Hilbert College
Hamburg, New York · Private Nonprofit · 97.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 32/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Hilbert College is a small private Catholic institution in Hamburg, New York, enrolling 921 students. Its ROI score of 32 places it in the Below Benchmark tier, reflecting weak earnings outcomes relative to its $33,740 annual tuition. The average net price of $22,723 produces a four-year cost estimate of $90,892. Six-year average earnings of $33,300 are modest, and ten-year median earnings of $48,309 indicate slow wage growth. The payback period of 17.3 years is long. Median debt of $24,750 and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.743 add financial pressure. The completion rate of 56.3% means roughly four in ten students do not finish - a significant attrition risk. Nearly half of students (48.2%) receive Pell Grants, reflecting a predominantly lower-income student body for whom the financial stakes of not completing are especially high. Hilbert's curricular focus on justice and public safety creates clear pathways, but the data shows that post-graduation earnings in those fields are insufficient to service typical debt loads at the college's net price.
How Hilbert College 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 Score32/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period17.3 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Hilbert College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $33,740/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $33,740/yr |
| Average net price | $22,723/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $90,892 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $48,309 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $33,300 |
| Median debt at graduation | $24,750 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $262 |
| Estimated payback period | 17.3 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 56.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 921 |
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: $33,740/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $22,723/year, or roughly $90,892 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 $20,903/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $24,329/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $24,750, which works out to about $262 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($33,300) and comes to 0.74, 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 | $20,903 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $20,389 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $23,162 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $24,732 |
| $110,001+ | $24,329 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Students with family incomes below $30,000 pay a net price of $20,903 per year - roughly $84,000 over four years. At this cost and with average six-year earnings of $33,300, the financial risk is severe, especially given the 56.3% completion rate.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($30,001 - $75,000) face net prices of $20,389 - $23,162. The modest variation reflects Hilbert's limited aid differentiation by income.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Higher-income families ($75,001 and above) pay $24,329 - $24,732. For families who do not rely on loans, Hilbert's small-school environment and Catholic mission may provide sufficient intangible value. The financial risk is primarily concentrated among borrowing students.
Earnings by Major
Top 4 most popular majors at Hilbert College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Security Science and Technology | $54,589 | D |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $53,418 | C |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $58,400 | C+ |
| Human Services, General | $50,111 | C+ |
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.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business (10 graduates) earns a C+ grade with year-one earnings of $45,854 and four-year earnings of $58,400. Median debt of $25,000 and a ratio of 0.545 are manageable relative to outcomes. Business is the strongest ROI pathway at Hilbert, though the small cohort limits inference.
Human Services, General
Human Services (8 graduates) earns a C+ grade with four-year earnings of $50,111. Median debt of $27,000 and a ratio of 0.539 are at the better end for this campus. The program feeds into social service and nonprofit administration roles in the Buffalo region.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice is Hilbert's most popular program with 41 graduates. Year-one earnings of $39,408 and four-year earnings of $53,418 are modest. Median debt of $27,000 and a ratio of 0.685 earn a C grade. Criminal justice graduates enter law enforcement, corrections, and public safety work - fields with stable but not high-growth compensation in western New York.
Security Science and Technology
Security Science (52 graduates) earns a D grade with year-one earnings of $32,374 and four-year earnings of $54,589. Median debt of $27,000 and a ratio of 0.834 are uncomfortable. Despite a promising four-year earnings trajectory, the early-career gap between earnings and debt is the program's principal weakness.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 59.0% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 68.2% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 59.6% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 63.1% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Hilbert College’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 | 97.2% |
| Enrollment | 921 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 48.2% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,332 |
Hilbert admits 97.2% of applicants and reports no standardized test score data, making it effectively open-access. Admission is not a constraint; academic persistence to completion is the institution's primary challenge.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Hilbert's primary niche is public safety and justice education for western New York students.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hilbert College (this school) | 32 | $22,723 | $48,309 |
| Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | 94 | $29,882 | $131,426 |
| Adelphi University | 75 | $30,783 | $75,482 |
| Bethel University | 34 | $18,610 | $48,860 |
| University of Pikeville | 33 | $20,311 | $48,231 |
| Greenville University | 29 | $19,533 | $46,827 |
Who Thrives Here
Students who receive meaningful institutional aid - bringing net price below $15,000 - have a more defensible financial case.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Hilbert College scores 32/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $22,723 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $48,309 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 17.3 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 0.74 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 68.2% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $24,750 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $33,300 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.74. 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.
Hilbert College: Common Questions
Is Hilbert College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Hilbert College scores 32/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $22,723 a year after aid against $48,309 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 17.3 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Hilbert College 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 $22,723 a year, or roughly $90,892 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 Hilbert College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $48,309 ten years after enrolling, roughly $6,509 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 Hilbert College?
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 17.3 years for Hilbert College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Hilbert College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $24,750, against average earnings of $33,300 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.74. 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 Hilbert College?
The six-year graduation rate is 56.3%. 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.