Curry College
Milton, Massachusetts · Private Nonprofit · 87.6% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 45/100 · Below Average Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Curry College scores 45 (Below Average Value) - a predictable result given a $47,970 sticker price, a 51.1% completion rate, and median 6-year earnings of $44,800. The 13.2-year payback period means that the average graduate does not recoup total net costs until their mid-30s. Registered Nursing (188 graduates, $79,242 year-one, $92,783 year-four, B+ ROI grade) is the clear outlier that saves the school from a worse score. Outside of nursing, outcomes are weak: Psychology (56 graduates) earns $33,077 year-one with a 0.816 debt-to-earnings ratio (D grade); Communication (30 graduates) earns $27,516 year-one with a 0.945 ratio (D grade). Median debt of $25,000 is high relative to what most graduates earn. The repayment rate of 77% (three-year) is better than expected given earnings levels, but the underlying pattern is clear - Curry is a financially risky choice for most students who are not committed to nursing. The college's historical emphasis on students with learning differences is a distinct institutional identity, but that identity does not change the ROI calculus.
Curry College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $47,970/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $47,970/yr |
| Average net price | $29,207/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $116,828 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $54,400 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $44,800 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $265 |
| Estimated payback period | 13.2 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 51.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,780 |
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: $47,970/year. Here's the part that matters - almost nobody pays that. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $29,207/year, or roughly $116,828 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 $23,806/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $33,973/year.
Most students borrow to get here. The median graduate leaves owing $25,000 in federal loans, which works out to about $265 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Hold that up against the $54,400 the typical graduate earns ten years out: the debt-to-earnings ratio comes to 0.56, within the range advisors call workable but worth keeping an eye on.
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 | $23,806 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $23,372 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $26,827 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $32,286 |
| $110,001+ | $33,973 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay a net price of $23,806 per year at Curry - a strikingly high figure for this income bracket at a non-selective private. Over four years that approaches $95,000. Given that only 51.1% of students complete and median 6-year earnings are $44,800, the financial risk for low-income students who do not enter nursing is severe. Pell-eligible students have better alternatives in the Massachusetts public system at a fraction of this cost.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-75,000 bracket pays $26,827 per year, and the $75,001-110,000 bracket pays $32,286. These are high figures for a school with Curry's outcomes profile. A middle-income family spending $107,000-129,000 on a Curry degree for a non-nursing student faces a 13+ year payback on the median outcome. The financial model does not reward the investment outside of nursing.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning over $110,000 pay $33,973 net price per year - roughly $136,000 over four years. At a 13.2-year payback period and $44,800 median 6-year earnings, the full-pay case for Curry is weak for most programs. Only nursing graduates can reasonably justify this expense. High-income families choosing Curry for its learning-disability support services should be clear-eyed that the financial trade-off is real.
Earnings by Major
Top 9 most popular majors at Curry College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $92,783 | B+ |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $64,406 | C |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $68,677 | C |
| Psychology | $50,496 | D |
| Communication and Media Studies | $52,041 | D |
| Biology | $46,736 | C |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $29,532 | - |
| Education, General | $49,250 | - |
| Health Professions, Residency Programs | $62,052 | 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.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing is the singular reason to consider Curry: 188 graduates, $79,242 median year-one earnings, $92,783 at year four, with a B+ ROI grade (debt-to-earnings 0.341). Median debt of $27,000 is on the high end for this field, but earnings absorb it quickly. At $47,970 sticker tuition and $29,207 net price, nursing graduates are roughly at break-even with what they'd expect from a less expensive public nursing program. The outcome is solid; the price is not a bargain.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice (63 graduates) earns $45,103 year-one and $64,406 year-four with a C ROI grade (debt-to-earnings 0.554). Median debt of $25,000 against year-one earnings of $45,103 produces a reasonable near-term ratio, but the four-year figure of $64,406 represents a modest ceiling for a field where Curry's credential carries limited brand weight. Students targeting law enforcement or corrections should model whether a lower-cost regional public would produce comparable outcomes.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration (57 graduates) earns $43,617 year-one and $68,677 year-four with a C ROI grade (debt-to-earnings 0.619). The year-four trajectory is plausible but not strong - $68,677 after four years represents average performance for a business graduate from a non-selective private institution. Median debt of $27,000 against these earnings is manageable but leaves little margin. Students with strong business ambitions would be better served by a lower-cost public or a more selective private.
Psychology
Psychology (56 graduates) earns $33,077 year-one and $50,496 year-four, with a D ROI grade and 0.816 debt-to-earnings ratio. Median debt of $27,000 against $33,077 year-one earnings is a poor financial position. This program, at $47,970 tuition, does not produce returns that justify the cost relative to alternatives. Psychology as a terminal undergraduate degree typically requires graduate training for professional licensure; the Scorecard does not capture those outcomes or additional costs.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 73.4% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 77.0% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 72.9% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 75.5% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Curry College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2023).
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 | 87.6% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 520-610 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 530-620 |
| Enrollment | 1,780 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 30.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $11,385 |
An 87.7% admission rate makes Curry effectively open-access. Test scores in the 520-620 range confirm the school is not selective. Net price by income ranges from $23,806 (lowest bracket) to $33,973 (highest) - notably, low-income students pay nearly as much as high-income students, which is unusual and financially disadvantageous for the school's Pell-eligible population. Families should use the net price calculator carefully; the financial aid model does not scale down aggressively for low-income students.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Curry's Scorecard peer group includes American International College, Amherst College (not a meaningful comparable), Bob Jones University, Felician University, and Central Methodist University. Among private non-selective peers in Massachusetts and the Northeast, Curry's 51.1% completion rate and $44,800 median earnings are below the regional average. Felician University has a comparable profile; both schools derive most of their ROI value from nursing programs. Curry's price point - $47,970 sticker - is notably high for the outcomes it delivers outside of nursing.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curry College (this school) | 45 | $29,207 | $54,400 |
| Amherst College | 90 | $23,367 | $77,644 |
| Bob Jones University | 47 | $16,641 | $44,354 |
| Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies | 43 | $14,601 | $48,991 |
| Felician University | 40 | $40,045 | $57,602 |
| American International College | 38 | $23,274 | $53,124 |
Who Thrives Here
Curry admits 87.7% of applicants with SAT mid-ranges of 520-610 Math and 530-620 Reading (ACT data not reported). Enrollment stands at 1,780. The Pell grant rate of 30.9% indicates a mixed-income student body. Curry has long served students with learning disabilities and nontraditional learners - students who may not have succeeded at more selective institutions. For those students, the nursing program offers a genuine pathway to a solid outcome. Non-nursing students face a difficult ROI environment at this price point.
The Verdict: Proceed With Caution
The money case for Curry College is mixed, and worth a hard look before you commit. At $29,207 per year after aid, the typical graduate earns $54,400 ten years after entry, which means it takes about 13.2 years to earn the cost back - slower than most four-year schools. Whether it's worth it comes down to your major and your aid package.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 51.1% graduation rate, a long payback period.
Median debt of $25,000 against $54,400 in earnings is reasonable, though your major matters a lot here. Graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
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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.