Central Penn College
Summerdale, Pennsylvania · Private For-Profit · 18.5% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 28/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Central Penn College earns the Below Benchmark tier with an overall ROI score of 28 out of 100, with weak sub-scores across the board. As a small for-profit Pennsylvania college, Central Penn primarily serves working adults pursuing career-focused credentials - but the financial outcomes are difficult. Tuition is $19,854 per year and the average net price is $18,953, with the four-year total cost reaching $75,812. Median 10-year earnings are $45,370, just a 13.7% premium over high school graduates. The payback period stretches to 20.8 years and median debt is $23,194 (this is the institutional median, but individual program data shows median debt over $40,000 for most majors - the institutional figure may understate). The 56.7% three-year repayment rate (sub-score 14) is the most concerning signal, indicating many borrowers are not making meaningful progress on their loans. The 50.9% completion rate is mediocre. Central Penn focuses on Business, Computer Science, Criminal Justice, and Healthcare Administration - but program-level debt data shows much heavier loan loads than the institutional median.
How Central Penn 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 Score28/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period20.8 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Central Penn College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $19,854/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $19,854/yr |
| Average net price | $18,953/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $75,812 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $45,370 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $34,000 |
| Median debt at graduation | $23,194 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $246 |
| Estimated payback period | 20.8 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 50.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 662 |
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: $19,854/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $18,953/year, or roughly $75,812 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 $15,859/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $23,656/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $23,194, which works out to about $246 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($34,000) and comes to 0.68, 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 | $15,859 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $19,164 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $17,011 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $18,973 |
| $110,001+ | $23,656 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Net price brackets show some non-monotonicity. Families earning under $30,000 pay $15,859, while $30,001-$48,000 jumps to $19,164 - and $48,001-$75,000 drops back to $17,011. This irregularity likely reflects the school's small enrollment producing unstable per-bracket averages. Low-income families face roughly $63,000 over four years on the institutional net price - but actual program debt suggests final loan balances are significantly higher.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) pay $17,011 per year, while $75,001-$110,000 pays $18,973. Over four years that's $68,000-$76,000 on net price.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning above $110,000 pay $23,656 per year (the highest bracket), or roughly $95,000 over four years. At this price point and with the school's weak earnings outcomes, Central Penn makes essentially no financial sense for higher-income families.
Earnings by Major
Top 6 most popular majors at Central Penn College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $66,007 | D |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $46,203 | F |
| Legal Professions and Studies, Other | $47,979 | - |
| Accounting | $60,077 | D |
| Computer Science | $71,198 | D |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $54,467 | 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 is Central Penn's largest program with 61 graduates per year. Median first-year earnings of $49,497 and four-year earnings of $66,007 are reasonable, but median program debt of $44,341 produces a 0.896 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D ROI grade. The heavy debt is the central problem - earnings would warrant a C+ at lower debt levels but the borrowing required to complete drags the program into D territory. Same credential is available at HACC + transfer for less than half the debt.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice graduates 21 students per year with an F ROI grade. Median earnings of $40,145 first year against an extraordinary $47,319 of debt produce a 1.179 debt-to-earnings ratio. Pennsylvania police, corrections, and probation work simply does not pay enough to justify this debt load.
Legal Professions and Studies, Other
Legal Professions graduates 13 students per year with median first-year earnings of $40,226 and four-year earnings of $47,979. Debt data is not reported, which limits ROI analysis. Paralegal and legal assistant credentials lead to modest-paying roles; the value depends heavily on what debt students take on, and given the institutional pattern of $40,000+ debt, this is likely also a difficult financial path.
Accounting
Accounting graduates 12 students per year. Median first-year earnings of $52,185 and four-year earnings of $60,077 are decent for accounting, but median program debt of $48,383 produces a 0.927 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D ROI grade. Earnings warrant a B-level credential in cheaper environments; at Central Penn's program-debt level the math collapses.
Computer Science
Computer Science graduates 11 students per year with median first-year earnings of $49,718 and four-year earnings of $71,198 - the strongest career trajectory on the profile. But median program debt of $42,163 produces a 0.848 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D ROI grade.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 48.1% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 56.7% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 48.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 56.2% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Central Penn 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
| Acceptance rate | 18.5% |
| Enrollment | 662 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 49.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,380 |
Central Penn admits 18.5% of applicants, which may reflect either a quirk in Scorecard data reporting or a genuine selectivity in the school's enrollment process. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported, consistent with for-profits that admit primarily on rolling/career-program criteria. The 50.9% completion rate combined with the heavy program-level debt suggests Central Penn enrolls working adults who may struggle to balance program costs with employment and family obligations.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Penn College (this school) | 28 | $18,953 | $45,370 |
| Brookline College-Albuquerque | 24 | $37,459 | $29,576 |
| Strayer University-Florida | 24 | $16,064 | $40,092 |
| Miami Regional University | 23 | $22,113 | $29,081 |
| Crestpoint University | 23 | $15,670 | $42,269 |
| Provo College | 14 | $27,053 | $39,645 |
Who Thrives Here
Enrollment is 662 with a 49% Pell rate, signaling a heavily working-class adult-learner population. Students should run program-level debt numbers (which run $40,000-$48,000) against earnings before committing.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Central Penn College scores 28/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $18,953 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $45,370 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 20.8 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 50.9% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 56.7% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $23,194 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $34,000 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68. 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.
Central Penn College: Common Questions
Is Central Penn College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Central Penn College scores 28/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $18,953 a year after aid against $45,370 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 20.8 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Central Penn 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 $18,953 a year, or roughly $75,812 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 Central Penn College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $45,370 ten years after enrolling, roughly $3,570 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 Central Penn 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 20.8 years for Central Penn College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Central Penn College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $23,194, against average earnings of $34,000 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68. 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 Central Penn College?
The six-year graduation rate is 50.9%. 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.