Calvary University
Kansas City, Missouri · Private Nonprofit · 71.7% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 30/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Calvary University earns a Below Benchmark ROI score of 30 under our methodology. The Kansas City Bible college charges $14,094 in tuition with a net price of $16,334 (net price exceeds tuition, meaning aid is minimal and fees plus living costs add to the bill). The math doesn't work: average earnings six years out are just $30,900, climbing to a median $45,421 at the ten-year mark - barely above what a high school graduate earns. The payback period stretches to 19.7 years, and the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.674 means typical graduates owe two-thirds of their annual income in student debt. The completion rate is 52.2% and the three-year repayment rate is 53.5%, meaning nearly half of borrowers are not paying down principal three years in. Median debt of $20,839 is modest in absolute terms, but the earnings simply don't support it. This is a mission-driven school where students enroll for theological reasons, not ROI - and the numbers reflect that priority.
How Calvary 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 Score30/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period19.7 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Calvary University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $14,094/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $14,094/yr |
| Average net price | $16,334/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $65,336 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $45,421 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $30,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $20,839 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $221 |
| Estimated payback period | 19.7 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 52.2% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 154 |
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: $14,094/year, which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $16,334/year, or roughly $65,336 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 $16,764/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $13,749/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $20,839, which works out to about $221 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 | $16,764 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $15,734 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $21,115 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $16,666 |
| $110,001+ | $13,749 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $16,764 - actually higher than the school's sticker tuition because aid is limited. Over four years that's roughly $67,000 out of pocket, against expected earnings of $30,900 six years out.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) face $21,115 - paradoxically the highest bracket on the table, an inverted pattern worth flagging. Four-year cost approaches $85,000 against $45,421 ten-year earnings. Unless ministry is the explicit goal, the financial case is weak.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Higher-income families ($110,001+) pay $13,749, the lowest bracket - the inversion makes Calvary cheapest for full-pay families and most expensive for the working class. Even at this price, the $30,900 six-year earnings figure makes return on investment marginal at best. For families who can afford the bill and are committed to the religious mission, the financial sting is at least bearable.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at Calvary University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries | $23,330 | - |
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.
Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries
The lone reported program at Calvary, Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries, graduates 11 students annually with first-year median earnings of just $23,330. Debt and ROI grade are not reported, but with earnings this low, even modest borrowing creates years of repayment strain. This is a faith-vocation pathway; graduates should expect career rewards to come from non-financial sources. As an economic investment, the program does not pencil.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 62.9% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 53.5% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 63.2% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 72.6% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Calvary 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 | 71.7% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 480-530 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 500-610 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 17-24 |
| Enrollment | 154 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 31.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $4,019 |
Calvary admits 71.7% of applicants. SAT mid-ranges (480-530 math, 500-610 reading) and ACT 17-24 indicate students arrive with academic preparation well below selective-school norms. The modest 52% completion rate is consistent with this profile: students who enter underprepared often struggle to finish, and the small enrollment limits academic support infrastructure.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calvary University (this school) | 30 | $16,334 | $45,421 |
| Arizona Christian University | 30 | $32,839 | $51,612 |
| Saint Leo University | 30 | $21,293 | $48,364 |
| Manhattan Christian College | 29 | $24,213 | $48,860 |
| Asbury University | 29 | $21,401 | $42,368 |
| Belhaven University | 29 | $15,676 | $46,440 |
Who Thrives Here
Calvary fits students with a clear vocational calling toward ministry, pastoral work, or theological study where financial ROI is not the primary metric. Enrollment of just 154 means tight-knit cohorts and individualized attention. Pell rate of 31.3% indicates a moderately low-income student body. Outcomes are weakest for students expecting secular career returns - the dominant program (Pastoral Counseling) yields just $23,330 one-year earnings.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Calvary University scores 30/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $16,334 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $45,421 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 19.7 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 52.2% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 53.5% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $20,839 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.
Calvary University: Common Questions
Is Calvary University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Calvary University scores 30/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $16,334 a year after aid against $45,421 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 19.7 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Calvary 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 $16,334 a year, or roughly $65,336 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 Calvary University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $45,421 ten years after enrolling, roughly $3,621 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 Calvary 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 19.7 years for Calvary University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Calvary University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $20,839, 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 Calvary University?
The six-year graduation rate is 52.2%. 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.