LIM College
New York, New York · Private For-Profit · 95.9% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 43/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
LIM College, a private for-profit fashion-focused school in midtown Manhattan, scores 43 out of 100 (Below Benchmark). Net price ($38,667) exceeds tuition ($33,504), which happens when room and board, fees, and required supplies push total cost above sticker price. Across four years, students pay $154,668. Earnings climb from $42,300 at six years to $58,956 at ten, which sounds reasonable until you realize the payback period is 12.3 years - the gap between cost and earnings is wide enough that graduates spend over a decade earning back what they paid. The completion rate is barely over half (50.9%), and only 73% of borrowers had paid down any principal three years out. Where LIM does perform reasonably is debt-to-earnings (0.567). The fashion-merchandising niche has real value for students aiming at New York's fashion industry, but the price is steep relative to the labor market they're entering.
How LIM 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 Score43/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
LIM College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $33,504/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $33,504/yr |
| Average net price | $38,667/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $154,668 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $58,956 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $42,300 |
| Median debt at graduation | $24,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $254 |
| Estimated payback period | 12.3 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 50.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,187 |
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: $33,504/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 $38,667/year, or roughly $154,668 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 $34,978/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $41,501/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $24,000, which works out to about $254 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($42,300) and comes to 0.57, 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 | $34,978 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $36,686 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $39,565 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $40,971 |
| $110,001+ | $41,501 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $34,978 net per year - nearly the full sticker tuition, and a $140,000 four-year tab. That's an unfeasible amount for low-income households without massive borrowing. Pell Grants and state TAP dollars can cover only a fraction of this.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $39,565 - nearly the full price - and the $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $36,686. Across all middle brackets, families are essentially paying sticker price with minimal need-based aid. Middle-income families face the worst-case scenario at LIM: too much income for substantial Pell, not enough to absorb $40K/year easily.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,001+ pay $41,501 - the highest bracket and well above the listed $33,504 tuition figure (room, board, and fees inflate the total). At $166,000 over four years, this only makes sense if the family can absorb the cost without borrowing and the student is committed to fashion industry work in New York.
Earnings by Major
Top 4 most popular majors at LIM College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | $66,968 | D |
| Marketing | $70,466 | C |
| Design and Applied Arts | $58,061 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $68,476 | - |
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.
Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations
The flagship program at LIM with 109 graduates - the largest single major reported. Earnings of $35,708 first-year and $66,968 four-year against $27,000 median debt yield a 0.756 debt-to-earnings ratio and D ROI grade. The four-year earnings ramp is solid for a merchandising track, reflecting career progression from buying-assistant roles into junior-buyer and merchandising-manager positions in NYC retail. But the early-career earnings are too low against the school's price tag. This program works only if the student lands at a major retailer's headquarters and progresses fast.
Marketing
Marketing is the standout program at LIM: 51 graduates, $42,467 first-year and $70,466 four-year earnings, $26,480 debt, and a 0.624 debt-to-earnings ratio (C grade). Graduates feed into NYC fashion-marketing, brand-management, and digital-marketing roles - a labor market where LIM's industry connections actually pay off. The C grade means it works, modestly. Among all LIM programs this is the best ROI bet.
Design and Applied Arts
Design (14 graduates) shows $31,885 first-year and $58,061 four-year earnings against $27,000 median debt - a 0.847 ratio and D grade. Fashion design is a tough labor market everywhere; entry-level designer roles pay poorly and freelance instability is common.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 64.6% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 72.7% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 65.5% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 67.5% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How LIM 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 | 95.9% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 460-558 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 500-580 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 19-25 |
| Enrollment | 1,187 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 37.7% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,448 |
LIM admits 95.9% of applicants, making it nearly open-admission. SAT mid-50% bands are tight (Math 460-558, Reading 500-580) and ACT runs 19-25, which describes a student body of average academic preparation rather than a sharply selected group. Low selectivity helps explain the 50.9% completion rate - students enter with varied preparation levels and a meaningful share don't make it through.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| LIM College (this school) | 43 | $38,667 | $58,956 |
| Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe | 36 | $31,681 | $34,657 |
| Arizona College of Nursing-Las Vegas | 35 | $30,921 | $34,657 |
| Strayer University-Florida | 24 | $16,064 | $40,092 |
| Five Towns College | 17 | $22,992 | $35,887 |
| Berkeley College-New York | 16 | $34,124 | $45,884 |
Who Thrives Here
LIM fits a narrow student: someone who specifically wants to break into fashion merchandising, retail buying, or fashion marketing in New York City and values the school's industry connections, internship pipeline, and Manhattan address. The 1,187 enrollment and 37.7% Pell rate suggest a student body weighted toward middle-income families paying largely out of pocket. Graduates do find work in NYC fashion (Macy's, Bloomingdale's, fashion brands) but starting salaries in retail and merchandising are modest.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, LIM College scores 43/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $38,667 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $58,956 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 12.3 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 50.9% graduation rate.
Median debt of $24,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $42,300 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.57, 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.
LIM College: Common Questions
Is LIM College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. LIM College scores 43/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $38,667 a year after aid against $58,956 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 12.3 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does LIM 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 $38,667 a year, or roughly $154,668 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 LIM College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $58,956 ten years after enrolling, roughly $17,156 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 LIM 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 12.3 years for LIM College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do LIM College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $24,000, against average earnings of $42,300 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.57. 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 LIM College?
The six-year graduation rate is 50.9%. 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.