Heritage University
Toppenish, Washington · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 51/100 · Below Average Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Heritage University earns an overall ROI score of 51, in the Below Average Value tier. Heritage is a small Hispanic-serving private institution in Toppenish, Washington (Yakima Valley) that serves a heavily working and farmworker-family demographic. Sticker tuition is $20,928 with net price of $14,598 - meaningful discounting that puts four-year cost at $58,392. The 13.8-year payback period is lengthy. Ten-year earnings rise to $49,416, a meaningful trajectory. The earnings premium of 24.7% is solid, and program-level outcomes are surprisingly strong - psychology, criminal justice, and social work all earn B grades. Completion rate is 53.7%, and repayment behavior is the weakest signal, with only 59.7% reducing principal at 3 years and dropping to 48.4% at 5 years. The Pell rate is 66.7%, which confirms the institution's mission as a serving institution for low-income, often first-generation Latino and Native American students in the Yakama Nation territory. The fundamental story: Heritage delivers reasonable program-level outcomes for a high-need student population at a manageable cost, but the heavy financial pressure on graduates' households shows up in the repayment data.
Heritage University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $20,928/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $20,928/yr |
| Average net price | $14,598/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $58,392 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $49,416 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $31,600 |
| Median debt at graduation | $14,573 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $154 |
| Estimated payback period | 13.8 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 53.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 812 |
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: $20,928/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $14,598/year, or roughly $58,392 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 $15,114/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $20,749/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $14,573, which works out to about $154 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($31,600) and comes to 0.46, which in our view is comfortably manageable.
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 | $15,114 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $12,383 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $14,119 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $17,053 |
| $110,001+ | $20,749 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $15,114 per year, with the $30,001-$48,000 bracket paying slightly less at $12,383 - a small inversion. Four-year cost lands at roughly $50,000-$60,000 for the lowest brackets, which is heavy relative to typical $31,600 graduate earnings. Pell aid does substantial work here. The institution serves as an accessible four-year option for Yakima Valley low-income students.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$110,000) pay $14,119 to $17,053 per year. Four-year cost ranges from $56,000 to $68,000. The math is reasonable for students completing programs that match local labor demand (social work, teaching, counseling).
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households over $110,000 pay $20,749 per year - approximately $83,000 across four years. Heritage rarely serves this income bracket at scale; the institution's mission is access-focused rather than high-income recruiting.
Earnings by Major
Top 5 most popular majors at Heritage University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Social Work | $58,634 | B |
| Teacher Education | $60,999 | C |
| Psychology | $57,815 | B |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $55,375 | B |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $52,449 | - |
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.
Social Work
Social work is Heritage's largest program at 54 graduates yearly. Median first-year earnings of $37,164 and four-year earnings of $58,634 against $14,007 of debt produce a 0.377 ratio and a B grade. The low debt level is a key differentiator versus other social work programs. Career outcomes feed into Washington state child welfare, tribal services, agricultural-community outreach, and bilingual case management - exactly the regional needs the institution was founded to serve.
Teacher Education
Teacher education produces 42 graduates yearly with $35,992 first-year and $60,999 four-year earnings on $20,049 of debt - a 0.557 ratio and C grade. The four-year earnings figure is strong and reflects Washington state's relatively favorable K-12 teacher salary structure (especially for bilingual and ESL-endorsed teachers, where Heritage graduates have a structural advantage).
Psychology
Psychology produces 17 graduates yearly with four-year earnings of $57,815 on $22,550 of debt - a 0.39 ratio and B grade. The four-year earnings figure is strong for this major and suggests substantial graduate-school throughput into counseling and clinical roles. Career outcomes feed into Washington community-mental-health, school counseling, and tribal behavioral health services.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal justice graduates 16 students yearly with four-year earnings of $55,375 on $19,988 of debt - a 0.361 ratio and B grade. Career outcomes feed into Washington state law enforcement, corrections, and probation roles. The bilingual capacity many Heritage graduates bring is structurally valued in the Yakima Valley criminal-justice system.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business administration produces 9 graduates yearly with four-year earnings of $52,449. Median debt and ROI grade are not reported. Career outcomes likely feed into agricultural business management, regional retail, and small-business operations in the Yakima Valley. The small cohort size limits the program's scale impact.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 50.7% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 59.7% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 48.4% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 60.7% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Heritage 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
| Enrollment | 812 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 66.7% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,471 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data, and SAT/ACT mid-ranges are also missing. Heritage operates on an open-access mission consistent with its serving-institution role, prioritizing access for first-generation and minority students from the Yakima Valley. The 53.7% completion rate is reasonable given the access-oriented mission and the heavy work and family responsibilities of typical students.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heritage University (this school) | 51 | $14,598 | $49,416 |
| Gonzaga University | 81 | $35,119 | $78,892 |
| Whittier College | 52 | $25,757 | $59,492 |
| University of Saint Joseph | 52 | $27,989 | $59,908 |
| Woodbury University | 51 | $33,692 | $65,668 |
| Cornish College of the Arts | 17 | $40,062 | $33,696 |
Who Thrives Here
Heritage fits Latino, Indigenous (Yakama Nation), and first-generation students from the Yakima Valley and surrounding agricultural communities. Pell rate is 66.7%, very high, and enrollment is 812. The institution provides culturally responsive teaching and faculty-student ratios that allow personalized support. Outcomes are strongest for social work (54 graduates yearly, B grade) and teacher education - both of which feed into local Yakima Valley nonprofits, school districts, and tribal services. Students should arrive with realistic expectations about the regional labor market and use the small-college support structures available.
The Verdict: Proceed With Caution
The money case for Heritage University is mixed, and worth a hard look before you commit. At $14,598 per year after aid, the typical graduate earns $49,416 ten years after entry, which means it takes about 13.8 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years. Whether it's worth it comes down to your major and your aid package.
What it has going for it: manageable debt relative to earnings. What to keep an eye on: a three-year loan repayment rate of 59.7% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $14,573 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $31,600 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.46, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Heritage University: Common Questions
Is Heritage University worth it?
In our view, the money case is mixed and worth a hard look before you commit. Heritage University scores 51/100 on our ROI scale. At $14,598 a year after aid the typical graduate earns $49,416 ten years after entry, so it takes about 13.8 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does Heritage 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 $14,598 a year, or roughly $58,392 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 Heritage University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $49,416 ten years after enrolling, roughly $7,616 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 Heritage 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 13.8 years for Heritage University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Heritage University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $14,573, against average earnings of $31,600 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.46. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Heritage University?
The six-year graduation rate is 53.7%. 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.