Cost, debt & salary

Is Oakland University worth it? What it costs, and what graduates earn

You would borrow a median $22,750 — about $259 a month for ten years. Graduates earn a median $58,612 ten years after starting, so the debt clears in roughly 1.2 years of the salary premium.

C

Is it worth the money?

It is a fair deal, close to the national middle. What you study and what you borrow will matter more than the badge.

You borrow $22,750 median federal debt at graduation
You repay $259/mo standard 10-year federal plan
You earn $58,612 median, 10 years after entry · beats 58%
Debt clears in 1.2 yrs ranked 371 of 810

What that feels like each month Repayment against the salary that has to cover it.

Gross monthly pay
$4,884
Loan repayment
$259
Share of your pay
5.3%
0%15% — the comfort line25%

Under roughly 15% of gross pay, repayment is generally considered manageable alongside rent and living costs.

Cut the debt before you borrow it

We do not list an award tied specifically to Oakland University yet — but national, country and subject scholarships still apply to students heading there, and each one cuts the $22,750 above.

Browse scholarships for the USA →

Need a student loan for Oakland University?

Tell us what you need and we will come back with the lenders that actually fund students from your country — including options with no US co-signer. No obligation, and we never charge you.

Free for students. We are not a lender and give no financial advice — we pass your request to partners and may be paid by them if you go ahead. One request per person per service; sending it again simply updates what we hold.

How Oakland University compares Against the 810 US universities we grade on payback.

The typical graded university clears its debt in 1.3 years on median earnings of $57,146 against $22,500 of debt. Oakland University clears its debt faster than that, and its graduates earn $19,092 a year more than a US worker with only a high-school diploma.

Nearby universityGradeDebtEarningsPayback
University of Michigan - Dearborn Michigan C $22,500 $59,649 1.1 yrs
Kalamazoo College Michigan C $26,077 $65,590 1 yrs
Ferris State University Michigan C $21,000 $54,735 1.4 yrs
Albion College Michigan C $27,000 $58,799 1.4 yrs
Hope College Michigan C $26,800 $58,427 1.4 yrs

Oakland University — the money questions

How much do graduates of Oakland University earn?
Median earnings are $58,612 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled — from tax records, not a survey. That is higher than 58% of the US universities we hold figures for.
How much debt will I have at Oakland University?
The median graduate leaves with $22,750 of federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $259 a month — roughly 5.3% of the median graduate's monthly pay before tax.
How long does a degree from Oakland University take to pay for itself?
About 1.2 years of the salary premium — the amount graduates earn above the $39,520 a US worker with only a high-school diploma makes. That ranks it 371 of 810 US universities we grade on payback.
Can scholarships reduce this debt?
We do not currently list a scholarship tied specifically to Oakland University, but national and subject-based awards still apply — start from our scholarships listing.
Do these numbers apply to my subject?
No. The Department of Education publishes one figure per institution, so nursing, engineering and fine art students at Oakland University all sit inside the same median. Treat it as the size of the financial risk, not a salary forecast for your course.
Oakland University profile Programmes at Oakland University Oakland University scholarships Oakland University review & grade Compare with University of Michigan - Dearborn Payback across Michigan What Oakland University costs Student loan record SAT scores & admission Fastest-paying US degrees Lowest student debt How we calculate this

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard — earnings and debt cover students who received federal financial aid and blend every subject taught at the institution. Figures imported 28 Aug 2026. This page is information, not financial advice.