Kehilath Yakov Rabbinical Seminary
Ossining, New York · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 33/100 · Poor Value
Kehilath Yakov Rabbinical Seminary is a small Hasidic Jewish religious institution in Ossining, New York, and its CampusROI score of 33 should be read carefully. The school's mission is religious training rather than labor-market preparation, and the standard ROI framework applies imperfectly. Sticker tuition is $13,200 with a net price of just $3,822, putting total four-year cost at about $15,288, one of the lowest figures in the dataset. The six-year completion rate of 63.4% is reasonably strong. Earnings, however, are sparse: median earnings six years out are not reported, and ten-year median earnings are $36,442. The modeled payback period of 107.7 years reflects the earnings premium being only 9.4% above a high-school baseline. Debt, repayment, and admissions data are largely null or imputed, lowering data completeness to 0.8. This profile is best understood through the lens of mission: students enroll for rabbinical and Talmudic training, not for wage outcomes. The financial picture is unusually low-cost for a private institution.
The data raises concerns about Kehilath Yakov Rabbinical Seminary
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score33/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
- Payback period>50 years - Graduates earn at or near the level of high school completers — the cost may not recoup within a working career.
Kehilath Yakov Rabbinical Seminary
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $13,200/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $13,200/yr |
| Average net price | $3,822/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $15,288 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $36,442 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | N/A |
| Median debt at graduation | N/A |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $0 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 63.4% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 205 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The sticker price at Kehilath Yakov Rabbinical Seminary is $13,200/year. But sticker price isn't what most students pay. After grants, scholarships, and financial aid, the average student pays a net price of $3,822/year, or roughly $15,288 over four years.
That net price varies significantly by family income. The lowest-income families (under $30,000/year) pay an average of $3,505/year, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year. The school provides substantial aid to low-income students, making it significantly more affordable than the sticker price suggests.
The median graduate leaves with N/A in federal loan debt, translating to an estimated monthly payment of $0 on a standard 10-year repayment plan. Against median earnings of $36,442 ten years out, the debt-to-earnings ratio is N/A - (insufficient data to assess).
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 | $3,505 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $2,480 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $6,931 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $7,722 |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 face a net price of just $3,505 per year, the lowest bracket. Four years totals about $14,000, an exceptionally low total cost figure even when read against modest earnings outcomes. For the community this serves, the financial barrier to entry is essentially nominal.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income brackets show an inversion worth flagging: $30,001-$48,000 pays $2,480, the cheapest of all brackets, while $48,001-$75,000 jumps to $6,931 and $75,001-$110,000 hits $7,722. The cheapest-bracket middle band is unusual and likely reflects bracket-level small-sample volatility (the school has only 205 students). Families should treat these published brackets as indicative rather than precise.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Net price for households above $110,000 is not reported, which is consistent with a school that has very few or zero high-income families enrolled. Without that data point, families in this bracket have no published estimate. Given the school's mission and community, the high-income bracket is essentially hypothetical.
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
Admissions Snapshot
| Enrollment | 205 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 82.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $2,340 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data for Kehilath Yakov Rabbinical Seminary. The school admits exclusively from the Hasidic Jewish community for religious training, so traditional admissions metrics do not apply. SAT and ACT scores are not collected. Prospective students are evaluated through community standing, religious preparation, and rabbinical recommendations rather than secular academic benchmarks.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Peers in the CampusROI dataset include Adelphi University, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Dewey University-Hato Rey, Prescott College, and Bryn Athyn College of the New Church. The most apples-to-apples peer is Bryn Athyn College of the New Church, another small religious institution where mission outweighs labor-market positioning. Adelphi and Albany College of Pharmacy are much larger and traditionally credentialed institutions that should not be evaluated against Kehilath Yakov on the same axes. Within faith-formation institutions, the school's combination of very low net price and strong completion is favorable.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kehilath Yakov Rabbinical Seminary (this school) | 33 | $3,822 | $36,442 |
| United Talmudical Seminary | 36 | $6,640 | $25,113 |
| Talmudical Seminary Oholei Torah | 35 | $10,755 | $39,230 |
| Rabbinical College of America | 30 | $15,628 | $34,990 |
| Talmudical Seminary of Bobov | 30 | $2,840 | $22,432 |
| Machzikei Hadath Rabbinical College | 27 | $16,515 | $41,527 |
Who Thrives Here
With 205 students and a Pell Grant rate of 82.0%, Kehilath Yakov serves an exclusively Hasidic Jewish male population pursuing rabbinical credentials. The fit is binary: students from the community pursuing religious leadership, education, and community service roles. Many graduates go on to teaching in yeshivas, serving as community rabbis, or running family businesses where the formal credential matters less than the religious training itself. Standard ROI analysis is not the right frame for evaluating this institution.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
The financial data raises serious concerns about Kehilath Yakov Rabbinical Seminary. With a net cost of $3,822 per year and median graduate earnings of only $36,442 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds >50 years. For most students, the financial return does not justify the cost.
Areas of concern include weak earnings relative to cost and a long payback period.
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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.