Life Pacific University
San Dimas, California · Private Nonprofit · 95.8% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 22/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Life Pacific University is a small Pentecostal Christian institution in San Dimas, California, enrolling approximately 456 students. Its ROI score of 22 places it in the Below Benchmark tier, driven by a low earnings premium, a payback period of 26.9 years, and a completion rate of 40.4%. Tuition is $22,118 per year, with a net price of $20,898 and a four-year total cost estimate of $83,592. Median debt of $22,395 produces a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.683. Repayment rates at year three are just 60.9%, indicating many borrowers are struggling. Over half of students - 53.8% - receive Pell Grants, reflecting a high-need student body for whom the financial stakes of a low-completing, low-earning institution are especially severe. The university's mission centers on ministry formation, and its data profile is consistent with graduates pursuing vocational ministry rather than commercially compensated careers. Prospective students must weigh spiritual and community fit against the economic data with clear eyes.
How Life Pacific 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 Score22/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period26.9 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Life Pacific University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $22,118/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $22,118/yr |
| Average net price | $20,898/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $83,592 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $43,299 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $32,800 |
| Median debt at graduation | $22,395 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $237 |
| Estimated payback period | 26.9 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 40.4% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 456 |
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: $22,118/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $20,898/year, or roughly $83,592 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 $16,786/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $25,877/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $22,395, which works out to about $237 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($32,800) and comes to 0.68, 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 | $16,786 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $18,984 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $18,255 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $23,108 |
| $110,001+ | $25,877 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Students with family incomes below $30,000 pay a net price of $16,786 per year - about $67,000 over four years. Against average six-year earnings of $32,800 and a 40.4% completion rate, this represents a serious financial gamble. Low-income students should exhaust all scholarship options and consider whether a community college transfer pathway reduces total cost and risk.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($30,001 - $75,000) face net prices of $18,255 - $18,984. The aid structure is relatively flat across this income range, suggesting limited additional grants for middle-income earners.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Higher-income families ($75,001 and above) pay $23,108 - $25,877. At these prices, Life Pacific's financial calculus is hardest to justify without a specific religious vocation.
Earnings by Major
Top 3 most popular majors at Life Pacific University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries | $52,477 | C |
| Behavioral Sciences | $47,612 | D |
| Bible/Biblical Studies | $46,756 | 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.
Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries
This is the largest tracked program with 32 graduates. Year-one earnings of $37,436 and four-year earnings of $52,477 reflect ministry-sector wages. Median debt of $24,083 and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.643 earn a C grade - the strongest on campus. For students committed to ministry, this program provides the most financially reasonable pathway Life Pacific offers.
Bible/Biblical Studies
Only 4 graduates are tracked. Four-year earnings of $46,756, median debt of $27,000, and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.577 earn a C grade - slightly better than the institutional average. The small graduate count limits reliability, but the data is consistent with graduates entering religious education or ministry support roles.
Behavioral Sciences
Behavioral Sciences posts year-one earnings of $29,830 and four-year earnings of $47,612 with 16 graduates. Median debt of $27,000 and a ratio of 0.905 earn a D grade. These graduates likely enter human services or counseling-adjacent roles, where early-career wages are low. The debt-to-earnings ratio is particularly uncomfortable for this major.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 61.6% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 60.9% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 63.2% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 74.2% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Life Pacific 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 | 95.8% |
| Enrollment | 456 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 53.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,254 |
Life Pacific accepts 95.8% of applicants and reports no standardized test score ranges, making it functionally open-access. Admission is not a barrier; persistence to graduation at a 40.4% completion rate is the far greater challenge. Students should ask the institution directly about academic support resources and attrition patterns.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Life Pacific's narrow curriculum serves students with explicitly pastoral career goals.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Pacific University (this school) | 22 | $20,898 | $43,299 |
| Azusa Pacific University | 71 | $22,212 | $66,677 |
| Art Center College of Design | 56 | $48,661 | $71,958 |
| Cambridge College | 21 | $31,072 | $45,998 |
| Caribbean University-Ponce | 17 | $4,964 | $22,842 |
| Paine College | 14 | $16,670 | $33,338 |
Who Thrives Here
Life Pacific is a strong fit for students who feel called to Pentecostal ministry or pastoral work and for whom faith formation is the primary goal of higher education - not career earnings maximization. Students expecting to work in commercial or public-sector roles should carefully compare their net price against the earnings data and consider whether a broader institution better prepares them for their intended field.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Life Pacific University scores 22/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $20,898 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $43,299 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 26.9 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 40.4% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 60.9% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $22,395 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $32,800 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68. 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.
Life Pacific University: Common Questions
Is Life Pacific University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Life Pacific University scores 22/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $20,898 a year after aid against $43,299 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 26.9 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Life Pacific 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 $20,898 a year, or roughly $83,592 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 Life Pacific University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $43,299 ten years after enrolling, roughly $1,499 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 Life Pacific 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 26.9 years for Life Pacific University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Life Pacific University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $22,395, against average earnings of $32,800 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68. 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 Life Pacific University?
The six-year graduation rate is 40.4%. 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.