Hope International University
Fullerton, California · Private Nonprofit · 33.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 32/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Hope International University in Fullerton, California scores ROI 32 (Below Benchmark) - a small Christian college with 564 undergraduates. The school's primary challenge is its cost against its outcomes: a $29,310 average net price producing average 6-year earnings of $36,600 and a 17.5-year payback period. Completion at 49.4% means barely half of enrolled students graduate. The school's stated mission is training Christian servant leaders - its programs in Theological and Ministerial Studies and Education reflect that focus. Business Administration (37 graduates) is the only program with substantial volume and relatively decent earnings (4yr: $61,912, ROI grade C). The Fullerton location in Orange County provides proximity to a major labor market, but the admissions rate of 33% reflects a self-selecting, mission-aligned student body rather than academic exclusivity.
How Hope International 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 Score32/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period17.5 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Hope International University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $38,050/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $38,050/yr |
| Average net price | $29,310/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $117,240 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $49,697 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $36,600 |
| Median debt at graduation | $23,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $244 |
| Estimated payback period | 17.5 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 49.4% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 564 |
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: $38,050/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $29,310/year, or roughly $117,240 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 $27,991/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $34,049/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $23,000, which works out to about $244 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($36,600) and comes to 0.63, 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 | $27,991 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $31,016 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $34,451 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $33,634 |
| $110,001+ | $34,049 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $27,991 per year - this school charges low-income families more than $20,000 per year, which is a significant financial burden for Pell recipients. Over four years that is roughly $111,964. The 44.3% Pell rate indicates these families are enrolling in significant numbers despite the cost. Against a 49.4% completion rate, a low-income student who does not finish at Hope faces substantial debt without a degree.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 30,001-48,000 bracket pays $31,016 - higher than the lowest bracket, which is unusual and suggests aid targeting is not optimized for lower-middle-income families. The 48,001-75,000 bracket rises to $34,451, and the 75,001-110,000 bracket drops slightly to $33,634. The middle-range costs stay flat or slightly increase - virtually no meaningful aid differentiation across the middle income band.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,000+ pay $34,049 per year - essentially the same as upper-middle-income families. Over four years that is roughly $136,196.
Earnings by Major
Top 5 most popular majors at Hope International University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $61,912 | C |
| Psychology | $47,206 | C |
| Education, General | $45,971 | C+ |
| Theological and Ministerial Studies | $50,647 | - |
| Social Sciences, General | $58,263 | - |
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 Administration is Hope International's largest and most financially defensible program at 37 graduates per year. Median 1-year earnings of $40,955 and 4-year earnings of $61,912 track management and business roles in the Orange County and greater Los Angeles market. The 0.635 debt-to-earnings ratio (ROI grade C) with $26,000 median debt is on the edge. The 4-year jump from $40,955 to $61,912 is the program's most positive signal.
Education, General
Education produces 23 graduates per year with 4-year earnings of $45,971 (1-year not reported) and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.540 (ROI grade C+) against $24,823 median debt. California teacher salaries have improved significantly in recent years, and Hope International's Fullerton location places graduates in Orange County Unified and nearby districts. The C+ ROI grade reflects sustainable - if not exceptional - returns for students committed to California K-12 teaching.
Psychology
Psychology is Hope International's second-largest program at 23 graduates per year with 4-year earnings of $47,206 (1-year not reported) and a 0.551 debt-to-earnings ratio (ROI grade C) against $26,000 median debt. This is better-than-expected for a psychology program at this type of institution, likely reflecting some graduate degree attainment or entry into California's social services sector where salaries are modestly higher than national psychology averages. Mission-oriented psychology students at Hope tend toward counseling and social work paths.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 60.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 64.5% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 63.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 64.7% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Hope International 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 | 33.0% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 420-650 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 420-570 |
| Enrollment | 564 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 44.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,734 |
Hope International admits 33% of applicants - more selective than the institutional outcomes suggest. SAT Math 420-650, SAT Reading 420-570. The 33% admission rate likely reflects ecclesiastical endorsement, statement of faith, and mission alignment requirements rather than competitive academic screening. Students who don't meet the faith community criteria are filtered before academic review.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
The selective Christian community filter is doing enrollment work that standard academic selectivity metrics don't capture.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hope International University (this school) | 32 | $29,310 | $49,697 |
| Azusa Pacific University | 71 | $22,212 | $66,677 |
| Art Center College of Design | 56 | $48,661 | $71,958 |
| Parker University | 39 | $29,135 | $42,091 |
| Calumet College of Saint Joseph | 29 | $22,451 | $46,945 |
| Drury University-College of Continuing Professional Studies | 24 | $10,566 | $40,694 |
Who Thrives Here
SAT Math 420-650, SAT Reading 420-570 - a very wide range suggesting significant variance in incoming academic preparation. With 44.3% Pell recipients and a $29,310 net price, this school serves a high proportion of lower-income students at costs that strain household budgets. The 49.4% completion rate is a risk signal for all students, particularly those without family financial resources to weather the cost of not completing.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Hope International University scores 32/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $29,310 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $49,697 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 17.5 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 49.4% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.63 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 64.5% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $23,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $36,600 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.63. 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.
Hope International University: Common Questions
Is Hope International University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Hope International University scores 32/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $29,310 a year after aid against $49,697 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 17.5 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Hope International 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 $29,310 a year, or roughly $117,240 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 Hope International University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $49,697 ten years after enrolling, roughly $7,897 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 Hope International 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 17.5 years for Hope International University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Hope International University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $23,000, against average earnings of $36,600 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.63. 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 Hope International University?
The six-year graduation rate is 49.4%. 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.