Brescia University
Owensboro, Kentucky · Private Nonprofit · 35.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 40/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Brescia University scores 40 (Below Benchmark). The headline problem is debt: median debt of $29,430 against $30,800 average 6-year earnings produces a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.956, meaning graduates owe nearly a full year's salary the moment they complete the degree. The 16.7-year payback period is unsustainable for most graduates. Only 53.7% of students complete the degree, and the repayment rate data shows that only 66.7% of borrowers are reducing their loan balance after three years.
How Brescia 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.
- Payback period16.7 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Brescia University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $31,550/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $31,550/yr |
| Average net price | $8,709/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $34,836 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $45,500 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $30,800 |
| Median debt at graduation | $29,430 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $312 |
| Estimated payback period | 16.7 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 53.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 545 |
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: $31,550/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $8,709/year, or roughly $34,836 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 $8,977/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $5,548/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $29,430, which works out to about $312 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($30,800) and comes to 0.96, 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 | $8,977 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $9,343 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $12,984 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $8,910 |
| $110,001+ | $5,548 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $8,977 net per year - nearly the same as higher-income brackets, suggesting Brescia's aid formula is relatively flat across income levels. At $30,800 average earnings after six years, even modest debt loads are burdensome. The 42.7% Pell rate means many students here are borrowing against poor earnings outcomes. Low-income students at Brescia face the highest financial risk.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $12,984 net per year - about $52,000 over four years. Against $30,800 average earnings, this is a difficult return.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,000+ actually pay the lowest net price at Brescia: $5,548 per year - about $22,000 over four years. For high-income families who can pay without borrowing, the financial risk diminishes significantly.
Earnings by Major
Top 3 most popular majors at Brescia University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Social Work | $56,285 | F |
| Psychology | $22,619 | F |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $42,269 | 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.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration earns $42,269 at year one - the highest at Brescia - with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.578 (ROI grade C) and $24,415 median debt. Four-year earnings data is unavailable. This is Brescia's strongest ROI program, though C-grade performance at a school with this net price profile is uninspiring. Business graduates enter the Owensboro regional labor market, which has a limited ceiling.
Social Work
Social Work (41 graduates) shows poor results: $37,841 year-one earnings, $56,285 at year four, but $49,254 median debt, the highest median debt of Brescia's programs with reported debt data. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.302 (ROI grade F) means graduates owe 1.3 times their annual salary at graduation. Social workers in Kentucky earn modest wages, and this debt level will be financially burdensome for years.
Psychology
Psychology (20 graduates) earns $22,619 at year one, with $32,248 median debt and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.426 (ROI grade F). Psychology graduates who do not proceed to graduate school face a long period servicing debt at this income level. Students interested in psychology should seriously consider whether this program prepares them for their intended career path before borrowing to attend.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 56.9% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 66.7% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 61.8% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 67.3% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Brescia 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 | 35.2% |
| Enrollment | 545 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 42.6% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,182 |
A 35.2% acceptance rate suggests Brescia is genuinely selective, though no SAT/ACT data is reported in the Scorecard. The admissions process is not the binding constraint here - the financial outcomes are. Students admitted to Brescia should apply this level of scrutiny to the program-level earnings data before enrolling.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Brescia's ROI score of 40 is driven primarily by its high debt-to-earnings ratios across all programs.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brescia University (this school) | 40 | $8,709 | $45,500 |
| College of Biblical Studies-Houston | 43 | $672 | $39,260 |
| Parker University | 39 | $29,135 | $42,091 |
| Rabbinical College Bobover Yeshiva Bnei Zion | 31 | $9,136 | $20,707 |
| Asbury University | 29 | $21,401 | $42,368 |
| Alice Lloyd College | 18 | $18,600 | $40,573 |
Who Thrives Here
Brescia admits 35.2% of applicants - more selective than its outcomes warrant. The 545-student enrollment is very small, creating an intimate environment but also limiting program breadth and extracurricular options. The 42.7% Pell rate indicates that Brescia serves a significant share of low-income students who are the most vulnerable to its poor debt-to-earnings outcomes. Students pursuing social work or psychology - the two largest programs - face F-grade ROI by the Scorecard data. The school may appeal to students seeking a small Catholic liberal arts environment in Owensboro, Kentucky, but the financial risk is high for students who borrow.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Brescia University scores 40/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $8,709 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $45,500 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 16.7 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: a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.96 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 66.7% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $29,430 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $30,800 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.96. 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.
Brescia University: Common Questions
Is Brescia University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Brescia University scores 40/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $8,709 a year after aid against $45,500 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 16.7 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Brescia 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 $8,709 a year, or roughly $34,836 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 Brescia University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $45,500 ten years after enrolling, roughly $3,700 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 Brescia 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 16.7 years for Brescia University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Brescia University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $29,430, against average earnings of $30,800 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.96. 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 Brescia University?
The six-year graduation rate is 53.7%. 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.