Is Doane University Worth It?

Doane University gives you a moderate but real financial return that depends heavily on your major. At a net price near $28,000 a year and median debt of $25,000, you are borrowing a manageable amount, and median earnings of $53,316 a decade out sit comfortably above your debt load. The 56% graduation rate is the bigger risk here: nearly half of students don't finish, and dropping out with debt and no degree is the worst outcome on this page.

Nursing is the clear payoff. It pays the most of any program here and comes with the lowest debt, so you leave with strong earnings and less to repay. Accounting and business administration also clear the bar, with accounting earning about $6,000 more per year than business for a similar debt load. Sociology and criminal justice are where the math gets hard. Both pay in the low $30,000s while sociology grads carry $26,000 in debt, more than the higher-paying nursing track. Picking one of these majors means your earnings barely move above your debt, and Nebraska's regional job market won't rescue those numbers.

Your net price barely drops as income falls. Families under $30,000 still pay about $24,500, and the $48-75k tier actually pays more than lower brackets. If your family earns under $48,000, expect to borrow to cover a bill that doesn't shrink much for you.

Doane fits you if you're headed into nursing, accounting, or business and you're confident you'll graduate. Look elsewhere if you're drawn to sociology or criminal justice, or if finishing in four years is uncertain, because the price stays high regardless of what you study and the low-paying majors here won't cover it.