Alvernia University
Reading, Pennsylvania · Private Nonprofit · 58.1% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 40/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Alvernia University scores 40 (Below Benchmark) on the CampusROI scale - a Franciscan-affiliated institution in Reading, PA with 2,152 enrolled undergraduates and a $45,000 sticker tuition discounted to a $28,138 net price. The score reflects a 12.6-year payback period, a 0.701 debt-to-earnings ratio, a 55.5% completion rate, and a 72.6% repayment rate at 7 years. Average 6-year earnings of $38,500 are low relative to the $28,138 net price. The most striking outlier is the Mental and Social Health Services program: 22 graduates carrying $54,779 in median debt against $41,115 in year-one earnings - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.332 and an F grade. That $54,779 median debt figure suggests a substantial number of students in this program are borrowing far beyond the institutional median. Nursing is the countervailing bright spot: 59 graduates, $77,394 year-one, $94,679 at year four, a B+ grade on $27,000 debt. Business Administration (31 grads, $52,742 year-one, grade C+) and Accounting (14 grads, $53,428 year-one, grade C+) are mid-range. Criminal Justice (33 grads, $39,940 year-one) earns a D on $30,250 median debt. The 55.5% completion rate means 4 in 10 students who start at Alvernia do not finish.
How Alvernia University scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score40/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
Alvernia University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $45,000/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $45,000/yr |
| Average net price | $28,138/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $112,552 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $55,055 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $38,500 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 12.6 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 55.5% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,152 |
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: $45,000/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $28,138/year, or roughly $112,552 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 $23,436/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $32,152/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 ($38,500) and comes to 0.70, 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 | $23,436 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $23,701 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $24,131 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $28,016 |
| $110,001+ | $32,152 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The 0-30000 income bracket pays $23,436 per year at Alvernia. The 30001-48000 bracket pays $23,701, essentially flat. For low-income students, the completion rate of 55.5% is the primary structural risk: borrowing $23,000 per year and not finishing produces debt without credentials. Low-income students who complete nursing at Alvernia face a defensible financial outcome; those entering social work, criminal justice, or mental health services face a harder road.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 48001-75000 bracket pays $24,131 at Alvernia, with very gradual increases across income bands. The 75001-110000 bracket pays $28,016. The aid schedule at Alvernia is compressed, with relatively small differences across income levels, which limits the benefit of moderate family income relative to the lowest bracket. At $24,000-$28,000 per year net, the nursing program is still financially defensible; most other programs are not at this price point relative to earnings.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $32,152 per year at Alvernia, totaling roughly $128,000 over four years. At $38,500 average earnings, full-pay Alvernia is a poor financial proposition except for nursing ($77,394 year-one).
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Alvernia University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $94,679 | B+ |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | $56,203 | C |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $58,810 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $75,705 | C+ |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | $48,809 | F |
| Psychology | $52,044 | - |
| Social Work | $56,243 | D |
| Accounting | $67,562 | C+ |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $58,231 | C |
| Special Education and Teaching | $48,649 | - |
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.
Registered Nursing
Nursing is Alvernia's highest-value program: 59 graduates, $77,394 year-one, $94,679 at year four, debt-to-earnings 0.349 (grade B+) on $27,000 median debt. Year-one earnings of $77,394 reflect Pennsylvania and greater Philadelphia-area nursing wages, which are competitive. The four-year trajectory to $94,679 suggests strong career advancement. At a $28,138 net price, nursing graduates at Alvernia face a payback period of approximately 4 to 5 years on their degree debt. This is the clearest positive case in Alvernia's program portfolio.
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Mental and Social Health Services earns an F grade: 22 graduates, $41,115 year-one, $48,809 at year four, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.332 on $54,779 median debt. The program's median debt is $54,779, about double the median debt for most other programs at the institution. At $41,115 in year-one earnings against $54,779 in debt, the financial math is severely unfavorable. Students interested in mental health careers should evaluate whether a licensed clinical track requiring graduate school justifies this undergraduate debt load.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice produces 33 graduates with $39,940 year-one earnings and $58,810 at year four, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.757 (grade D) on $30,250 median debt. Year-four earnings of $58,810 suggest meaningful career progression, but the year-one to year-four arc is steep, meaning graduates spend several early years in a financially constrained position. The $30,250 median debt is above the institutional median, and the D grade reflects that the combination of debt and early earnings does not produce a clean payback. Students in this program targeting Pennsylvania law enforcement or federal agency careers will find the year-four figure more relevant than the year-one figure.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 70.7% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 72.6% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 67.5% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 72.4% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Alvernia University’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 | 58.1% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 523-628 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 570-658 |
| Enrollment | 2,152 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 36.2% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,028 |
Alvernia's admission rate is 58.1%. SAT mid-range of 523-628 Math and 570-658 Reading indicates a typical regional applicant profile. Prospective students should specifically ask about nursing program admission requirements - nursing typically has separate capacity constraints and may require its own application or prerequisite courses. Students applying to social work, health services, or criminal justice should review program-specific earnings outcomes carefully, as the institutional average masks significant variation by program.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alvernia University (this school) | 40 | $28,138 | $55,055 |
| Albright College | 56 | $20,024 | $58,700 |
| Felician University | 40 | $40,045 | $57,602 |
| Wayland Baptist University | 38 | $20,590 | $51,838 |
| Bryn Athyn College of the New Church | 34 | $20,586 | $40,457 |
| United Talmudical Seminary | 26 | $6,640 | $25,113 |
Who Thrives Here
Alvernia admits 58.1% of applicants. SAT mid-ranges are 523-628 Math and 570-658 Reading; ACT data is not reported. With 2,152 enrolled undergraduates and a 36.2% Pell grant rate, Alvernia serves a moderately mixed-income student body in the Reading, PA metropolitan area.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Alvernia University scores 40/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $28,138 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $55,055 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 12.6 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.70 (median across the schools we score: 0.61).
Median debt of $27,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $38,500 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.70. 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.
Alvernia University: Common Questions
Is Alvernia University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Alvernia University scores 40/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $28,138 a year after aid against $55,055 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 12.6 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Alvernia University 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 $28,138 a year, or roughly $112,552 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 Alvernia University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $55,055 ten years after enrolling, roughly $13,255 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 Alvernia University?
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 12.6 years for Alvernia University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Alvernia University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $38,500 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.70. 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 Alvernia University?
The six-year graduation rate is 55.5%. 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.