Hebrew Theological College
Skokie, Illinois · Private Nonprofit · 57.1% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 27/100 · Poor Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois posts a 27/10 - wait, a 27/100 ROI score in our framework - landing in Poor Value tier. The school's profile reflects its niche as a small Jewish religious institution: 90 students enrolled, a 50% completion rate, and modest median debt of $14,000. Median earnings six years out are $25,800, just below the high-school baseline (earnings premium of -1.6%), which is unsurprising for a population pursuing rabbinical, religious-education, or non-market-oriented vocational paths. The paybackPeriod of 999 years is our flag for 'graduates do not collectively out-earn the high-school benchmark by enough to recoup costs' - this is largely a statement about the religious-vocation pipeline rather than a critique of academic quality. Net price of $26,861 against a $15,150 sticker tuition reveals very limited institutional aid - net price is sharply higher than tuition because room, board, and fees push total cost to $107,444 over four years. With a 12.8% Pell rate and only $21,396 net price for the lowest income bracket vs. $35,059 for the highest, the aid distribution does at least flow toward need. Debt-to-earnings of 0.54 is the one bright spot: students borrow modestly. Anyone evaluating HTC purely on financial ROI is misreading the institution's purpose.
The data raises concerns about Hebrew Theological College
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score27/100 - 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.
Hebrew Theological College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $15,150/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $15,150/yr |
| Average net price | $26,861/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $107,444 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $33,291 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $25,800 |
| Median debt at graduation | $14,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $148 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 50.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 90 |
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: $15,150/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 $26,861/year, or roughly $107,444 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 $21,396/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $35,059/year.
Most students borrow to get here. The median graduate leaves owing $14,000 in federal loans, which works out to about $148 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Hold that up against the $33,291 the typical graduate earns ten years out: the debt-to-earnings ratio comes to 0.54, 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 | $21,396 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | N/A |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | N/A |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | $35,059 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $21,396 net - high relative to income but reflecting tuition assistance and Pell. Over four years that's roughly $85,584, against $25,800 graduate earnings, which only pencils with significant family or community subsidy. For low-income families committed to the religious mission, the modest $14,000 median debt suggests aid plus community support carries most of the weight.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Net price brackets for $30,001 - $110,000 are unreported, leaving middle-income families without published guidance. Use HTC's net price calculator early. Given a $26,861 average net price and the gap between the lowest and highest reported brackets, middle-income families likely pay $25,000 - $32,000 per year - manageable only with significant religious-community support or modest borrowing.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $35,059 - over $140,000 across four years, more than the $107,444 published total cost suggesting some bracket-level reporting noise. High-income families here are paying full freight (and then some) for religious formation, not financial return. Earnings of $25,800 six years out make the financial math indefensible on ROI alone, but families choosing HTC are buying mission, not market wages.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | N/A | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | N/A | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 66.7% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | N/A | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Hebrew Theological 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 | 57.1% |
| Enrollment | 90 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 12.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $4,277 |
HTC reports a 57.1% admission rate, modestly selective on paper but reflecting a small, self-selecting applicant pool drawn primarily from observant Jewish communities. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported, consistent with a holistic religious-school admission process. The 50% completion rate suggests admitted students are reasonably well-matched, though half do not finish in the tracked window - a figure to weigh against the $107,444 four-year cost.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
HTC's listed peers - School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Augustana College, Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico Orlando, Saint Joseph Seminary College, and Northpoint Bible College - span an unusually wide range. SAIC and Augustana are mainstream four-years with stronger market-oriented earnings; Saint Joseph Seminary and Northpoint Bible are direct mission-peers and post similarly weak earnings premia and 999-year payback markers. HTC's debt-to-earnings of 0.54 is actually better than several of those religious peers, reflecting the conservative borrowing pattern of its students.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hebrew Theological College (this school) | 27 | $26,861 | $33,291 |
| Kehilath Yakov Rabbinical Seminary | 33 | $3,822 | $36,442 |
| Rabbinical College of America | 30 | $15,628 | $34,990 |
| Talmudical Seminary of Bobov | 30 | $2,840 | $22,432 |
| Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitz | 27 | $21,437 | $35,023 |
| Machzikei Hadath Rabbinical College | 27 | $16,515 | $41,527 |
Who Thrives Here
HTC is for students pursuing religious vocation, Judaic studies, or community-oriented careers - not students optimizing for ROI. The 90-student enrollment, 12.8% Pell rate, and Skokie-area Orthodox Jewish setting make this a tightly defined community. Students who fit are typically observant, often drawn from yeshivot or seminary feeder schools, and accept earnings outcomes secondary to religious formation. Students seeking secular career outcomes or maximum financial return should look elsewhere - the 0.54 debt-to-earnings ratio works only because borrowing is light and families often co-fund.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
We'll be straight with you: the numbers at Hebrew Theological College are a real concern. With a net cost of $26,861 per year and the typical graduate earning only $33,291 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, its 50.0% graduation rate, a long payback period.
Median debt of $14,000 against $33,291 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.