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Simpson University
Redding, CAprivate nonprofitwww.simpsonu.edu/
Acceptance
86%
Avg net price
$27,817
Earnings (10 yr)
$54,340
Graduation rate
49%
Admit rate has ranged 52%–99% over the last 4 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Simpson University is a small Christian university in Redding, California, where nearly all applicants get in but few stick around—its 6-year graduation rate hovers around 48%. Known for its tight-knit, faith-based community and hands-on programs like nursing and biblical studies, Simpson offers a no-frills education with a heavy dose of spiritual formation, though its outcomes lag behind national averages.
Admission requirements
Test-blind — scores not considered
Required
- High school transcript
- Grade point average
- TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
- Letters of recommendation
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2021) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
- Undergrad enrollment
- 809
- In-state tuition
- $39,708
- Out-of-state tuition
- $39,708
- Top Majors
- Nursing, Biblical Studies, Social Work
- Acceptance Rate
- 66-99% (varies by source)
- On-Campus Housing
- 62% of students
- Student-Faculty Ratio
- 12:1
- 6-Year Graduation Rate
- 48%
- Average Financial Aid Package
- $30,338
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $54,340
- Value (earnings ÷ net price)
- 2.0×
- Median debt at graduation
- $18,750
- Graduation rate
- 49%
- First-year retention
- 60%
- Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
- 66%
- Pell (lower-income) share
- 67%
- First-generation share
- 38%
- Endowment / student
- $9,116
Financial health
2.2 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$84,161
- Accounting and Related Services$56,415
- Human Resources Management and Services$40,281
- Business Administration, Management and Operations$36,042
- Psychology, General$31,765
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Campus & location
Campus safety
- On-campus violent crimes (2024)
- 0
- Per 1,000 students
- 0.00
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
- Pleasant days / yr
- 94
- Summer high
- 100°F
- Winter low
- 41°F
- Annual rain
- 35.1"
- Annual snow
- 8.5"
- Natural-hazard risk
- Relatively Moderate
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility
Research output
- Institutional h-index
- 91
- Scholarly works
- 446
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Economic mobility
- Mobility rate
- 1.7%
- Bottom → top quintile
- 26%
- From bottom quintile
- 6%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Quick answers
- What is the acceptance rate at Simpson University?
- Simpson University's acceptance rate is approximately 86% (Redding, CA), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
- How much does Simpson University cost?
- At Simpson University, the average net price (after aid) is about $27,817 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
- How many undergraduates attend Simpson University?
- Simpson University enrolls approximately 809 undergraduate students.
- Where is Simpson University located?
- Simpson University is located in Redding, CA.
Admissions
Simpson University is about as close to open admissions as it gets without officially being one—Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. swing wildly between reported figures of 66% (US News) and 99% (PrepScholar). Test scores are optional, and the middle 50% of admitted students' SAT scores range from 890–1250, with ACT composites between an unremarkable 18–24. The university emphasizes GPA as the most important academic factor, though with such high acceptance rates, the bar is clearly low. Early action is available but hardly necessary given the near-guaranteed admission.
Academics
The academic offerings at Simpson are lean and ministry-leaning: biblical studies, social work, and biology each account for just 2-3% of majors. The ASPIRE degree completion program caters to working adults with options in business administration and criminal justice. While the university touts 'academic excellence,' the curriculum skews practical rather than rigorous—think 'foundational knowledge' over intellectual fireworks. Notably, nursing students praise faculty support, but overall program breadth is limited compared to secular peers.
Compare Simpson University
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- [PDF] Common Data Set 2022-2023 - Simpson University
- Institutional Research - Simpson University
- Common Data Set: Home
- Consumer Information Data Sources - Simpson College
- The Common Data Set: What It Is & How to Use It In College ...
- Where to find Common Data Set (CDS) for college admission statistics
- Simpson University SAT Scores and GPA
- Simpson University Admissions - US News Best Colleges
- First-Time Freshman Admissions - Simpson University
- Simpson College Admissions - BigFuture College Search
