Grace Christian University
Wyoming, Michigan · Private Nonprofit · 99.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 24/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Grace Christian University, a small Bible-focused private-nonprofit in Wyoming, Michigan, scores 24 - Below Benchmark tier. Average earnings six years after entry are $27,500, and median earnings are $41,663 at ten years. Median debt of $24,375 against those earnings produces an 0.886 debt-to-earnings ratio and a 28.5-year payback period. Sticker tuition is moderate at $18,690, with net price $12,404 and four-year total cost just under $50,000. But the low earnings ceiling cancels the modest cost advantage. Completion is 51% and repayment is 71% at three years. Pell rate is 46.9%, indicating a substantial need-based student body. With 716 students and a program lineup dominated by ministry, religious education, biblical studies, and human services, this is a vocational-Bible-college mission with the expected modest earnings profile. The ROI math only works for students whose calling is ministry rather than financial return.
How Grace Christian 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 Score24/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period28.5 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Grace Christian University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $18,690/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $18,690/yr |
| Average net price | $12,404/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $49,616 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $41,663 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $27,500 |
| Median debt at graduation | $24,375 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $258 |
| Estimated payback period | 28.5 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 51.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 716 |
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: $18,690/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $12,404/year, or roughly $49,616 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 $9,538/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $20,834/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $24,375, which works out to about $258 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($27,500) and comes to 0.89, 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 | $9,538 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $10,935 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $10,037 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $12,379 |
| $110,001+ | $20,834 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $9,538 net. Four-year cost is around $38,200, against $41,663 in 10-year median earnings. The math is tight but workable for low-income families committed to ministry careers, especially with eligible PSLF pathways for nonprofit ministry employment.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) pay $10,037 net - actually slightly less than the $30,001-$48,000 bracket's $10,935. A mild aid-cliff inversion likely from sample variance. Four-year cost is roughly $40,100, still below the 10-year earnings ceiling.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families over $110,000 pay $20,834 - a steep jump from the $75,001-$110,000 bracket's $12,379. This is the inversion-adjacent anomaly worth flagging: net price more than doubles between the $75-110K and $110K+ brackets, suggesting institutional aid evaporates abruptly at the top. Four-year cost above $83,000 makes the financial case difficult.
Earnings by Major
Top 5 most popular majors at Grace Christian University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries | $45,288 | D |
| Human Services, General | $47,559 | F |
| Religious Education | $52,314 | D |
| Bible/Biblical Studies | $30,263 | D |
| Music | $33,256 | - |
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.
Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries
Pastoral Counseling is the largest program at 34 graduates. Earnings of $48,916 in year one drop to $45,288 by year four - an unusual downward curve likely reflecting small sample variance. Median debt of $38,453 is the highest in the school and produces a 0.786 debt-to-earnings ratio (D grade). High debt for a ministry-track credential is a real concern; students should weigh PSLF eligibility for ministry employment.
Human Services, General
Human Services produces 24 graduates earning $35,205 in year one and $47,559 by year four against $36,149 debt - a 1.027 debt-to-earnings ratio and F grade. Debt exceeds first-year earnings, which is a textbook overborrowing warning. Faith-based social-service jobs pay modestly; the debt load is the issue, not the earnings.
Religious Education
Religious Education produces 11 graduates with $33,308 first-year earnings rising to $52,314 by year four against $30,750 debt (0.923 ratio, D grade). Solid four-year earnings growth signals graduates moving into church/school administration roles; the year-one debt-to-earnings math is difficult.
Bible/Biblical Studies
Bible/Biblical Studies graduates 4 students - a small cohort - earning $30,263 in year one against $27,000 debt (0.892 ratio, D grade). This is a feeder to seminary or ministry employment; bachelor's-only outcomes are weak. Most graduates need to continue to seminary or capture church-employer benefits to make the financial math work.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 68.1% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 70.7% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 63.4% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 64.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Grace Christian 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 | 99.2% |
| Enrollment | 716 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 46.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,647 |
Grace Christian admits 99.2% of applicants - functionally open admission. SAT and ACT scores are not reported in current Scorecard data, consistent with a test-optional or test-not-required admissions process. Selectivity is essentially a non-factor; fit and finish-rate are the key questions.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grace Christian University (this school) | 24 | $12,404 | $41,663 |
| Albion College | 65 | $14,301 | $58,799 |
| Adrian College | 39 | $25,368 | $55,504 |
| Be'er Yaakov Talmudic Seminary | 25 | $4,543 | $17,360 |
| Drury University-College of Continuing Professional Studies | 24 | $10,566 | $40,694 |
| Culver-Stockton College | 22 | $21,983 | $46,092 |
Who Thrives Here
Grace fits students called to ministry, pastoral counseling, religious education, music ministry, and faith-based human services. Pell rate of 46.9% indicates a substantial need-based cohort; enrollment of 716 supports a small-college environment. This is not an institution to choose for earnings - it is a vocational training ground for church and parachurch careers where personal calling outweighs financial return. Strong fit only for students committed to ministry-track careers; everyone else faces a difficult earnings/debt math.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Grace Christian University scores 24/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $12,404 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $41,663 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 28.5 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 51.0% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.89 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 70.7% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $24,375 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $27,500 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.89. 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.
Grace Christian University: Common Questions
Is Grace Christian University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Grace Christian University scores 24/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $12,404 a year after aid against $41,663 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 28.5 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Grace Christian 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 $12,404 a year, or roughly $49,616 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 Grace Christian University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $41,663 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off Grace Christian 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 28.5 years for Grace Christian University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Grace Christian University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $24,375, against average earnings of $27,500 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.89. 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 Grace Christian University?
The six-year graduation rate is 51.0%. 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.