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Great Northern University

Spokane, WA · official site ↗

Private nonprofitOther / Unclassified
61
Fin. Resilience
Resilience score

vs. 41 peers in its group

Great Northern University is a private nonprofit institution in Spokane, WA.

It enrolls about 48 undergraduates and is benchmarked here against 41 peer institutions (Other / Unclassified · Private nonprofit).

On Ibex's Financial Resilience score it rates 61 out of 100 within that peer group, a transparent composite of endowment per undergraduate, net tuition revenue per student, and instructional spend per student.

Its strongest standing relative to peers is first-year retention (100%, 100th percentile).

Its weakest is return on net assets (-8.3%).

Peer group

Other / Unclassified · Private nonprofit

41 institutions

No cross-metric risk flags triggered.
Policy & demographic exposure

How exposed Great Northern University is to the structural shifts reshaping higher ed: a composite structural-risk index plus the 2025 federal budget law’s endowment excise tax and Grad PLUS elimination and the demographic enrollment cliff. Only signals that apply to this institution are shown.

Structural risk indexAn indicative 0–100 structural-risk index (higher = more pressure) blending operating margin, months of cash cushion, tuition dependency and the home-state enrollment cliff. Screens for the financial and demographic strain that precedes closures and mergers — directional, not a prediction.
54
Elevated
Enrollment cliff (home state)Projected change in the institution's home-state high-school graduates from 2025 to 2041 (WICHE). The U.S. total falls about 13%; a directional feeder-market signal, not an enrollment forecast.
-10.9%
Steep decline

Indicative signals, not forecasts — see each metric’s definition and the methodology. Endowment-tax and Grad PLUS figures appear only where the institution is actually exposed; “nationally” compares against all schools that report each signal.

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Financial Health Index
1.0
on a −4 to 10 scale
Financial Health IndexWatch

NACUBO Composite Financial Index — the balance-sheet health score accreditors and institutional boards use to gauge financial health; bond-rating agencies track similar ratios. 22nd percentile of 41 peers. Carries little or no plant debt, so the viability ratio is excluded and weights re-normalized.

Primary reserve 55%6.5 mo
Return on net assets 30%-8.3%
Operating result 15%0%

Composite of four ratios on a strength-factor scale (−4 weak → 10 strong): below 3 falls short of the threshold for financial health, below 1 signals acute stress, and above 6 is strong. Computed from IPEDS FY2022-23, the most recent finance release (it lags the current year by 2–3 years). Branch campuses that report finances at a parent/system level can show distorted ratios. For informational benchmarking, not a credit rating or financial advice.

Revenue composition
Where the money comes from $840,988 total revenue · IPEDS FY2022-23

Tuition & fees is the largest single source at 45% of revenue.

Tuition & fees45.0%
Private gifts & grants38.9%
Auxiliary enterprises11.8%
Other revenue3.7%
Government grants & contracts0.6%
Investment return0.0%

Where each dollar of revenue comes from, as a share of total positive revenue. Sources are standardized across public (GASB) and private (FASB) reporting; a net investment loss in a down market is shown as 0% and excluded from the mix.

Financial Health
Net tuition revenue / FTETuition revenue per full-time-equivalent student after institutional aid/discounts — what tuition actually nets.
Average
$13,637
57th percentile in peer grouppeer median $11,706
Instructional spend / FTESpending on instruction per FTE student — how much of the budget reaches the classroom.
Average
$16,553
65th percentile in peer grouppeer median $13,077
In-state tuition & feesPublished in-state tuition and fees before aid (sticker price).
$18,300
88th percentile in peer grouppeer median $12,300
Out-of-state tuition & feesPublished out-of-state tuition and fees before aid (sticker price).
$18,300
88th percentile in peer grouppeer median $12,300
Avg annual cost of attendanceAverage total annual cost — tuition, fees and living costs — before aid.
$28,405
67th percentile in peer grouppeer median $23,300
Avg monthly faculty salaryAverage monthly salary of full-time faculty (IPEDS) — a proxy for faculty investment.
Average
$5,600
43rd percentile in peer grouppeer median $5,944
Average monthly salary of full-time faculty, as reported to IPEDS.
Average net priceAverage yearly price families actually pay after grants and scholarships.
Average
$21,029
60th percentile in peer grouppeer median $14,504
Operating marginNet surplus as a share of total revenue — whether the institution runs in the black.
Deficit
-5.1%
27th percentile in peer grouppeer median 12.3%
Net surplus as a share of total revenue (IPEDS FY2022-23): (total revenues − total expenses) ÷ total revenues. A surplus above 4% is strong; a thin surplus near 0% leaves little margin for shocks.
Tuition dependencyTuition's share of total revenue — how exposed the budget is to enrollment swings.
45%
69th percentile in peer grouppeer median 35.6%
Tuition & fees as a share of total revenue (IPEDS FY2022-23). Higher = more exposed to enrollment swings.
Tuition discount rateInstitutional grant aid as a share of gross tuition (IPEDS, private nonprofits only) — the tuition-discount rate. The share of sticker tuition handed back as aid; a high rate (the national average is ~56%) signals heavy price competition for students.
Moderate
0.7%
26th percentile in peer grouppeer median 26.1%
Institutional grant aid as a share of gross tuition & fee revenue (IPEDS FY2022-23, FASB): allowances applied to tuition ÷ (net tuition revenue + those allowances) — the tuition-discount rate enrollment leaders track, i.e. the share of sticker tuition handed back as institutional aid. Private nonprofit institutions only; public (GASB) institutions report tuition differently and are not shown. The national private-college average is roughly 56% (NACUBO); above ~60% signals heavy price competition.
State appropriations shareState appropriations' share of total revenue — material for public institutions, near zero for private.
0%
92nd percentile in peer grouppeer median 0%
State appropriations as a share of total revenue (IPEDS FY2022-23). Material for public institutions; ~0 for private.
Administrative cost shareInstitutional support (central administration, governance, general administration, fundraising, and under FASB the operation & maintenance of plant) as a share of total expenses — private nonprofit (FASB) institutions only, where the figure is comparable. An informational gauge of administrative intensity, not a measure of waste.
17.7%
41st percentile in peer grouppeer median 20.5%
Institutional support — central administration, executive management, governance, general administration, fundraising and (under FASB rules) operation & maintenance of plant — as a share of total expenses (IPEDS FY2022-23, FASB). Private nonprofit institutions only: public (GASB) institutions report functional expenses on a different basis and frequently consolidate large hospital and auxiliary operations, which makes a comparable ratio unreliable, so they are not shown. Because FASB folds plant operations into institutional support, this runs higher than a narrow 'central-office' figure, and schools with sizable hospital or auxiliary operations show a lower ratio as those costs enlarge total expenses. An informational benchmark of administrative intensity, compared within the peer group — not a measure of waste or quality.
Months of operating cushionMonths of operating expenses covered by expendable reserves — the institution's cash cushion.
Strong
6.5 mo
61st percentile in peer grouppeer median 1 mo
How many months of operating expenses the institution could cover from expendable reserves (IPEDS FY2022-23 primary reserve ratio × 12). About 5 months — one semester — is the accreditor benchmark for solid footing; below ~3 months is thin. A negative figure means expendable reserves are themselves negative.
Return on net assetsChange in net assets over the year — whether the institution grew wealthier.
Weak
-8.3%
17th percentile in peer grouppeer median 17.6%
Change in total net assets ÷ net assets (IPEDS FY2022-23) — whether the institution grew wealthier over the year. 2–4% is adequate; above 4% is strong.
Structural risk indexAn indicative 0–100 structural-risk index (higher = more pressure) blending operating margin, months of cash cushion, tuition dependency and the home-state enrollment cliff. Screens for the financial and demographic strain that precedes closures and mergers — directional, not a prediction.
Elevated
54
— percentile in peer group
An indicative 0–100 structural-risk index (higher = more pressure), an equal-weight blend of the stress signals we measure: thin or negative operating margin, low months of operating cushion, high tuition dependency, and a shrinking home-state high-school-graduate pipeline (enrollment cliff). Averaged over whichever signals are available (at least two required). It screens for the financial and demographic pressures that precede closures and mergers — a directional indicator, NOT a prediction that any institution will close, and not a credit rating.
Graduation & completion
Graduation rate · first-time, full-time
50%

50% graduate within 6 years (150% of normal time)
0% on-time, within 4 years (100%)
Counts only students who entered full-time as first-time freshmen and earned a bachelor's here — the conventional headline rate. Excludes part-time entrants and transfer-ins.

Completion rate · all students
—

Not reported for this institution.

Why two numbers? They measure different students over different windows, so they are not directly comparable. The graduation rate is the standard federal headline but tracks only first-time, full-time students through a bachelor's; the all-students completion rate adds the part-time and transfer students it leaves out, over a longer window. Read each for what it covers. Source: U.S. Department of Education — IPEDS Graduation Rates & Outcome Measures, via College Scorecard.

Enrollment & Pipeline
Undergraduate enrollmentNumber of degree-seeking undergraduates (IPEDS fall headcount). A size measure, not a quality signal.
48
30th percentile in peer grouppeer median 93
Admission rateShare of applicants offered admission. Lower means more selective; open-admission schools report none.
100%
100th percentile in peer grouppeer median 100%
First-year retentionShare of first-time, full-time freshmen who return for a second year — an early signal of student fit and support.
Strong
100%
100th percentile in peer grouppeer median 80.5%
Graduation rate (6-yr · first-time, full-time)Of first-time, full-time freshmen, the share who earn a bachelor's at this institution within six years (150% of normal time) — the conventional headline graduation rate. It counts only first-time, full-time students and excludes part-time entrants and transfer-ins, who are captured instead by the all-students completion rate.
Strong
50%
93rd percentile in peer grouppeer median 8.4%
Graduation rate (4-yr on-time · first-time, full-time)Of first-time, full-time freshmen, the share who earn a bachelor's within four years (100% of normal time) — the 'on-time' rate. It runs well below the six-year rate because many students take a fifth or sixth year; same first-time, full-time cohort as the six-year rate.
Strong
0%
79th percentile in peer grouppeer median 0%
Pell recipient shareShare of undergraduates on a federal Pell Grant — a proxy for the share from lower-income families.
41.7%
58th percentile in peer grouppeer median 39%
12-month FTE enrollmentFull-time-equivalent enrollment over the full year — the denominator for per-student finance measures.
18
19th percentile in peer grouppeer median 70
Full-time-equivalent enrollment over the full 12-month year (IPEDS 12-month enrollment, 2022-23). Counts part-time students at their fractional load, so it runs above fall full-time headcount and is the denominator used for per-student finance measures.
Student-faculty ratioStudents per instructional faculty member — lower usually means smaller classes and more contact.
3:1
23rd percentile in peer grouppeer median 9:1
Students per instructional faculty member (IPEDS, fall 2023). Lower generally means smaller classes and more faculty contact, though the measure mixes undergraduate and graduate teaching and is institution-reported.
Enrollment cliff (home state)Projected change in the institution's home-state high-school graduates from 2025 to 2041 (WICHE). The U.S. total falls about 13%; a directional feeder-market signal, not an enrollment forecast.
Steep decline
-10.9%
— percentile in peer group
Projected change in the number of high-school graduates in the institution's HOME STATE from the class of 2025 (the national peak) to 2041, per WICHE's Knocking at the College Door, 11th Edition (Dec 2024). The 'enrollment cliff' is the post-2008 birth decline reaching college age; the U.S. total is projected to fall about 13% over this window. A college recruits from many states, so its home-state projection is an indicative directional signal of feeder-market pressure, not a forecast of that institution's own enrollment.
Admission yield
Average
69.2%
40th percentile in peer grouppeer median 72%
Share of admitted students who enrolled (IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023): students who enrolled ÷ students admitted. A demand signal — how many accepted offers the institution converts to enrollment. Higher yield generally reflects stronger demand, though binding early-decision programs and price positioning can inflate it. Open-admission institutions do not report admissions and show none.
Student body
Undergraduate race & ethnicity IPEDS 2024-25
White89.6%
Hispanic/Latino4.2%
Unknown4.2%
Asian2.1%

Undergraduate enrollment by race and ethnicity, as reported to IPEDS (College Scorecard). “International” denotes nonresident students; “Unknown” means race/ethnicity was not reported.

Student Outcomes & Risk
Share taking federal loansShare of students taking out federal loans — a borrowing-reliance signal.
25%
69th percentile in peer grouppeer median 0%
Top fields of study (bachelor's)

Great Northern University’s largest fields by completions, with graduate earnings (4 years out) and debt benchmarked against the same field at its peer group. Sparklines show the 8-year completions trend.

FieldCompletions / yrMedian earnings, 4 yrs outMedian debtEarnings premiumRisk score
Theology & Religious Vocations2———Low · 0
Education1———High · 100
Foreign Languages & Linguistics1———High · 100
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies1————

Earnings-premium status is an indicative estimate: median graduate earnings four years out vs the WA state median earnings of a high-school graduate (undergraduate credentials) or a bachelor’s-degree holder (graduate credentials) from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2022 ACS 5-year). The official U.S. Department of Education determination uses its own cohort definition and may differ.

The risk score (0–100) is an indicative blend of earnings-premium margin and the five-year completions trend—higher means a field pays closer to (or below) the benchmark and is shrinking. A directional screen, not an official determination.

See the interactive dashboard for all fields and credential levels (associate through doctoral). Source: College Scorecard Field of Study.

Frequently asked
How financially healthy is Great Northern University?
On the NACUBO Composite Financial Index — the −4 to 10 balance-sheet score accreditors and institutional boards use — Great Northern University scores 1.0 (Watch), computed from its IPEDS FY2022-23 finances. This is informational benchmarking, not a credit rating.
How selective is Great Northern University?
Great Northern University admits about 100% of applicants, and roughly 100% of first-year students return for a second year.
What is Great Northern University's student-faculty ratio?
Great Northern University reports a student-faculty ratio of 3:1 (IPEDS, fall 2023) — that is, about 3 students for every instructional faculty member.
How much does Great Northern University cost?
The average published cost of attendance is $28,405 and the average net price after aid is $21,029 (College Scorecard).
Which schools are Great Northern University's peers?
Great Northern University is benchmarked against 41 institutions in the Other / Unclassified · Private nonprofit peer group; all percentiles and medians on this page are computed within that group.
Compare with peers
Sattler CollegeNewU UniversitySelma UniversityEpic Bible College & Graduate SchoolDHARMA REALM BUDDHIST UNIVERSITYMontana Bible College

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Source: U.S. Department of Education — College Scorecard & IPEDS (most recent releases), with the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS), the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Employment Projections, field-demand outlook) and WICHE (enrollment-cliff projections). Figures lag the current academic year by roughly two to three years. Percentiles and medians are computed within the institution's peer group. Financial Resilience is a transparent composite — see each component above. Compiled by Ibex Insights.