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CollegeROIData

California Intercontinental University vs Dakota Wesleyan University

Side-by-side college ROI comparison from College Scorecard data

Reviewed by CollegeROIData Editorial Team · Updated

Verdict

California Intercontinental University has a 100.0% graduation rate compared to Dakota Wesleyan University at 100.0%. Average median debt: California Intercontinental University at $19,816 vs Dakota Wesleyan University at $30,365. Average first-year post-graduation earnings: $74,000 vs $50,800.

MetricCalifornia Intercontinental UniversityDakota Wesleyan University
Graduation Rate100.0%100.0%
School TypePrivatePrivate
StateSdSd
Avg Median Debt
Average median debt across all tracked majors
$19,816*$30,365
Avg 1yr Earnings
Average first-year earnings across all tracked majors
$74,000*$50,800
Majors Tracked320
Best ROI MajorComputer/Information Technology Administration and Management (98/100)*Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (76/100)
Best Major Debt$17,129*$32,908
Best Major 1yr Earnings$95,000*$62,000

California Intercontinental University has a 100.0% graduation rate compared to Dakota Wesleyan University at 100.0%. Average median debt: California Intercontinental University at $19,816 vs Dakota Wesleyan University at $30,365. Average first-year post-graduation earnings: $74,000 vs $50,800.

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Completion rates run close at the two schools: 100.0% versus 100.0%. When graduation probability is comparable across both options, the decision comes down to cost and post-graduation earnings rather than degree-completion risk.

Average median debt: California Intercontinental University at $19,816, the other option at $30,365. That's a wide enough spread that the debt-service burden in the first ten years after graduation differs by hundreds of dollars per month, which matters for housing affordability, savings rate, and the ability to pursue lower-paying entry-level work in a chosen field.

On earnings, the spread is significant — graduates of California Intercontinental University report median first-year earnings of $74,000 versus $50,800 at the alternative. Earnings differences at first-year out are heavily driven by program mix (engineering vs. liberal arts) and employer-pipeline density (school's geographic and industry network), not by institutional prestige alone — check which majors drive the headline numbers.

Both schools sit in Sd, which simplifies the in-state-vs-out-of-state tuition question and aligns the regional labor markets students will enter post-graduation. Cross-school comparisons within the same state should weight program mix and employer-pipeline depth heavily — the cost-of-living and labor-market backdrop is effectively held constant, so program-level differences are the differentiator.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, 2026.