Ave Maria University
Ave Maria, Florida · Private Nonprofit · 41.4% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 35/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Ave Maria University is a small private Catholic liberal arts institution in Ave Maria, Florida, enrolling about 1,298 undergraduates. It was founded in 2003. Sticker tuition is $30,198 and average net price is $24,860. Ave Maria earns a Below Benchmark ROI score of 35, driven by a 16.5-year payback period, average six-year earnings of $30,900, and a 53.9% graduation rate. The earnings premium is 14.6%. Program data is sparse, with limited cohort sizes, but business administration (four-year earnings $63,839) and nursing ($69,058 year-one) show the best performance. The institution's distinct Catholic identity, classical curriculum, and intentional community model attract students for non-financial reasons; prospective students considering Ave Maria for mission-alignment should understand the significant financial trade-offs documented in this data.
How Ave Maria 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 Score35/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period16.5 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Ave Maria University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $30,198/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $30,198/yr |
| Average net price | $24,860/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $99,440 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $49,520 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $30,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $20,776 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $220 |
| Estimated payback period | 16.5 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 53.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,298 |
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: $30,198/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $24,860/year, or roughly $99,440 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 $18,761/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $27,107/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $20,776, which works out to about $220 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($30,900) and comes to 0.67, 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 | $18,761 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $20,840 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $23,790 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $24,088 |
| $110,001+ | $27,107 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $18,761 net - Ave Maria's most generous aid tier. At $30,900 average six-year earnings against $20,776 median debt, the cash-flow math is challenging early in a career. Low-income students must have a defined post-graduation trajectory - ideally nursing or a graduate/professional school plan - to make the investment work.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30,001 - $75,000 band pays $20,840 - $23,790. Ave Maria's ROI narrative requires students to outperform the institutional average, which means choosing high-earning programs and succeeding through to graduation.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Above $75,000, families pay $24,088 - $27,107.
Earnings by Major
Top 7 most popular majors at Ave Maria University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Communication and Media Studies | $36,842 | - |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $63,839 | - |
| Registered Nursing | $69,058 | - |
| Psychology | $49,235 | C |
| Theological and Ministerial Studies | $42,457 | D |
| Accounting | $71,237 | - |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $67,139 | - |
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 graduates 22 students with year-one earnings of $69,058. No four-year data is available, but Florida's high nursing demand and strong early earnings make this one of Ave Maria's clearest ROI programs. Students pursuing nursing here benefit from a small cohort and personalized clinical preparation.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration graduates 24 students with four-year earnings of $63,839. No debt data is available for this cohort.
Psychology
Psychology graduates 20 students with year-one earnings of $30,640, a $18,500 median debt, and a C grade at a 0.60 debt-to-earnings ratio. Four-year earnings reach $49,235, suggesting graduate school or career laddering over time. Students in this program should plan explicitly for post-graduate pathways to justify Ave Maria's net price.
Theological and Ministerial Studies
Theology graduates 10 students with year-one earnings of $26,924 and a D grade at a 0.78 debt-to-earnings ratio. This program is essentially a vocational pathway toward ministry, graduate theological study, or faith-based nonprofit work. Financial return is structurally limited by sector wages; students choosing this program should be doing so with explicit awareness of that reality.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 64.2% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 70.5% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 59.6% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 66.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Ave Maria 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 | 41.4% |
| Enrollment | 1,298 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 21.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $9,091 |
Ave Maria accepts about 41% of applicants. No SAT or ACT data is published. The selectivity suggests a self-selecting community of mission-aligned applicants.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Ave Maria's average earnings are $30,900 at six years.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ave Maria University (this school) | 35 | $24,860 | $49,520 |
| Barry University | 42 | $22,613 | $55,966 |
| Geneva College | 38 | $25,890 | $50,004 |
| Our Lady of the Lake University | 35 | $16,442 | $48,675 |
| University of Pikeville | 33 | $20,311 | $48,231 |
| Baptist University of Florida | 31 | $10,372 | $42,836 |
Who Thrives Here
Ave Maria is suited to students with strong philosophical alignment to its orthodox Catholic liberal arts mission who have a realistic post-graduation plan - typically graduate or professional school, ministry, or a well-planned career pathway. At 41% admissions selectivity, it has a more selective profile than its ROI score would suggest. Students who go on to law school, medical school, or business careers from Ave Maria may outperform the raw earnings data, but the path requires deliberate planning.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Ave Maria University scores 35/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $24,860 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $49,520 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 16.5 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 0.67 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 70.5% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $20,776 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $30,900 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67. 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.
Ave Maria University: Common Questions
Is Ave Maria University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Ave Maria University scores 35/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $24,860 a year after aid against $49,520 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 16.5 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Ave Maria 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 $24,860 a year, or roughly $99,440 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 Ave Maria University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $49,520 ten years after enrolling, roughly $7,720 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 Ave Maria 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 16.5 years for Ave Maria University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Ave Maria University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $20,776, against average earnings of $30,900 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67. 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 Ave Maria University?
The six-year graduation rate is 53.9%. 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.