Albright College
Reading, Pennsylvania · Private Nonprofit · 76.3% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 56/100 · Below Average Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Albright College scores 56 (Below Average Value) on the CampusROI scale. The profile combines a 50.7% completion rate (sub-score 40) with a $27,000 median debt load and a 9.3-year payback period. Net price is $20,024 against $39,900 average six-year earnings. Debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.677 (sub-score 33) is elevated - graduates owe two-thirds of a full year's earnings. Repayment rate is 78.5% (sub-score 66), adequate but not strong. The institution's financial picture is bifurcated by program: Accounting (16 graduates, B, $61,245 year-one) is the best financial outcome; Information Science (3 graduates, C+, $80,329 year-one) is statistically strong but the tiny cohort limits the signal. At the other extreme, History (6 graduates, F, DTE 1.418), Fine and Studio Arts (8 graduates, F, DTE 1.492), Music (9 graduates, F, DTE 1.268), and Sociology (18 graduates, F, DTE 1.049) carry F grades - graduates in these programs owe more than a full year's earnings and the year-one salaries are $18-24k. Business Administration, Management (47 graduates, C) is the largest confirmed program volume. The completion rate of 50.7% - roughly half of enrolled students do not finish - is the institution's most significant structural problem.
Albright College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $29,082/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $29,082/yr |
| Average net price | $20,024/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $80,096 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $58,700 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $39,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 9.3 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 50.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,217 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $29,082/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $20,024/year, or roughly $80,096 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $16,345/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $24,947/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $27,000, which works out to about $286 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($39,900) and comes to 0.68, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $16,345 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $16,892 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $19,741 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $21,355 |
| $110,001+ | $24,947 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The 0-30000 income bracket pays $16,345 per year at Albright. The 30001-48000 bracket pays $16,892. For a $29,082 tuition institution, these represent meaningful discounts. Low-income students at $16-17k annually face a four-year cost of $65-68k. Against a 50.7% completion rate, the risk that a low-income student invests $65k and does not graduate is real and financially damaging. The value case for low-income students is strongest for those with clear program goals in accounting or business.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 48001-75000 bracket pays $19,741 and the 75001-110000 bracket pays $21,355. The income schedule steps up predictably through middle income. At $20-21k annually, Albright is reasonably priced for a private nonprofit. Middle-income families financing Albright should ensure their student is in a program with earnings outcomes above the $39,900 institutional average.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The 110001-plus bracket pays $24,947. Four-year cost is roughly $100,000. The financial case at this income level depends heavily on program choice: accounting and business are defensible; fine arts, music, and sociology are not.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Albright College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $64,702 | C |
| Psychology | $55,100 | D |
| Design and Applied Arts | $51,507 | D |
| Sociology | $53,702 | F |
| Accounting | $73,318 | B |
| Clinical Psychology | $60,589 | D |
| Biology | $55,892 | D |
| English Language and Literature | $51,149 | - |
| Music | $21,285 | F |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $44,441 | F |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Accounting
Accounting (16 graduates) is Albright's best financial outcome: $61,245 year-one, $73,318 at year four, B grade, debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.441 against $27,000 median debt. Monthly payments on $27,000 run roughly $286. Against a $61k first-year salary, this is very manageable. The B grade reflects that even Albright's best program carries a meaningful debt load at its net price. Accounting graduates enter the regional Pennsylvania business labor market with a credential that produces strong early-career earnings.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration (47 graduates, C grade) earns $39,711 year-one and $64,702 at year four, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.655 against $26,000 median debt. The C grade reflects moderate returns: $40k year-one against $20k annual net price and $26k debt is not a strong financial equation at entry, but the four-year jump to $65k shows meaningful career development. This is the largest confirmed program at Albright and a reasonable but not strong financial path.
Fine and Studio Arts
Fine and Studio Arts (8 graduates) earns an F grade: $18,099 year-one, $44,441 at year four, and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.492 against $27,000 median debt - graduates owe nearly 1.5 years of first-year earnings. Monthly payments of roughly $286 represent nearly 19% of $18k annual gross income. Students considering fine arts at Albright should have a clear plan for how they manage the early-career financial gap.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 74.6% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 78.5% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 74.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 82.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Albright College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 76.3% |
| Enrollment | 1,217 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 50.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,685 |
At 76.3%, Albright is accessible. No SAT or ACT ranges are reported in Scorecard. The institution's academic admissions bar is not the primary challenge - the completion rate is. Students who are accepted at Albright and can identify clear pathways to graduation in business or accounting have defensible financial outcomes. Students entering fine arts, music, sociology, or history programs face a combination of very low year-one earnings and debt loads exceeding annual salary.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albright College (this school) | 56 | $20,024 | $58,700 |
| Allegheny College | 63 | $22,940 | $62,069 |
| Edgewood College | 58 | $26,113 | $59,728 |
| Southern Nazarene University | 55 | $22,084 | $54,951 |
| Hood College | 54 | $20,873 | $57,089 |
| Bryn Athyn College of the New Church | 34 | $20,586 | $40,457 |
Who Thrives Here
Albright admits 76.3% of applicants. SAT and ACT ranges are not reported in Scorecard. Albright's low-to-moderate selectivity and relatively broad access profile mean students range widely in academic preparation. The completion rate of 50.7% signals that meaningful structural barriers exist - financial, academic, and life circumstances - for a substantial portion of students who enroll.
The Verdict: Proceed With Caution
The money case for Albright College is mixed, and worth a hard look before you commit. At $20,024 per year after aid, the typical graduate earns $58,700 ten years after entry, which means it takes about 9.3 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years. Whether it's worth it comes down to your major and your aid package.
What to keep an eye on: its 50.7% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68 (median across the schools we score: 0.61).
Median debt of $27,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $39,900 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Albright College: Common Questions
Is Albright College worth it?
In our view, the money case is mixed and worth a hard look before you commit. Albright College scores 56/100 on our ROI scale. At $20,024 a year after aid the typical graduate earns $58,700 ten years after entry, so it takes about 9.3 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does Albright College cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $20,024 a year, or roughly $80,096 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Albright College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $58,700 ten years after enrolling, roughly $16,900 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Albright College?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 9.3 years for Albright College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Albright College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $39,900 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Albright College?
The six-year graduation rate is 50.7%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.