Five Towns College
Dix Hills, New York · Private For-Profit · 53.8% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 17/100 · Poor Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Five Towns College earns a CampusROI score of 17 out of 100 and lands in the Poor Value tier. Almost every score component is flashing red. The earnings-premium sub-score of 8 reflects a raw earnings premium of just 1% over high-school-only peers, meaning graduates of this small for-profit performing-arts college on Long Island earn essentially the same as people who never enrolled. The payback period reads 261.5 years, which is the model's way of saying earnings never realistically recoup the cost of attendance. Sticker tuition runs $30,250 a year, average net price after aid is $22,992, and four-year cost lands near $91,968 before housing or living expenses. Median earnings six years after entry are $26,300 and only reach $35,887 by year ten, with median debt of $21,500 producing an 0.82 debt-to-earnings ratio. The one bright spot is the 55.3% completion rate, which is higher than many for-profits, but graduating into a market where median earnings barely clear $35,000 a decade later does not rescue the math. The repayment rate of 64.3% means roughly one in three borrowers is not actively paying down principal.
The data raises concerns about Five Towns College
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score17/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
- Payback period>50 years - Graduates earn at or near the level of high school completers - the cost may not recoup within a working career.
Five Towns College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $30,250/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $30,250/yr |
| Average net price | $22,992/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $91,968 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $35,887 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $26,300 |
| Median debt at graduation | $21,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $228 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 55.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 547 |
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: $30,250/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 $22,992/year, or roughly $91,968 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 $17,588/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $27,724/year.
Most students borrow to get here. The median graduate leaves owing $21,500 in federal loans, which works out to about $228 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Hold that up against the $35,887 the typical graduate earns ten years out: the debt-to-earnings ratio comes to 0.82, 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 | $17,588 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $20,113 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $24,284 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $26,744 |
| $110,001+ | $27,724 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 face an average net price of $17,588 per year, totaling roughly $70,400 over four years. With ten-year median earnings of $35,887, that price is very hard to justify for low-income students borrowing federal and likely private loans to close the gap. The 0.82 debt-to-earnings ratio across the school's median means low-income borrowers should expect significant repayment strain.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001 to $75,000 bracket pays $24,284 per year and the $75,001 to $110,000 bracket pays $26,744. Four-year totals are $97,000 to $107,000 before housing. At those numbers, middle-income families are paying close to sticker, and outcome data does not support the spend. SUNY four-year campuses or community-college music programs offer dramatically better cost math.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $27,724 per year, near full sticker. Four-year cost approaches $111,000. Higher-income families with strong cash flow can absorb this if the student is genuinely committed to a niche performing-arts career and has assessed Five Towns against alternatives like Berklee, Manhattan School of Music, or a state university with a strong music program. The cash math here only works for families who can self-fund.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at Five Towns College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Music | $36,157 | F |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $47,222 | 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.
Music
Music is the school's signature program and graduates 13 students per cohort. Year-one earnings of $25,315 climb only to $36,157 by year four. Median debt of $27,750 against those earnings produces a 1.10 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F ROI grade. This is the most honest data point on the page: even at this music-focused college, the median music graduate carries more debt than they earn in their fourth year. Music careers can pay off via project work, royalties, and gigs that don't show up in tax-record-based earnings, but the on-paper return is poor.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business at Five Towns shows year-one earnings of $25,792 rising to $47,222 by year four, the strongest four-year earnings figure on campus. Median debt of $25,573 against those earnings produces a 0.99 ratio and a D ROI grade. The trajectory at least bends upward unlike Music, but the entry-level number is well below what comparable business graduates earn at SUNY or CUNY campuses, and graduate counts are not reported, suggesting low volume.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 57.2% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 64.3% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 50.8% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 59.7% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Five Towns 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 | 53.8% |
| Enrollment | 547 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 34.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,870 |
Five Towns admits 53.8% of applicants. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported, which is consistent with a small specialty institution that often admits on the basis of audition or portfolio review. The lack of reported test bands makes it hard to calibrate academic preparation, and the modest 55.3% completion rate suggests that the audition-driven admit screen does not always translate into students who finish.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Peer schools include Berkeley College New York, LIM College, Provo College, Brookline College Albuquerque, and University of Silicon Valley. All five are small for-profit or specialty private institutions with weak ROI profiles. Berkeley College and LIM College post somewhat better outcomes than Five Towns thanks to their Manhattan-adjacent business and fashion focus, but neither clears the average-value threshold. Provo College and Brookline College Albuquerque sit closer to Five Towns at the bottom of the dataset. Among this peer set, Five Towns is roughly middle of the pack, but the entire pack is in the bottom decile of CampusROI scores.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Five Towns College (this school) | 17 | $22,992 | $35,887 |
| LIM College | 43 | $38,667 | $58,956 |
| Brookline College-Albuquerque | 24 | $37,459 | $29,576 |
| University of Silicon Valley | 23 | $27,815 | $51,017 |
| Berkeley College-New York | 16 | $34,124 | $45,884 |
| Provo College | 14 | $27,053 | $39,645 |
Who Thrives Here
Five Towns serves about 547 students with a 34.4% Pell rate, marking it as a small private specialty school rather than an access-mission institution. The fit case is narrow: students pursuing music, audio engineering, or performing-arts careers who specifically want the Long Island recording and live-event ecosystem and who can pay net price largely without borrowing. Borrowing students should run the math hard. With ten-year median earnings of $35,887, a $21,500 federal loan balance is durable but tight, and the 8% earnings-premium score should be a flashing warning for anyone weighing this against a community college music program.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
We'll be straight with you: the numbers at Five Towns College are a real concern. With a net cost of $22,992 per year and the typical graduate earning only $35,887 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds >50 years. For most students, the financial return does not justify the cost - go in with your eyes open.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, high debt relative to what graduates earn, concerning loan repayment rates, a long payback period.
Median debt of $21,500 against $35,887 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.