall 2018	1050	1250
Fall 2019	1030	1250
Fall 2020	1070	1200
Fall 2021	890	1280

IPEDS Fall 2008–2021, submitters only

ACT middle 50%

31–33Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

The middle half of enrolled ACT submitters, using published composite-score percentiles — not admission cutoffs.

ACT middle 50% — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2002	21	26
Fall 2003	22	26
Fall 2004	21	26
Fall 2005	22	27
Fall 2006	22	26
Fall 2007	22	27
Fall 2008	22	27
Fall 2009	21	27
Fall 2010	21	26
Fall 2011	21	26
Fall 2012	21	27
Fall 2013	21	27
Fall 2014	22	27
Fall 2015	21	27
Fall 2016	21	27
Fall 2017	21	27
Fall 2018	20	25
Fall 2019	19	25
Fall 2020	20	26
Fall 2021	20	27
Fall 2022	31	33
Fall 2023	31	33
Fall 2024	31	33

IPEDS Fall 2002–2024, submitters only

What is the campus like?

Enrollment counts a campus population; retention follows first-years returning. Their dates and populations are shown separately.

Undergraduate enrollment

1,227Fall 2024Skip to data table

Reported undergraduate enrollment. This count does not measure class size or teaching access.

Undergraduate enrollment at Simpson College fell from 1,845 (Fall 2002) to 1,227 (Fall 2024).

Undergraduate enrollment — data
Year	Undergraduates
Fall 2002	1,845
Fall 2003	1,864
Fall 2004	1,878
Fall 2005	1,902
Fall 2006	1,902
Fall 2007	1,918
Fall 2008	1,885
Fall 2009	1,912
Fall 2010	1,897
Fall 2011	1,817
Fall 2012	1,841
Fall 2013	1,687
Fall 2014	1,644
Fall 2015	1,592
Fall 2016	1,525
Fall 2017	1,406
Fall 2018	1,377
Fall 2019	1,296
Fall 2020	1,218
Fall 2021	1,167
Fall 2022	1,115
Fall 2023	1,130
Fall 2024	1,227

IPEDS Fall headcounts 2002–2024

First-year retention (full-time)

81%Fall 2023 cohortSkip to data table

The share of the reported first-time student group who returned the following year. This rate does not explain why others left.

First-year retention at Simpson College has held near 81% from Fall 2002 to Fall 2023.

First-year retention — data
Year	Retention
Fall 2002 cohort	81%
Fall 2003 cohort	77%
Fall 2004 cohort	82%
Fall 2005 cohort	78%
Fall 2006 cohort	81%
Fall 2007 cohort	79%
Fall 2008 cohort	84%
Fall 2009 cohort	80%
Fall 2010 cohort	77%
Fall 2011 cohort	82%
Fall 2012 cohort	79%
Fall 2013 cohort	82%
Fall 2014 cohort	81%
Fall 2015 cohort	77%
Fall 2016 cohort	80%
Fall 2017 cohort	77%
Fall 2018 cohort	78%
Fall 2019 cohort	77%
Fall 2020 cohort	70%
Fall 2021 cohort	78%
Fall 2022 cohort	76%
Fall 2023 cohort	81%

IPEDS Full-time cohorts 2002–2023

More about Simpson College

Faculty pay at Simpson College averages $80,676 a year, annualized from reported monthly pay. Carnegie classes Simpson College as a primarily residential campus of 1,227 undergraduates — and 81.3% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.

Incoming students who submitted scores typically landed between 31 and 33 on the ACT composite. Put your own practice estimate on Simpson College's range with the ACT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.

Why some charts are marked “key chart”

key chart

Start with three useful questions: what costs were reported for families in your income band, how many first-time full-time students finished, and what federal debt borrowers held when leaving.

How Simpson College compares

State and national medians cover active bachelor-primary institutions, mixing public and private schools. Tuition uses in-state rates at public schools. These are broad reference points, not a ranking of similar schools or your likely bill.

Scorecard dates identify the release snapshot, not a shared measurement year. Earnings describe federally aided students who were working and not enrolled ten years after entry; cohorts and populations differ from the admissions and tuition figures.

Acceptance rate

Fall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS

Simpson College86.2%

Iowa median80.1%

National median76.8%

Tuition

Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid

Simpson College$47,656

Iowa median$36,684

National median$19,591

Median earnings (10 yr)

Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot

Simpson College's snapshot: calendar years and dollar basis unverified.

Simpson College$59,274

Iowa median$55,396

National median$53,781

View comparison data & dates

Simpson College, Iowa and national reference values
Metric & basis	Simpson College	Iowa median	National median
Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS	86.2%	80.1%	76.8%
TuitionScorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid	$47,656	$36,684	$19,591
Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot	$59,274	$55,396	$53,781

Published earnings by bachelor's field of study

For Simpson College, these are federal subject groups (CIP), not departments. Median is the middle annual income.

Simpson College federal-aid recipients · graduated 2017–18 or 2018–19 · income measured 2022 or 2023 · inflation-adjusted to 2024 dollars. Definitions and limits.

View 13 fields & earnings

Bachelor's field of study (CIP category)	Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion
Computer and Information Sciences, General	$93,749
Computer Science	$91,318
Accounting and Related Services	$76,272
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$69,958
Mathematics	$65,097
Political Science and Government	$63,790
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication	$61,219
Criminal Justice and Corrections	$57,279
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness	$54,919
Psychology, General	$49,966
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas	$49,696
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods	$46,495
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities	$46,237

These 13 fields listed for Simpson College measure earnings after completion. The $59,274 institution-level snapshot above measures earnings after entry; it is not the same cohort or a total for these fields. 34 additional Simpson College fields have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.

Frequently asked questions

What test-score data does Simpson College report?

The middle 50% of Simpson College's enrolled Fall 2024 submitters reported ACT composites of 31–33; this dataset does not provide a GPA requirement.

What is Simpson College's acceptance rate?

86.2% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 1,764 admitted from 2,046 applicants.

How much does Simpson College cost?

At Simpson College, tuition is $47,656. Tuition is not the total cost of attendance; aid can reduce your bill.

What earnings data does Simpson College report?

Median earnings ten years after entry: $59,274. Major figures measure four years after completion. Source and date limits.

Similar colleges in Iowa

Upper Iowa University — 96.5% admitted
University of Northern Iowa — 92.7% admitted
Mercy College of Health Sciences — 99.7% admitted
Maharishi International University — 95.7% admitted

Run your own numbers

Data: IPEDS ADM2024 (Fall 2024 admissions, provisional) · IPEDS HD2024/IC2024 directory · College Scorecard 2026-06-10 release (institution and field-of-study files; earnings from Treasury records). Retrieved 2026-09-01. Chart dates follow this institution's available observations; the release date is not an academic year or an earnings year. Some records end earlier than others. Field-of-study cohort dates are shown with the table. Read the date and population definitions.