LeTourneau University
Longview, Texas · Private Nonprofit · 38.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 50/100 · Below Average Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
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. The drag on the ROI score comes from net price ($28,185) producing a four-year cost of about $113,000, plus a 58.6% completion rate and a soft 67.9% repayment rate. 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 |
| Average 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 first number you'll see is the sticker price: $37,160/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $28,185/year, or roughly $112,740 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 $22,785/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $31,854/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 ($47,300) and comes to 0.55, 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 | $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, those engineering and nursing earnings are not the benchmark.
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.
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.
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.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 61.3% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 67.9% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 64.6% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 68.2% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How LeTourneau 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 | 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. 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.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| 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 is 13.3%, indicating relatively affluent enrollment and limited need-based capacity.
The Verdict: Proceed With Caution
The money case for LeTourneau University is mixed, and worth a hard look before you commit. At $28,185 per year after aid, the typical graduate earns $57,103 ten years after entry, which means it takes about 11.4 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years. Whether it's worth it comes down to your major and your aid package.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a three-year loan repayment rate of 67.9% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%).
Median debt of $26,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $47,300 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.55, 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.
LeTourneau University: Common Questions
Is LeTourneau University worth it?
In our view, the money case is mixed and worth a hard look before you commit. LeTourneau University scores 50/100 on our ROI scale. At $28,185 a year after aid the typical graduate earns $57,103 ten years after entry, so it takes about 11.4 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does LeTourneau 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 $28,185 a year, or roughly $112,740 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 LeTourneau University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $57,103 ten years after enrolling, roughly $15,303 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 LeTourneau 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 11.4 years for LeTourneau University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do LeTourneau University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,000, against average earnings of $47,300 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.55. 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 LeTourneau University?
The six-year graduation rate is 58.6%. 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.