Cambridge College
Boston, Massachusetts · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 21/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Cambridge College is a small Boston-based adult-serving private nonprofit that scores 21 on the CampusROI framework, landing in Below Benchmark tier. Total 4-year cost is $124,288. Average 6-year earnings of $36,400 climb modestly to a median $45,998 at 10 years, with a 24-year payback period that effectively means earnings struggle to recoup cost on a traditional discount basis. Median debt is moderate at $21,791 and debt-to-earnings is 0.599. The low subscores are completion (11.1%) and three-year repayment (40.8%), both characteristic of part-time adult-learner populations whose Scorecard metrics are distorted by the federal definitions. The institution effectively functions as a credentialing and career-advancement engine for working adults in education, human services, and management; the four-year-cohort framing the federal data uses badly fits this model. Cambridge College's actual student value depends on cost recovery through career advancement, not the federal earnings premium calculation.
How Cambridge 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 Score21/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate11.1% - 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 period24 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Cambridge College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $18,378/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $18,378/yr |
| Average net price | $31,072/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $124,288 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $45,998 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $36,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $21,791 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $231 |
| Estimated payback period | 24 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 11.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 532 |
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: $18,378/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 $31,072/year, or roughly $124,288 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 N/A/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $21,791, which works out to about $231 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($36,400) and comes to 0.60, 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 | N/A |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $31,072 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | N/A |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Net price data for $0-$30,000 households is null, a significant data gap. The $30,001-$48,000 bracket reports $31,072, the school's overall average. The data sparsity reflects how small the published cohorts are; only one income bracket has published net price. Low-income families should use the school's net-price calculator for individualized figures.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Net price for $48,001-$75,000 and $75,001-$110,000 brackets are both null. This is a multi-bracket data gap that limits any conclusion about income-based pricing. Middle-income families should treat the $31,072 figure as a single-point estimate and validate via the calculator. Net price exceeding stated tuition is a clear signal of limited institutional aid.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Net price for $110,000-plus households is null. The complete absence of bracketed data across most income tiers is unusual and suggests very small reporting cohorts in each bracket. High-income families should expect to pay close to the $31,072 published figure with limited institutional discount.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at Cambridge College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $56,332 | B |
| Human Services, General | $55,038 | 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.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration is Cambridge College's largest program with 54 graduates, posting $64,502 in 1-year earnings and $56,332 at year four. The 0.42 debt-to-earnings ratio earns a B grade against $27,083 of debt. Unusually, 1-year earnings exceed 4-year earnings, a pattern consistent with working adults who already had strong jobs when they enrolled and whose post-credential progression is incremental rather than transformative. The credential is a pay-bump enabler for the working population it serves.
Human Services, General
Human Services graduates 24 students with $44,287 in 1-year earnings and $55,038 at year four. The 0.734 debt-to-earnings ratio earns a D grade against $32,524 of debt. The earnings curve from $44K to $55K is healthy and reflects Boston-area social services and case management pay scales, but $32K of debt is high for the wage trajectory, and many human-services graduates pursue master's-level credentialing that compounds debt. Plan for additional certification.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 35.0% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 40.8% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 47.2% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 51.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Cambridge 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
| Enrollment | 532 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 30.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,333 |
Admission rate is not reported, consistent with Cambridge College's open-enrollment adult-learner posture. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported because the school does not require standardized testing. Cambridge College's admissions function is effectively credentials-and-experience-based: working adults with some college background and a defined career goal are the target. The 11.1% completion rate is a population artifact, not an academic one.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge College (this school) | 21 | $31,072 | $45,998 |
| Amherst College | 90 | $23,367 | $77,644 |
| American International College | 38 | $23,274 | $53,124 |
| Cleveland Institute of Art | 23 | $29,208 | $42,509 |
| Manhattan School of Music | 20 | $51,754 | $26,878 |
| Universidad Central de Bayamon | 20 | $4,827 | $25,021 |
Who Thrives Here
Cambridge College fits working adults in the Greater Boston area pursuing teaching licensure, master's-level education credentials, human services, or counseling careers. With 532 students and a 30% Pell rate, the population is small and modestly low-income. Strong fits are mid-career professionals who need a credential to qualify for management or licensed roles, particularly with employer tuition support. Weaker fits are traditional 18-22 students.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Cambridge College scores 21/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $31,072 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $45,998 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 24 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 11.1% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 40.8% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $21,791 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $36,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.60, 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.
Cambridge College: Common Questions
Is Cambridge College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Cambridge College scores 21/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $31,072 a year after aid against $45,998 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 24 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Cambridge 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 $31,072 a year, or roughly $124,288 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 Cambridge College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $45,998 ten years after enrolling, roughly $4,198 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 Cambridge 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 24 years for Cambridge College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Cambridge College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $21,791, against average earnings of $36,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.60. 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 Cambridge College?
The six-year graduation rate is 11.1%. 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.