Cleary University captured the No. 1 spot in Michigan for its return on investment (ROI) among private, nonprofit schools. Students who earn their bachelor’s degree in business from Cleary will earn an average of $1,124,708 – almost $200,000 more than the school ranked second in the state.
According to data from The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREOPP), Cleary also placed first in the state for earnings one year after graduation and 10 years after graduation.
“We attribute this No. 1 position to many factors, particularly the alignment of our curriculum with the labor market,” said Cleary President Alan Drimmer. “Employers are seeking Cleary graduates because they are armed with The Cleary Mind™ attributes – critical and creative thinking, problem solving, effective communication, entrepreneurship, persuasion and ethical leadership. Our students are ready for the work world when they graduate from Cleary, and FREOPP has demonstrated this in its findings.
“Cleary is extremely proud of its robust and highly experienced faculty who bring their real business world experiences into the classroom. Students are learning from experts in their field of study.”
Small class sizes and personalized attention add to Cleary’s historical successful outcomes.
The FREOPP report estimates ROI – how much college increases lifetime earnings (subtracting the cost of tuition, fees, books, supplies and lost earnings while in school) – for 53,000 different degree and certificate programs. Bachelor degree programs have a median ROI of $160,000. FREOPP listed Cleary’s ROI as $1,124,708.
In addition, Cleary bachelor’s degree graduates earn on average more than $67,000 one year post-graduation. The annual salary of the school listed second was almost $10,000 less one year post-graduation. After 10 years, Cleary graduates earn an average of $94,000 a year, while students graduating from the school listed second earned $11,000 less annually.
This recently released data from FREOPP was updated from its previous research on ROI, using data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard. The FREOPP report also points out that certain degree programs have a higher ROI because the school prepares students for jobs with high labor market demand. “This is why an education at Cleary is so valuable,” Dr. Drimmer points out. “We prepare our students for the current labor market needs.
Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce also ranked Cleary one of the best private, nonprofit universities in Michigan for ROI. According to Net Present Value (NPV) of all private, nonprofit schools in Michigan 10 years post graduation, Cleary was listed No. 3.
In addition, the Wall Street Journal ranked Cleary No. 5 in the country for its student debt ratio to starting salaries.
“Cleary often exceeds the pace of innovation among other business schools,” Drimmer said. “Cleary University’s focus is to provide extensive resources and an affordable, quality education for every single student.”
To make this happen, Cleary offers a no- or low-cost tuition rate called the Cougar Country Promise for students living anywhere in Michigan.
Cleary also established an accelerated degree program for first responders including police, fire and EMS providers.
“This has attracted hundreds of adult students who have found the program convenient, flexible, attainable and affordable,” Drimmer said.
Since the program’s inception, more than 600 Detroit Police officers and staff have earned their degrees from Cleary. This number does not include first responders and Michigan State Police officers from across the state who have completed their degrees from Cleary.
“High school students consistently report they are looking for a good job that will help them earn more money,” said Jeremy Walker, senior vice president of Enrollment Management at Cleary. “An increasing number of these students are skeptical that college is the way to go, which has contributed to falling enrollments across the nation’s universities. At Cleary, we are very proud to say that last year’s class had the highest enrollment in decades.”
Cleary’s incoming student enrollment for the 2023-2024 school year was 1,050 students, an increase of 17% from the previous year.
This year, Cleary took another step to improve the enrollment process for incoming students. Cleary Direct Connect is a new program where qualified students automatically are admitted to the university through a streamlined admission process. Cleary Direct Connect virtually eliminates the entire application process and moves directly to enrollment steps.
“Cleary is becoming known as one of the best business schools in the state and country, and we plan to keep the momentum going,” Drimmer said.
To review the Georgetown University rankings, click here.
