Calumet College of Saint Joseph
Whiting, Indiana · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 29/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Calumet College of Saint Joseph posts an overall ROI score of 29 (Below Benchmark). The Catholic college in Whiting, Indiana charges $23,850 in tuition and an average net price of $22,451, for a four-year cost of roughly $89,804. The single biggest drag on the score is a 22.9% completion rate - nearly four in five entering students do not finish. Repayment is also weak at 42.9% three-year, suggesting many borrowers stall out. Where Calumet does better is debt-to-earnings, sitting at a relatively healthy 0.538 (median debt $21,534 against $40,000 six-year average earnings). For students who actually graduate, the income trajectory is workable, and the standout Criminal Justice program drives much of that. But the institution-wide score punishes Calumet for losing so many enrolled students before degree. Payback for the cohort runs 19.2 years. The math works for completers in the right program; it does not work for the typical entering student.
How Calumet College of Saint Joseph 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 Score29/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate22.9% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period19.2 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Calumet College of Saint Joseph
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $23,850/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $23,850/yr |
| Average net price | $22,451/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $89,804 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $46,945 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $40,000 |
| Median debt at graduation | $21,534 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $228 |
| Estimated payback period | 19.2 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 22.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 529 |
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: $23,850/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $22,451/year, or roughly $89,804 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 $21,381/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $24,970/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $21,534, which works out to about $228 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($40,000) and comes to 0.54, 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 | $21,381 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $22,931 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $22,877 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $23,358 |
| $110,001+ | $24,970 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30K pay $21,381 net per year - about $85K total. Pell-eligible students get only a modest discount versus higher brackets, suggesting institutional aid is thin. Against a $40,000 six-year average earnings figure, the math is workable only for completers. The 22.9% completion rate is the bigger risk than the cost.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48K-$110K) pay $22,877-$23,358 net per year - nearly identical to the lowest income bracket. This is an unusual aid pattern that suggests Calumet's discount is functionally flat across income. Four-year total runs $91K-$93K. Workable only for criminal justice and other high-completion-payoff tracks.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families over $110K pay $24,970 net, which is close to sticker. The financial fit case here is narrow.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at Calumet College of Saint Joseph with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $106,465 | B |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $46,551 | D |
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.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice is the standout, earning a B grade with 65 graduates per cycle - the largest program at Calumet. Graduates earn $55,587 one year out and an exceptional $106,465 at four years, against $23,856 median debt. The 0.429 debt-to-earnings ratio is well within healthy territory. The four-year earnings figure suggests significant pipeline into Illinois and Indiana law enforcement careers with strong pension and overtime profiles. For students who know they want this career and can complete, Calumet is genuinely a value path.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration pulls a D with 28 graduates. Earnings of $33,166 one year out and $46,551 at four years against $25,000 median debt produces a 0.754 debt-to-earnings ratio - meaningfully worse than the Criminal Justice program.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 33.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 42.9% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 41.7% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 52.9% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Calumet College of Saint Joseph’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
| Enrollment | 529 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 51.6% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,093 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data, nor are SAT or ACT mid-ranges. Calumet historically operates as an open-access institution serving non-traditional and working students from the Chicago south suburbs and Northwest Indiana. The absence of selectivity data tracks with the 22.9% completion rate - low academic gatekeeping combined with a heavily working-adult enrollment pattern produces high attrition regardless of institutional quality.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calumet College of Saint Joseph (this school) | 29 | $22,451 | $46,945 |
| Bethel University | 34 | $18,610 | $48,860 |
| Anderson University | 32 | $25,021 | $48,899 |
| Bethel College-North Newton | 30 | $32,917 | $49,898 |
| Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science | 30 | $26,683 | $46,145 |
| Beacon College | 27 | $53,517 | $29,420 |
Who Thrives Here
Calumet fits commuting students from Northwest Indiana and the Chicago south suburbs, particularly first-generation and working adults. Pell rate is 51.6% - this is a high-need student body. Enrollment is small at 529. For most other majors, students should consider whether they can realistically complete the credential.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Calumet College of Saint Joseph scores 29/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $22,451 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $46,945 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 19.2 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 22.9% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 42.9% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $21,534 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $40,000 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.54, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Calumet College of Saint Joseph: Common Questions
Is Calumet College of Saint Joseph worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Calumet College of Saint Joseph scores 29/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $22,451 a year after aid against $46,945 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 19.2 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Calumet College of Saint Joseph 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 $22,451 a year, or roughly $89,804 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 Calumet College of Saint Joseph graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $46,945 ten years after enrolling, roughly $5,145 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 Calumet College of Saint Joseph?
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 19.2 years for Calumet College of Saint Joseph. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Calumet College of Saint Joseph graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $21,534, against average earnings of $40,000 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.54. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Calumet College of Saint Joseph?
The six-year graduation rate is 22.9%. 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.