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Is Cleary University worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Cleary, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Workable
Cleary lands in the workable band for a typical family. Median debt of $10,502 can be carried by median long-run earnings of $64,883, but the margin is not huge. For context, Cleary's net price is about 9% above the typical 4-year, private nonprofit school. This is the kind of school where your actual aid offer can move the answer meaningfully.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 1237 similar 4-year, private nonprofit schools
This school
$24,965
/yrAverage school like this
$22,837
/yrNet price is slightly above average
You'd pay about $2,128 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $9,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$19,651
Median earnings 10 years out
$64,883
Median debt at graduation
$10,502
Graduation rate
60%
At Cleary, a typical graduate carries about $10,502 in student debt and earns roughly $64,883 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $119 per month, or 2% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $23,083 more than the typical high school graduate ($41,800) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties undergraduate student-loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
84% of former students here out-earned that benchmark ten years after entry, per College Scorecard.
Context, not a federal determination: the official test will use earnings measured four years after completion and thresholds the Department of Education has not yet published, which may vary by state. Our figure is College Scorecard median earnings ten years after entry. How this works
What this means for your family
Cleary is a private nonprofit four year school in Howell, MI. Private pricing can swing more dramatically based on aid, so your personalized score matters more here than the national average view alone.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Private nonprofit 4-year
The University of Olivet
Olivet, MI
Worth-It Score: 51/100
Median net price: $19,491
Private nonprofit 4-year
Spring Arbor
Spring Arbor, MI
Worth-It Score: 65/100
Median net price: $19,227
Private nonprofit 4-year
Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo, MI
Worth-It Score: 75/100
Median net price: $20,784
Private nonprofit 4-year
Calvin
Grand Rapids, MI
Worth-It Score: 71/100
Median net price: $21,122
Private nonprofit 4-year
Rochester Christian
Rochester Hills, MI
Worth-It Score: 53/100
Median net price: $18,100
Common questions about Cleary
The median net price at Cleary is $19,651 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at private colleges options in Michigan? See the most affordable private colleges in Michigan →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →
What families actually paid
The published price is rarely what anyone pays. Pick a household income range to see what students at Cleary in that range paid on average, after grants and scholarships.
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All students who received aid
$23,705a year, on average
Average for first-time, full-time students who received federal financial aid, 2024. It does not include transfer or part-time students, and it is an average rather than a quote — what you pay depends on your own circumstances and the aid this school offers you. Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS.
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →