John Paul the Great Catholic University
Escondido, California · Private Nonprofit · 79.6% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 46/100 · Below Average Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
John Paul the Great Catholic University (JPCU) in Escondido, California posts a 46/100 ROI score in our Below Average Value tier. The school is a small, mission-focused Catholic institution specializing in media, business, and theology programs designed to integrate faith with creative-industry training. Sticker tuition of $30,265 is significantly amplified by California cost-of-living - net price of $34,666 actually EXCEEDS the published tuition (an unusual pattern that reflects high room/board/fees) - pushing four-year cost to $138,664. Median 6-year earnings are not reported; 10-year earnings of $56,930 are decent but not exceptional given the cost. Median debt of $26,968 paired with a 12.7-year paybackPeriod produces a moderate-but-difficult financial profile. The 63.9% completion rate is reasonable. Repayment rates and debt-to-earnings ratios are not reported in current Scorecard data - the dataCompleteness is 0.8, reflecting these gaps. With just 286 students and a 32.6% Pell rate, JPCU is one of the smallest institutions on our database. The school's value proposition rests on a focused Catholic media-and-storytelling mission that draws students nationally; financial outcomes alone don't capture the integrated faith-formation experience.
John Paul the Great Catholic University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $30,265/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $30,265/yr |
| Average net price | $34,666/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $138,664 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $56,930 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | N/A |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,968 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 12.7 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 63.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 286 |
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: $30,265/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 $34,666/year, or roughly $138,664 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 $27,029/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $38,282/year.
Most students borrow to get here. The median graduate leaves owing $26,968 in federal loans, which works out to about $286 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Hold that up against the $56,930 the typical graduate earns ten years out: the debt-to-earnings ratio comes to N/A, which we can't fully judge without more data.
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 | $27,029 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $35,037 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $31,236 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $32,194 |
| $110,001+ | $38,282 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $27,029 net - high relative to income. Across four years that's $108,116 against $56,930 10-year earnings. Pell helps but the gap remains. The math is genuinely difficult for low-income families without significant outside aid; the Catholic-media mission attracts students who often bring family or parish-network financial support to bridge the gap.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The brackets show notable inversions: $30,001 - $48,000 pays $35,037 - actually MORE than the $48,001 - $75,000 bracket ($31,236) and the $75,001 - $110,000 bracket ($32,194). This inversion likely reflects sample-size noise from the small student body (286 enrolled). Run JPCU's net price calculator directly. Middle-income families pay $125,000-$140,000 over four years - difficult math.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $38,282 - about $153,128 across four years, well above the published $138,664 total cost figure. High-income full-pay families are paying close to or above sticker. Choices made at this price point are mission-driven; the financial math does not justify JPCU on ROI alone, but the Catholic-media-formation experience is genuinely unique.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at John Paul the Great Catholic University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $35,917 | D |
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.
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Film/Video is JPCU's flagship program, central to the school's Catholic-media identity. First-year earnings of $27,221 climb to $35,917 by year four, with $26,925 median debt yielding a 0.99 debt-to-earnings ratio (D grade). The Catholic-film industry is a small market with a long earnings runway; graduates who connect into Catholic media networks (EWTN, Word on Fire, parachurch productions) see better long-term outcomes than the population statistics suggest. Students with broader film-industry ambitions should weigh whether USC, Loyola Marymount, or Chapman offer comparable Catholic identity at stronger general-market outcomes.
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 | N/A | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | N/A | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How John Paul the Great Catholic University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2012-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 79.6% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 470-610 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 505-660 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 21-28 |
| Enrollment | 286 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 32.6% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,563 |
JPCU admits 79.6% of applicants - moderately selective with broad accessibility for mission-aligned students. SAT mid-ranges of 470-610 (math) and 505-660 (reading) and an ACT range of 21-28 indicate a student body in the middle of the four-year college market. The 63.9% completion rate suggests admit standards are reasonably matched to retention; mission-aligned students who connect with the school's Catholic-media identity tend to persist.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
JPCU's listed peers - ArtCenter College of Design, Azusa Pacific University, Boston Architectural College, Northwest University CCOE, and Yeshiva of Nitra Rabbinical College - span an awkward range. ArtCenter is a structural mis-comparison (an elite design school with much different outcomes). Azusa Pacific is the closest direct peer (California, Christian-affiliated) with somewhat better completion. Boston Architectural is a niche professional school; the Yeshiva is a religious-vocation peer. Among the genuine peers, JPCU sits in a small Catholic-media niche that's hard to compare directly.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Paul the Great Catholic University (this school) | 46 | $34,666 | $56,930 |
| Azusa Pacific University | 71 | $22,212 | $66,677 |
| Art Center College of Design | 56 | $48,661 | $71,958 |
| Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education | 44 | $35,671 | $54,914 |
| Boston Architectural College | 43 | $25,865 | $62,123 |
| Yeshiva of Nitra Rabbinical College | 39 | $10,880 | $41,785 |
Who Thrives Here
JPCU fits Catholic students drawn to integrated faith-and-media training, particularly those targeting Catholic film, theological studies, or business-with-Catholic-social-teaching tracks. With just 286 students and a 32.6% Pell rate, the campus is exceptionally small and mission-defined. Strong outcomes for students who leverage the school's industry-specific networks (Catholic media, parachurch ministry, Christian film); weaker for students seeking general-market career paths. Students considering JPCU should be clear about the specifically Catholic-media identity and its limitations as a credential outside that ecosystem.
The Verdict: Proceed With Caution
The money case for John Paul the Great Catholic University is mixed, and worth a hard look before you commit. At $34,666 per year after aid, the typical graduate earns $56,930 ten years after entry, which means it takes about 12.7 years to earn the cost back - slower than most four-year schools. Whether it's worth it comes down to your major and your aid package.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost.
Median debt of $26,968 against $56,930 in earnings is reasonable, though your major matters a lot here. Graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
John Paul the Great Catholic University: Common Questions
Is John Paul the Great Catholic University worth it?
In our view, the money case is mixed and worth a hard look before you commit. John Paul the Great Catholic University scores 46/100 on our ROI scale. At $34,666 a year after aid the typical graduate earns $56,930 ten years after entry, so it takes about 12.7 years to earn the cost back - slower than most four-year schools.
How much does John Paul the Great Catholic University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - what students actually pay after grants and scholarships - is about $34,666 a year, or roughly $138,664 over four years. That is the number to plan around, not the sticker price. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do John Paul the Great Catholic University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $56,930 ten years after enrolling, roughly $15,130 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 John Paul the Great Catholic 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 12.7 years for John Paul the Great Catholic University. Most four-year schools we track land between 4 and 10 years.
How much debt do John Paul the Great Catholic University graduates take on?
Median debt at graduation is about $26,968, against $56,930 in typical earnings a decade out. That is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at John Paul the Great Catholic University?
The six-year graduation rate is 63.9%, below the 64% national average (NCES, 2022) - and not finishing is the fastest route to a poor return. 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.