LeTourneau University
Longview, Texas · Private Nonprofit · 38.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 50/100 · Below Average Value
LeTourneau University, a private Christian polytechnic in Longview, Texas, lands at an ROI score of 50 -- Below Average Value tier -- which understates how unusual the school is. LeTourneau has a hard STEM core: mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering, aviation, and engineering technology, plus a sturdy nursing program. Median 10-year earnings of $57,103 are above the typical small-private number, and modeled payback runs 11.4 years -- well below most peers in the small-Christian-college bracket. The drag on the ROI score comes from net price ($28,185, the highest in this batch) producing a four-year cost of about $113,000, plus a 58.6% completion rate and a soft 67.9% repayment rate. Median debt of $26,000 lands above the national median, and debt-to-earnings of 0.55 reflects that most students borrow meaningfully. The picture this draws is of a school where students who finish an engineering or nursing degree do well -- electrical engineering grads earn nearly $100,000 at four years, mechanical engineering $85,000 -- but the financial risk is concentrated in the students who don't complete or who choose lower-earning majors like teacher education or interdisciplinary studies. LeTourneau is a STEM-vocational specialist masquerading in the Christian-liberal-arts category.
LeTourneau University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $37,160/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $37,160/yr |
| Average net price | $28,185/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $112,740 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $57,103 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $47,300 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $276 |
| Estimated payback period | 11.4 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 58.6% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,468 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The sticker price at LeTourneau University is $37,160/year. But sticker price isn't what most students pay. After grants, scholarships, and financial aid, the average student pays a net price of $28,185/year, or roughly $112,740 over four years.
That net price varies significantly by family income. The lowest-income families (under $30,000/year) pay an average of $22,785/year, while families earning over $110,000 pay $31,854/year.
The median graduate leaves with $26,000 in federal loan debt, translating to an estimated monthly payment of $276 on a standard 10-year repayment plan. Against median earnings of $57,103 ten years out, the debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.55 - within the recommended range but worth monitoring.
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 | $22,785 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $21,806 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $24,777 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $28,892 |
| $110,001+ | $31,854 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $22,785 net annually -- meaningful aid versus the $37,160 sticker, but still high in absolute terms. Four-year cost runs about $91,000. For a Pell-eligible engineering or nursing student who completes, the four-year earnings of $73,000-$99,000 still pencil within roughly a decade. For non-STEM majors at this income, the borrowing required is hard to recommend.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Note an inverted bracket: families earning $30,001-$48,000 pay $21,806 -- slightly less than the lowest-income tier. This likely reflects merit-aid stacking patterns. The $48,001-$75,000 range pays $24,777, and $75,001-$110,000 pays $28,892. Four-year totals of $99,000-$116,000 are steep and require an engineering or nursing major to clear comfortably. Middle-income families pursuing teacher education or psychology should weigh in-state Texas public alternatives seriously.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $31,854 -- about 86% of sticker, indicating limited institutional discounting at the top. Four years reaches roughly $127,000. For an engineering grad earning $85,000-$100,000, the math still works; for non-STEM majors, this becomes a values-and-fit decision rather than a financial one. High-income parents should price-check against UT Austin engineering or Texas A&M Mays College of Business.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at LeTourneau University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Air Transportation | $79,277 | D |
| Mechanical Engineering | $84,998 | B |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $67,970 | C |
| Teacher Education | $43,305 | D |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | $83,158 | - |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $46,286 | C |
| Civil Engineering | $81,065 | - |
| Registered Nursing | $73,217 | B |
| Electrical Engineering | $99,403 | - |
| Psychology | $46,679 | C |
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.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering is LeTourneau's flagship -- 43 graduates per year, $63,073 first-year and $84,998 four-year median earnings, with $26,000 median debt producing a 0.41 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B ROI grade. This is the strongest cohort on campus and the program where the value math clearly works. The polytechnic curriculum, hands-on labs, and ABET accreditation give graduates a competitive edge. ME is the right answer for prospective students evaluating LeTourneau on ROI grounds.
Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering posts the highest four-year median earnings on campus at $99,403 -- close to a six-figure outcome that's rare at any small private. Cohort is small (10 graduates), and program-level debt isn't reported, so the formal ROI grade is null. With school-wide median debt of $26,000, the implied debt-to-earnings ratio for an EE grad is roughly 0.26 -- excellent. EE is the highest-ROI track at LeTourneau and the program with the strongest hiring pipeline.
Registered Nursing
Nursing graduates 14 students per year, with $77,117 first-year median earnings and $73,217 at four years (the slight dip likely reflects a return-to-school effect among reporters). Median debt of $27,000 yields a 0.35 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B ROI grade. The clinical-licensure pathway adds career durability and geographic flexibility. Smaller cohort than the engineering programs but a clear win for prospective nursing students.
Air Transportation
Aviation graduates 49 students per year -- the largest cohort on campus -- but the early-career math is challenging. First-year earnings of $38,205 reflect entry-level pilot pay (often as flight instructors building hours), but four-year earnings jump to $79,277 as graduates accumulate seat time and move to regional airlines. Median debt of $27,000 produces a 0.71 first-year debt-to-earnings ratio and a D ROI grade -- but the four-year picture is meaningfully better. Prospective aviation students should plan for a low-paid first 2-3 years and budget accordingly.
Teacher Education
Teacher education graduates 27 students per year and posts the worst ROI grade on campus -- D, with a 0.94 debt-to-earnings ratio. First-year earnings are $35,487 and four-year earnings reach only $43,305, while median debt of $33,334 (well above the school median) almost equals annual earnings. The mission case is real, but the financial case is hard. Teaching majors at LeTourneau should aggressively pursue scholarships and TEACH grants, and weigh whether an in-state Texas public alternative would deliver the same credential at a fraction of the borrowing.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 61.3% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 67.9% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 64.6% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 68.2% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 38.0% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 490-670 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 500-660 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 21-30 |
| Enrollment | 1,468 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 13.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,550 |
LeTourneau admits 38% of applicants -- moderately selective for a small Christian school and tighter than most peers in this batch. SAT mid-range runs 490-670 math and 500-660 reading; ACT spans 21-30. The wide upper bands reflect the engineering applicant pool, which skews higher on quantitative scores. Selectivity correlates loosely with completion -- the 58.6% completion rate is workable but suggests engineering attrition is real, as is typical at any STEM-heavy campus.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
LeTourneau's named peers are Abilene Christian University, Arlington Baptist University, Southern Nazarene University, University of Lynchburg, and Bob Jones University. The peer set is small Christian liberal-arts schools, but LeTourneau is the outlier: its engineering and aviation focus produces earnings outcomes that most peers can't match. Abilene Christian is the closest analog with a more diversified program mix; Bob Jones and Arlington Baptist sit closer to the ministry/teaching end of the spectrum and post weaker earnings. On peer-relative ROI, LeTourneau's STEM grads outperform the cohort substantially.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| LeTourneau University (this school) | 50 | $28,185 | $57,103 |
| Southern Nazarene University | 55 | $22,084 | $54,951 |
| Abilene Christian University | 51 | $26,182 | $55,736 |
| University of Lynchburg | 49 | $22,235 | $56,380 |
| Bob Jones University | 47 | $16,641 | $44,354 |
| Arlington Baptist University | 14 | $24,906 | $44,644 |
Who Thrives Here
LeTourneau fits a STEM-oriented, faith-aligned student -- particularly one drawn to engineering, aviation, or nursing -- who is academically prepared and willing to grind through a tough engineering curriculum. Enrollment of 1,468 keeps engineering classes small. Pell rate of 13.3% is notably low for the cohort, indicating relatively affluent enrollment and limited need-based capacity. Texas residents lose the in-state public-tuition discount they could get at UT Tyler, Texas A&M, or Texas Tech, so the case here rests on the polytechnic-Christian combination. Students wanting a humanities-focused experience or chasing the lowest sticker price should look elsewhere.
The Verdict: Proceed With Caution
The financial case for LeTourneau University is mixed. At $28,185 per year net cost, graduates earn a median of $57,103 ten years after entry - a payback period of 11.4 years. That's below the average return for four-year institutions, and prospective students should carefully consider whether the investment aligns with their financial goals.
Areas of concern include weak earnings relative to cost and concerning loan repayment rates.
Median debt of $26,000 against $57,103 in earnings is reasonable, though major choice matters significantly. Students in higher-earning programs will see better returns.
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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.