
ACU Online's reported student retention rate is 48%. Retention generally measures whether students in a defined entering cohort return for a subsequent year; it is not the percentage who eventually earn a degree.
The distinction is particularly important for an online division with transfer students and adults who may study part time or pause enrollment. A first-year retention figure does not show how long students take to finish, how many transfer credits count toward graduation, or what happens after a break in study. Applicants comparing completion outcomes should ask for the rate and timeframe for their program and entry category, rather than treating retention as a graduation rate.
College Scorecard field-of-study figures report earnings measured about one year after completion for qualifying former students, not a salary guaranteed to everyone with a degree. Among the reported ACU fields, the one-year figure is $62,092 for registered nursing and $41,737 for business administration, management and operations.
Other reported examples include $29,684 for psychology and $28,194 for human development and family studies. These are field-level outcomes, not estimates tailored to an online applicant. Scorecard earnings measures cover a defined group of federal-aid recipients with available earnings records; they do not describe every graduate, and they cannot separate the effects of the degree from prior experience, occupation, location, or further education. Nursing figures, for example, may reflect students who were already licensed and employed when they entered a completion program.
Degrees
Business Administration, Management and Operations
$41,737Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
$28,194Marketing
$42,484Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
$27,151Psychology, General
$29,684Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$62,092Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
$18,633BACHELOR’S Degree
Health Professions and Related Programs
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
Psychology
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
Theology and Religious Vocations
Data last updated on November 2, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.