American International College
Springfield, Massachusetts · Private Nonprofit · 99.6% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 38/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
American International College, a private nonprofit in Springfield, Massachusetts, posts a Below Benchmark ROI score of 38/100. Sticker tuition is $44,230 but the average net price after aid is $23,274, totaling $93,096 over four years. Average earnings six years after entry are $41,700, climbing to a median $53,124 by year ten - solid but not enough to offset the cost given a 45.9% completion rate. Median federal debt of $27,000 produces a 0.647 debt-to-earnings ratio and a 12.9-year payback period. The 60.5% three-year repayment rate is below the healthy threshold. AIC's Nursing program is its strongest value proposition: 35 graduates earning $79,889 in year one and $95,137 by year four. The school's other programs - Criminal Justice, Business, Psychology - produce modest earnings that don't justify the cost for borrowers. AIC plays a regional access role in Western Massachusetts but the borrowing math is challenging for most students.
How American International 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 Score38/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
American International College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $44,230/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $44,230/yr |
| Average net price | $23,274/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $93,096 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $53,124 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $41,700 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 12.9 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 45.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,017 |
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: $44,230/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $23,274/year, or roughly $93,096 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 $24,437/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $21,860/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 ($41,700) and comes to 0.65, 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 | $24,437 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $24,073 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $22,749 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $24,772 |
| $110,001+ | $21,860 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $24,437 net per year, and the $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $24,073. Pell and MASSGrant help, but four-year cost above $95,000 is heavy against $41,700 in average early-career earnings.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $22,749 - the lowest of any income bracket on AIC's pricing table, an unusual pattern - and $75,001-$110,000 pays $24,772. The brackets are notably flat and slightly inverted, signaling that AIC's institutional aid does not scale strongly with income.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay just $21,860 per year - actually the LOWEST bracket on the table. This is a clear inverted-bracket anomaly, likely reflecting merit-aid weighting that favors high-stat, full-pay-eligible applicants. Full-pay families should verify against the school's net price calculator since the published figure may not reflect typical offers.
Earnings by Major
Top 9 most popular majors at American International College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $95,137 | C+ |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $50,021 | D |
| Psychology | $53,219 | C |
| Public Health | $58,245 | C+ |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $57,903 | D |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | $72,747 | B |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | $63,629 | - |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $57,510 | C+ |
| Sociology | $61,173 | C |
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 AIC's flagship: 35 graduates, $79,889 in first-year earnings rising to $95,137 by year four, C+ ROI grade and a 0.469 debt-to-earnings ratio. The grade is held back by median debt of $37,500. Direct placement into Baystate Health and other Western Massachusetts hospitals supports the strong wages.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice is tied for the largest cohort (35 grads) and earns a D ROI grade. First-year earnings of $37,408 against $29,750 of median debt produce a 0.795 ratio. Career paths into Massachusetts state and municipal law enforcement exist but starting salaries in Western Mass are lower than eastern Mass.
Psychology
Psychology (23 grads) earns a C ROI grade. First-year earnings of $40,467 climb to $53,219 by year four with $27,000 of median debt, yielding a 0.667 ratio. Most graduates require graduate study to reach higher earnings; the bachelor's-terminal pipeline lands in case management or HR-adjacent roles.
Public Health
Public Health (14 grads) earns a C+ ROI grade. Four-year earnings of $58,245 against $31,000 of debt yield a 0.532 ratio. Massachusetts' robust public health workforce and AIC's pipeline into community health organizations support the placement. Many graduates continue to MPH programs, lifting late-career earnings.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration (14 grads) earns a D ROI grade. First-year earnings are $35,781, and the $30,120 in median debt produces a 0.842 debt-to-earnings ratio.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 53.6% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 60.5% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 53.2% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 61.1% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How American International 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 | 99.6% |
| Enrollment | 1,017 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 44.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,628 |
AIC admits 99.6% of applicants - effectively open admission - and does not report SAT or ACT mid-ranges, signaling a fully test-optional access mission. The near-100% admit rate combined with the absence of test data confirms that students arrive with a wide range of academic preparation, which correlates directly with the 45.9% completion rate.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| American International College (this school) | 38 | $23,274 | $53,124 |
| Amherst College | 90 | $23,367 | $77,644 |
| Geneva College | 38 | $25,890 | $50,004 |
| Peirce College | 38 | $12,148 | $50,660 |
| Our Lady of the Lake University | 35 | $16,442 | $48,675 |
| Anna Maria College | 28 | $28,333 | $46,651 |
Who Thrives Here
Pell rate of 44.8% and enrollment of 1,017 mark AIC as a small, mid-income leaning private serving Western Massachusetts and Hartford-area students. The school fits students who want a small-campus residential experience with strong Nursing and Health Sciences pipelines into Baystate Health and Mercy Medical Center. Students pursuing Nursing, Public Health, or Health Sciences capture nearly all of the school's ROI upside. Those declared in Criminal Justice or Business face tighter loan math.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, American International College scores 38/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $23,274 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $53,124 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 12.9 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 45.9% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.65 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 60.5% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%).
Median debt of $27,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $41,700 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.65. 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.
American International College: Common Questions
Is American International College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. American International College scores 38/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $23,274 a year after aid against $53,124 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 12.9 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does American International 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 $23,274 a year, or roughly $93,096 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 American International College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $53,124 ten years after enrolling, roughly $11,324 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 American International 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 12.9 years for American International College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do American International College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $41,700 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.65. 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 American International College?
The six-year graduation rate is 45.9%. 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.