Johnson & Wales University-Online
Providence, Rhode Island · Private Nonprofit · 91.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 21/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Johnson & Wales University-Online earns a 21/100 ROI score and the Below Benchmark tier. The headline numbers are tough but with caveats. Average earnings six years after entry are $33,400, climbing to a median $43,418 by year ten - modest. Net price is $20,252 against a $13,365 sticker tuition (a $6,900 inversion indicating room-board-fees and other costs not covered by online-program tuition alone push total cost higher). Total four-year cost is $81,008. The implied payback period is 26.3 years - effectively never within career timeline. Median federal debt is $26,000 producing a 0.778 debt-to-earnings ratio. The earnings premium of 10.4% is weak. The headline 0% completion rate is misleading: it's likely a Scorecard reporting artifact for online-only programs that admit non-traditional students who don't fit the standard 4- or 6-year tracking window. The genuine bright spot is repayment performance: 80% of borrowers are making progress at three years. Honest read: JWU Online primarily serves working adults completing degrees they need for promotion or career change. The economics are tough relative to traditional cohort programs, but for working adults already in jobs whose existing income offsets the cost, the credential signal can be valuable.
How Johnson & Wales University-Online 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 Score21/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate0.0% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period26.3 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Johnson & Wales University-Online
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $13,365/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $13,365/yr |
| Average net price | $20,252/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $81,008 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $43,418 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $33,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $276 |
| Estimated payback period | 26.3 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 0.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,202 |
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: $13,365/year, which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $20,252/year, or roughly $81,008 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 $19,916/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $25,364/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $26,000, which works out to about $276 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($33,400) and comes to 0.78, 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 | $19,916 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $20,580 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $19,319 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | $25,364 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $19,916 net price. Note bracket inversion: the $48K-$75K bracket pays $19,319, LESS than both the lowest-income bracket and the $30K-$48K bracket ($20,580). This zigzag pattern likely reflects small-cohort statistical variation. Across four years, low-income working adults face $79,664 net cost. Pell-grant layering helps but the math remains tight against modest post-graduation earnings.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income brackets pay $20,580 ($30K-$48K), $19,319 ($48K-$75K), with the $75K-$110K bracket missing entirely (null). The available aid does not scale meaningfully with need. The $48K-$75K bracket is the value sweet spot for the income bands actually reported.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $25,364 - a modest premium over middle-income brackets. Over four years that's $101,456 net. With $43,418 ten-year median earnings the math is structurally difficult unless the working-adult student already has substantial income from current employment that the credential supports.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Johnson & Wales University-Online with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | $50,571 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $59,186 | C |
| Hospitality Administration | $55,790 | D |
| Entrepreneurship | $47,042 | D |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | $56,241 | D |
| Accounting | $73,476 | C |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | $53,539 | D |
| Human Resources Management | $79,056 | C |
| International Business | $61,380 | C |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $37,266 | 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.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business administration is JWU Online's largest program (50 graduates). Earnings are $39,917 one year out and $59,186 four years out, with $27,000 median debt and a 0.676 debt-to-earnings ratio (C grade). For working adults completing the credential while employed, the year-one figure may understate true outcomes (it captures earnings even if the student was already working). Mid-career growth is reasonable; this is one of JWU Online's stronger pathways.
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services
Foods/nutrition is JWU Online's signature culinary-and-hospitality-oriented program with 79 graduates - the largest cohort. Earnings are $32,586 one year out and $50,571 four years out, with $27,000 median debt and a 0.829 debt-to-earnings ratio (D grade). Food service and culinary careers cap earnings; the program serves working professionals seeking management-track credentials within those industries.
Hospitality Administration
Hospitality administration graduates earn $33,374 one year out and $55,790 four years out, with $26,175 median debt and a 0.784 debt-to-earnings ratio (D grade). 44 graduates per cohort. Hospitality-industry wages are structurally constrained; the program's outcomes mirror national hospitality-management trajectories.
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship graduates earn $30,996 one year out and $47,042 four years out, with $25,500 median debt and a 0.823 debt-to-earnings ratio (D grade). 21 graduates per cohort.
Accounting
Accounting graduates earn $45,450 one year out and $73,476 four years out, with $27,000 median debt and a 0.594 debt-to-earnings ratio (C grade). 12 graduates per cohort. Mid-career earnings are reasonable, suggesting graduates pursue CPA tracks. For working accounting professionals already in the field, the program offers a defensible credential pathway.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 73.6% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 80.3% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 69.0% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 69.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Johnson & Wales University-Online’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2011-2024).
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 | 91.0% |
| Enrollment | 2,202 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 36.2% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $10,481 |
JWU Online admits 91% of applicants - effectively open admission for online students. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported because the school does not require standardized testing for the online program. The headline 0% completion rate is a Scorecard reporting artifact for a primarily working-adult online enrollment that does not match the 6-year tracking window assumed by the metric - not a true zero-graduation reality. Working-adult online students typically take 5-8 years to complete part-time, falling outside Scorecard's measurement frame.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson & Wales University-Online (this school) | 21 | $20,252 | $43,418 |
| Strayer University-Florida | 24 | $16,064 | $40,092 |
| Herzing University-Kenosha | 23 | $23,066 | $36,909 |
| DeVry University-Ohio | 23 | $25,001 | $45,987 |
| DeVry University-Florida | 21 | $29,477 | $45,987 |
| DeVry University-Georgia | 20 | $28,229 | $45,987 |
Head-to-Head ROI Comparisons
See Johnson & Wales University-Online side by side with similar schools on ROI, cost, earnings, and debt.
Who Thrives Here
JWU Online enrolls 2,202 students with a 36.2% Pell rate - a moderately access-mission profile. The student body is overwhelmingly working adults completing bachelor's degrees, often after completing some credits at community college or other institutions. The fit profile is clearest for working professionals already employed in business, hospitality, or food-service industries who need a credential for promotion, or career-changers seeking JWU's specialized hospitality and culinary management coursework. Anyone seeking a traditional residential college experience should look elsewhere; this is a working-adult credential program.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Johnson & Wales University-Online scores 21/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $20,252 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $43,418 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 26.3 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, its 0.0% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.78 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $26,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $33,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.78. 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.
Johnson & Wales University-Online: Common Questions
Is Johnson & Wales University-Online worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Johnson & Wales University-Online scores 21/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $20,252 a year after aid against $43,418 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 26.3 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Johnson & Wales University-Online 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 $20,252 a year, or roughly $81,008 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 Johnson & Wales University-Online graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $43,418 ten years after enrolling, roughly $1,618 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 Johnson & Wales University-Online?
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 26.3 years for Johnson & Wales University-Online. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Johnson & Wales University-Online graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,000, against average earnings of $33,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.78. 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.
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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.