La Sierra University
Riverside, California · Private Nonprofit · 91.5% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 41/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
La Sierra University scores 41 (Below Benchmark). Tuition is $37,710 and net price is $45,566, which likely reflects fees and room/board in the Scorecard calculation. The repayment rate of 0.612 at five years means nearly 40% of former students are not making meaningful progress on their loans. Only one program (Accounting) achieves a B-grade ROI; most others carry C, D, or the worst-case scenario of 0.99 debt-to-earnings ratios.
How La Sierra 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 Score41/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
La Sierra University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $37,710/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $37,710/yr |
| Average net price | $45,566/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $182,264 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $61,824 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $43,600 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 12 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 59.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,116 |
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: $37,710/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 $45,566/year, or roughly $182,264 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 $44,988/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $45,999/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $27,000, which works out to about $286 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($43,600) and comes to 0.62, 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 | $44,988 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $44,593 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $45,518 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $47,266 |
| $110,001+ | $45,999 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The 0-$30,000 income bracket pays $44,988 per year - an astonishing net price for low-income students, approaching full cost of attendance. The 47.3% Pell rate means nearly half of students receive the maximum federal need-based grant but still face this net price. This data point indicates that La Sierra's institutional aid does not substantially reduce costs for low-income students. Low-income families should apply to California public institutions first.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $45,518 and the $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $47,266 per year - essentially flat and near full sticker price across income brackets. This extremely flat net price schedule indicates La Sierra offers limited institutional merit aid and relies almost entirely on federal programs. Middle-income families receive very little institutional discount from the $37,710 sticker price.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,000 or more pay $45,999 per year - higher than the lowest income bracket, likely due to reduced federal grant eligibility without corresponding institutional aid. The net price schedule at La Sierra is essentially the same for every income bracket, which is unusual and suggests limited endowment-funded aid. At $45,999 per year for four years ($184,000 total), the ROI case is very poor.
Earnings by Major
Top 8 most popular majors at La Sierra University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $53,902 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $56,939 | D |
| Marketing | $48,040 | C+ |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $55,711 | D |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $51,085 | D |
| Psychology | $49,265 | C |
| Social Work | $69,244 | D |
| Accounting | $59,153 | B |
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 (4 graduates) reaches $59,153 at year four with a B-grade debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.423 and $25,000 median debt. This is La Sierra's only program achieving B-grade ROI. The program is tiny (4 graduates), limiting Scorecard confidence, but the Riverside-Inland Empire accounting market provides adequate placement. The B-grade reflects earnings that outpace debt at a defensible ratio.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice (61 graduates) is La Sierra's largest reported program: $34,885 year one, $53,902 year four, D-grade debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.889 and $31,000 median debt. The Inland Empire public safety market provides some career entry, but the combination of high debt and modest wages makes repayment strained in early career. At $45,566 net price, this is a difficult financial choice.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business (22 graduates) earns $35,477 year one and $56,939 year four with a D-grade debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.799 and $28,333 median debt. Starting wages of $35,477 against debt of $28,333 produce a manageable but slow repayment trajectory. The Inland Empire business market is large but wage levels reflect its distance from the Los Angeles core.
Social Work
Social Work (12 graduates) earns $42,213 year one and $69,244 year four with a D-grade debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.841 and $35,500 median debt - the highest median debt on this program list. The year-four figure is notably higher than year one, reflecting that many social work graduates continue to an MSW which drives longer-term earnings upward. But the undergraduate debt of $35,500 compounds with graduate borrowing. Students planning the full MSW path need to model total debt, not just the undergraduate figure.
Psychology
Psychology (12 graduates) reaches $49,265 at year four with a C-grade debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.624 and $30,764 median debt. Still, at $45,566 net price and $30,764 debt, the financial math requires a graduate school pathway to justify.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 57.2% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 61.2% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 62.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 70.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How La Sierra 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 | 91.5% |
| Enrollment | 1,116 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 47.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,396 |
La Sierra admits 91.5% of applicants; no SAT or ACT data is reported. This is functionally open enrollment. The admission process screens primarily for faith community alignment and basic academic preparation. Financial need and the Adventist religious community are the primary draws - not academic selectivity.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Sierra University (this school) | 41 | $45,566 | $61,824 |
| Azusa Pacific University | 71 | $22,212 | $66,677 |
| Art Center College of Design | 56 | $48,661 | $71,958 |
| Aquinas College | 44 | $16,626 | $49,584 |
| Brenau University | 41 | $18,924 | $54,003 |
| Geneva College | 38 | $25,890 | $50,004 |
Who Thrives Here
La Sierra serves Adventist students and others drawn to the faith community in the Inland Empire, with 1,116 undergraduates and a 47.3% Pell rate indicating a primarily lower-income, first-generation student population. The 91.5% acceptance rate is open-access. The Adventist community infrastructure provides real social support that is not captured in financial data.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, La Sierra University scores 41/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $45,566 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $61,824 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 12 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, a three-year loan repayment rate of 61.2% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%).
Median debt of $27,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $43,600 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
La Sierra University: Common Questions
Is La Sierra University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. La Sierra University scores 41/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $45,566 a year after aid against $61,824 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 12 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does La Sierra 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 $45,566 a year, or roughly $182,264 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 La Sierra University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $61,824 ten years after enrolling, roughly $20,024 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 La Sierra 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 years for La Sierra University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do La Sierra University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $43,600 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at La Sierra University?
The six-year graduation rate is 59.7%. 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.