Keystone College
La Plume, Pennsylvania · Private Nonprofit · 84.8% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 19/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Keystone College is a small private nonprofit institution in rural La Plume, Pennsylvania, enrolling roughly 771 students. Its overall ROI score of 19 out of 100 reflects genuine financial stress: average earnings six years after enrollment are just $28,900, and the payback period on total costs stretches nearly 23 years. Tuition is $18,300 and the average net price after aid is $22,051. The completion rate of 36% means nearly two in three students do not earn a degree within the standard timeframe, eroding the value of any investment. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.90 is near the threshold where debt payments begin to strain household budgets meaningfully. Only 66% of borrowers are making progress on their loans three years after leaving school. The institution's small scale - fewer than 800 students - limits program variety and campus resources.
How Keystone 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 Score19/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate35.9% - 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 period22.9 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Keystone College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $18,300/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $18,300/yr |
| Average net price | $22,051/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $88,204 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $44,976 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $28,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $276 |
| Estimated payback period | 22.9 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 35.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 771 |
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: $18,300/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 $22,051/year, or roughly $88,204 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 $21,925/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $30,271/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 ($28,900) and comes to 0.90, 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 | $21,925 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $24,335 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $18,916 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $28,291 |
| $110,001+ | $30,271 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Students with family incomes below $30,000 face an average net price of $21,925 - a substantial share of household resources even with grant aid factored in. Given average six-year earnings of only $28,900 and a 23-year payback horizon, low-income students face the greatest financial risk here.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families in the $48,000 - $75,000 range pay the lowest net prices among income tiers at Keystone ($18,916), a modest improvement. Students in this bracket should model expected debt load and likely earnings for their specific intended major before committing.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
High-income students ($110,000 and above) pay an average net price of $30,271 - close to full sticker cost minus modest institutional aid. For this group, the financial risk is lower in absolute terms but the opportunity cost of attending a school with 36% completion rates and $28,900 average earnings is significant.
Earnings by Major
Top 8 most popular majors at Keystone College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $57,447 | D |
| Clinical Psychology | $41,571 | F |
| Social Sciences, Other | $46,452 | D |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $41,695 | D |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $52,747 | F |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $27,094 | F |
| Accounting | $54,695 | C |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $63,148 | - |
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.
Accounting
Accounting is the institution's best-performing program on financial metrics. Graduates report median earnings of $42,863 one year out, rising to $54,695 at four years - well above the institutional median. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.65 earns a C grade, meaning debt service is manageable but not comfortable. With only five graduates annually, the cohort is small and individual variation will be high. Students aiming for CPA licensure will need to supplement with graduate coursework regardless of where they earn their bachelor's degree.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration is the largest tracked program with 27 graduates. One-year median earnings of $42,342 are solid for a small rural college, and four-year earnings reach $57,447. The debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.70, rated D - students are carrying $29,780 in median debt against those earnings.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice graduates earn a median of $33,645 one year out and $41,695 at four years - below the cost of attendance in absolute terms. The D grade on debt-to-earnings (0.85) reflects $28,500 in median debt against modest earnings.
Fine and Studio Arts
Fine and Studio Arts shows the most challenging financials in Keystone's portfolio. One-year median earnings are just $16,392, climbing to $27,094 at four years. Against $30,372 in median debt, the ratio of 1.85 earns an F grade. This is a high-risk program financially; students passionate about the arts should plan carefully for income diversity and consider whether this specific program's resources justify the cost.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 56.1% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 66.3% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 61.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 64.3% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Keystone 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 | 84.8% |
| Enrollment | 771 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 41.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,423 |
Keystone admitted 85% of applicants in the most recent data cycle, making it broadly accessible. No standardized test score ranges are reported, suggesting a holistic or test-optional review. The open admissions posture means admission itself is rarely a barrier; the more relevant question is whether financial aid packaging makes attendance genuinely affordable.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keystone College (this school) | 19 | $22,051 | $44,976 |
| Albright College | 56 | $20,024 | $58,700 |
| Bryn Athyn College of the New Church | 34 | $20,586 | $40,457 |
| Be'er Yaakov Talmudic Seminary | 25 | $4,543 | $17,360 |
| Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Barranquitas | 20 | $8,726 | $23,204 |
| St. Andrews University | 16 | $32,513 | $45,606 |
Who Thrives Here
Keystone fits students who strongly prefer a small, rural campus environment and need geographic proximity to northeastern Pennsylvania. It draws a financially diverse class: 42% receive Pell Grants, signaling meaningful low-income access. However, the poor completion rate and weak early earnings mean students must commit fully to completion and target programs like accounting or business, where outcomes are measurably better than the institutional average.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Keystone College scores 19/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $22,051 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $44,976 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 22.9 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 35.9% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.90 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 66.3% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $26,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $28,900 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.90. 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.
Keystone College: Common Questions
Is Keystone College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Keystone College scores 19/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $22,051 a year after aid against $44,976 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 22.9 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Keystone 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 $22,051 a year, or roughly $88,204 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 Keystone College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $44,976 ten years after enrolling, roughly $3,176 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 Keystone 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 22.9 years for Keystone College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Keystone College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,000, against average earnings of $28,900 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.90. 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 Keystone College?
The six-year graduation rate is 35.9%. 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.