Eastern University
Saint Davids, Pennsylvania · Private Nonprofit · 90.8% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 37/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Eastern University earns a 37/100 ROI score and the Below Benchmark tier - a result that reflects mixed program-level outcomes against meaningful private-college costs. Average earnings six years after entry are $36,700, climbing to a median $51,655 by year ten - modest progression. Net price averages $26,662 against a $38,400 sticker, indicating institutional aid discounts roughly $12,000 off list. Total four-year cost is $106,648. The implied payback period is 14.8 years. Median federal debt is $25,000, producing a 0.681 debt-to-earnings ratio - the dominant problem indicator. Completion is 54.0%. Repayment performance is 71% three-year, mediocre. The bright spot is a strong nursing program (B grade, 32 graduates with $83K starting salary) that meaningfully drives the school's better metrics. Business and marketing programs deliver workable C/C+ outcomes. Education, social work, and communication programs land in D/F territory because Pennsylvania teacher and nonprofit-sector wages cap earnings against substantial debt. Honest read: Eastern is a Christian university where program choice matters enormously. Nursing, business, and marketing students get reasonable outcomes.
How Eastern 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 Score37/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
Eastern University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $38,400/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $38,400/yr |
| Average net price | $26,662/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $106,648 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $51,655 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $36,700 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $265 |
| Estimated payback period | 14.8 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 54.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,404 |
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: $38,400/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $26,662/year, or roughly $106,648 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 $26,557/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $32,353/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $25,000, which works out to about $265 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($36,700) 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 | $26,557 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $22,232 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $23,373 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $25,963 |
| $110,001+ | $32,353 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $26,557 net price - only $105 less than the school average. This is unusual and indicates limited need-based discounting. Note also that the $30K-$48K bracket pays $22,232, MEANINGFULLY LESS than the lowest-income bracket - a clear inversion. Pell-eligible families should explicitly question this pattern with the financial aid office. Across four years, $106,228 net cost against $36,700 six-year earnings is structurally challenging.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income brackets pay $22,232 ($30K-$48K), $23,373 ($48K-$75K), and $25,963 ($75K-$110K). The aid curve is unusually flat across the middle - families across the $30K-$110K range pay roughly the same. The $30K-$48K bracket is actually the value sweet spot due to the inversion noted above.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $32,353 - a $6,000 institutional discount off sticker, mostly merit. Over four years that's $129,412 net. With $51,655 ten-year median earnings the math works only for nursing-track students at this price point.
Earnings by Major
Top 8 most popular majors at Eastern University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $60,237 | C |
| Teacher Education | $46,736 | D |
| Registered Nursing | $90,697 | B |
| Psychology | $47,539 | C+ |
| Social Work | $46,324 | D |
| Marketing | $63,825 | C+ |
| Communication and Media Studies | $58,371 | F |
| Political Science and Government | $56,695 | - |
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
Nursing is Eastern's standout program. Graduates earn $83,733 one year out and $90,697 four years out. Median debt is $30,311 against a 0.362 debt-to-earnings ratio (B grade). With 32 graduates per cohort the program is well-established. For prospective RNs in the Philadelphia area, Eastern's nursing program is a defensible choice and the school's clearest ROI bright spot.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business administration is Eastern's largest program (51 graduates). Earnings are $52,763 one year out and $60,237 four years out, with $30,607 median debt and a 0.58 debt-to-earnings ratio (C grade). Mid-career growth is modest.
Teacher Education
Teacher education graduates earn $42,696 one year out and $46,736 four years out - almost no mid-career growth. Median debt is $40,160 (notably higher than school median because the program likely includes 5-year master's-track students), producing a 0.941 debt-to-earnings ratio (D grade). 46 graduates per cohort. The high debt against low Pennsylvania starting-teacher wages produces a tough financial outcome. PSLF eligibility for public-school teachers is essential.
Psychology
Psychology graduates earn $47,539 four years out (1-year not reported), with $26,000 median debt and a 0.547 debt-to-earnings ratio - C+ grade. 19 graduates per cohort. Mid-career earnings are stronger than typical bachelor's-only psychology outcomes, suggesting graduates are pursuing licensed paths or grad-school next steps. For students intending psychology graduate programs, the Eastern undergraduate is a reasonable first step.
Social Work
Social work graduates earn $36,308 one year out and $46,324 four years out, with $27,000 median debt and a 0.744 debt-to-earnings ratio (D grade). 6 graduates per cohort. MSW grad school is essential for licensure and earnings improvement.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 68.4% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 71.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 64.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 74.3% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Eastern 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 | 90.8% |
| Enrollment | 2,404 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 41.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,855 |
Eastern admits 91% of applicants - effectively open admission for academically prepared students. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported in current Scorecard data, consistent with test-optional admissions and small reporting samples.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern University (this school) | 37 | $26,662 | $51,655 |
| Albright College | 56 | $20,024 | $58,700 |
| Wingate University | 41 | $20,748 | $52,649 |
| Bryn Athyn College of the New Church | 34 | $20,586 | $40,457 |
| Uta Mesivta of Kiryas Joel | 29 | $4,156 | $31,853 |
| United Talmudical Seminary | 26 | $6,640 | $25,113 |
Who Thrives Here
Eastern enrolls 2,404 students with a 41.9% Pell rate - a meaningfully access-mission profile, serving heavily low-to-moderate income students drawn by the school's Christian identity and accessible academic programs. The fit profile is clearest for nursing-track students (excellent outcomes) and for students drawn specifically to Eastern's Christian-faith framework alongside professional preparation.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Eastern University scores 37/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $26,662 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $51,655 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 14.8 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, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 71.4% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $25,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $36,700 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.
Eastern University: Common Questions
Is Eastern University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Eastern University scores 37/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $26,662 a year after aid against $51,655 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 14.8 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Eastern 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 $26,662 a year, or roughly $106,648 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 Eastern University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $51,655 ten years after enrolling, roughly $9,855 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 Eastern 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 14.8 years for Eastern University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Eastern University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,000, against average earnings of $36,700 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 Eastern University?
The six-year graduation rate is 54.0%. 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.