Alverno College
Milwaukee, Wisconsin · Private Nonprofit · 85.7% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 39/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Alverno College, a small Catholic women-oriented institution in Milwaukee, posts an ROI score of 39 (Below Benchmark). Median 10-year earnings are $53,145, modeled payback is 12.7 years, and debt-to-earnings sits at 0.70 against unusually high median debt of $27,000. The most concerning numbers are completion (49.2%) and 5-year repayment (55.8%), indicating that finishing and repaying are real problems for half of starters. The school's Pell rate of 45.1% reflects substantial socioeconomic need, and aid does compress net price somewhat - low-income families pay around $22,000, only modestly below the $22,540 average. The bright spot is nursing - 59 graduates per year earning $72,005 first-year and $81,388 at four years, a strong cohort and the program where Alverno's value math actually pencils. Outside of nursing, debt-to-earnings ratios run ugly: liberal arts at 0.96, business at 0.86, teacher education at 0.72. Alverno is essentially a nursing school plus a struggling liberal-arts college; prospective students should weigh that breakdown carefully and choose the major before committing to the school.
How Alverno College 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 Score39/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
Alverno College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $34,086/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $34,086/yr |
| Average net price | $22,540/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $90,160 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $53,145 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $38,600 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 12.7 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 49.2% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 631 |
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: $34,086/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $22,540/year, or roughly $90,160 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 $22,032/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $29,051/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 ($38,600) 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 | $22,032 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $20,668 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $22,261 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $24,788 |
| $110,001+ | $29,051 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $22,032 net annually - only modest discounting versus the $22,540 average net price. Pell carries most of the load, but institutional aid is thin. Four-year cost runs about $88,000. For a Pell-eligible nursing student who finishes, the math pencils against the strong nursing earnings; non-nursing majors at this income level pay the same $22,032 a year without the nursing earnings behind it.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Note an inverted bracket: families earning $30,001-$48,000 pay $20,668 - LESS than the lowest-income tier and the lowest in the schedule. The $48,001-$75,000 group pays $22,261 (right at the school average). The $75,001-$110,000 bracket jumps to $24,788. Middle-income four-year totals run $83,000-$99,000. The math only works for nursing graduates; for everyone else, it's a steep ask.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $29,051 - about 85% of sticker, indicating limited institutional discounting at the top. Four years runs roughly $116,000. With median 10-year earnings of $53,145, the lifetime ROI math is weak unless the student is in nursing.
Earnings by Major
Top 8 most popular majors at Alverno College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $81,388 | C+ |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $53,631 | D |
| Teacher Education | $46,708 | D |
| Biology | $26,856 | - |
| Psychology | $45,066 | C |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $62,340 | D |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | $36,361 | - |
| Business Administration and Management | $52,065 | - |
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 Alverno's flagship and the program where the math works. With 59 graduates per year (the largest cohort) and $72,005 first-year and $81,388 four-year median earnings, Alverno nursing grads earn well - benefiting from Wisconsin's healthy nursing wage scale and Milwaukee's hospital systems.
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Liberal arts and sciences graduates 39 students per year and posts a D ROI grade. First-year earnings of $44,812 and four-year earnings of $53,631 are paired with median debt of $43,066. Debt-to-earnings of 0.96 means borrowing nearly equals annual earnings.
Teacher Education
Teacher education graduates 20 students per year with $42,709 first-year and $46,708 four-year median earnings. Median debt of $30,584 produces a 0.72 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D ROI grade. Wisconsin's teacher salary scale is moderate; combined with Alverno's debt loads, the math doesn't work without TEACH grants or Public Service Loan Forgiveness pathways. Prospective teachers should plan PSLF eligibility carefully.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business graduates 8 students per year with $38,870 first-year and $62,340 four-year median earnings. Median debt of $33,225 yields a 0.86 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D ROI grade. Small cohort, high debt, and weak first-year earnings make this a difficult value proposition.
Psychology
Psychology graduates 10 students per year with $45,066 four-year median earnings (first-year not reported). Median debt of $31,250 yields a 0.69 debt-to-earnings ratio and a C ROI grade - the best non-nursing grade on campus. Psychology only converts at this debt level with master's or doctoral follow-on. Prospective psychology students should commit to graduate school plans before paying small-private tuition for this major.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 60.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 68.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 55.8% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 58.5% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Alverno 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 | 85.7% |
| Enrollment | 631 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 45.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,282 |
Alverno admits 85.7% of applicants - broadly accessible. SAT and ACT score ranges are not reported in current Scorecard data, suggesting test-optional admissions and small reporting cohorts. Combined with a 49.2% completion rate, the picture is of a school admitting students with uneven academic preparation, where finishing isn't guaranteed. Prospective students - particularly those not headed for the nursing track - should self-assess academic readiness honestly.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alverno College (this school) | 39 | $22,540 | $53,145 |
| Bellin College | 72 | $37,408 | $76,222 |
| Beloit College | 52 | $21,526 | $53,260 |
| Parker University | 39 | $29,135 | $42,091 |
| Peirce College | 38 | $12,148 | $50,660 |
| Harrisburg University of Science and Technology | 38 | $15,376 | $52,374 |
Who Thrives Here
Alverno fits a Milwaukee-area, often first-generation, often Pell-eligible student (45.1% Pell) drawn to a small (631 students) all-women undergraduate environment with a strong nursing pipeline. The school's signature ability-based assessment system is genuinely distinctive and works for students who thrive on portfolio and project work rather than traditional exams. Strong fits are nursing students who can complete the rigorous BSN program. Weaker fits are humanities and general business students who would face the school's worst ROI subgroups.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Alverno College scores 39/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $22,540 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $53,145 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 12.7 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, its 49.2% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.70 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 68.0% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%).
Median debt of $27,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $38,600 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.
Alverno College: Common Questions
Is Alverno College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Alverno College scores 39/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $22,540 a year after aid against $53,145 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 12.7 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Alverno 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 $22,540 a year, or roughly $90,160 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 Alverno College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $53,145 ten years after enrolling, roughly $11,345 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 Alverno 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 12.7 years for Alverno College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Alverno College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $38,600 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 Alverno College?
The six-year graduation rate is 49.2%. 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.