Manhattan University
Riverdale, New York · Private Nonprofit · 78.9% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 84/100 · Strong Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Manhattan University is a small Catholic school in Riverdale, New York - technically the Bronx - with 2,744 students and an ROI score of 84. That score is driven by a 4.9-year payback period and median 10-year earnings of $86,316, both of which are strong for a private nonprofit with a $53,400 sticker price. Net price drops to $27,256 after aid, which is the real number most students pay. The school is primarily engineering and business. Civil Engineering (100 graduates) and Mechanical Engineering (64 graduates) are the volume programs, and both post B-grade outcomes with starting pay above $70,000. The Business Administration program is the statistical outlier: 45 graduates report median first-year earnings of $113,777, which likely reflects a cohort heavily placed in financial services given the school's proximity to Manhattan. Completion rate of 63.7% is the weak spot in the profile - roughly 1 in 3 students who start do not finish. At a school with a $27,256 net price, a non-completion is a financially painful outcome. Students who do finish, however, tend to repay debt promptly: the repayment rate at three years is 86.2%.
The median graduate earns $86,316 ten years after entry - well above the roughly $53,600 median across the schools we score.
Manhattan University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $53,400/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $53,400/yr |
| Average net price | $27,256/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $109,024 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $86,316 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $54,000 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $276 |
| Estimated payback period | 4.9 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 63.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,744 |
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: $53,400/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $27,256/year, or roughly $109,024 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 $27,281/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $28,188/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 ($54,000) and comes to 0.48, which in our view is comfortably manageable.
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 | $27,281 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $23,097 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $28,454 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $26,808 |
| $110,001+ | $28,188 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $27,281 per year - nearly as much as the overall net price average. Low-income students at Manhattan University are not receiving meaningfully better aid than middle-income students. At $27,281 per year for a school with a 63.7% completion rate, low-income families take on significant financial risk. The payback period extends substantially if the student does not complete.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 30,001-48,000 bracket actually pays less ($23,097) than the low-income bracket - an odd inversion that suggests aid packages may not scale cleanly with income. The 48,001-75,000 bracket jumps to $28,454, a sharp increase. The slope is erratic, not gradual. Families in the $48k-$75k range face the worst value proposition in the income distribution: near-full cost with no meaningful aid advantage.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning over $110,000 pay $28,188 - essentially the same as everyone else. The cost band across all income groups is remarkably compressed: $23,097 to $28,188. This suggests Manhattan's aid model redistributes little and relies on merit aid broadly applied. High-income families choosing Manhattan for engineering programs are making a reasonable bet given the New York earnings premium, but the 0.46 debt-to-earnings ratio means the payback period still demands attention.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Manhattan University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineering | $95,877 | B |
| Mechanical Engineering | $92,802 | B |
| Communication and Media Studies | $74,471 | C |
| Finance and Financial Management | $100,376 | C+ |
| Marketing | $78,423 | C+ |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $113,777 | A |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $64,116 | C+ |
| Psychology | $64,684 | F |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $89,305 | B |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $78,264 | - |
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.
Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering is Manhattan's largest program by graduate count at 100 per year. Starting pay of $75,290 climbs to $95,877 at four years with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.359 (B grade). The school's Bronx location puts students within commute distance of major project sites and internship opportunities. Median debt of $27,000 is on the higher end but manageable given the earnings trajectory - payback happens well within a decade.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering graduates 64 students per year. Starting pay of $70,841 rises to $92,802 at year four, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.381 (B grade). ME at Manhattan feeds into aerospace, manufacturing, and industrial automation roles in the broader tri-state area. Students also enter consulting and project management roles where ME credentials transfer across industries. The debt load of $27,000 median is higher than ideal, but four-year earnings above $90,000 make the debt-to-earnings ratio manageable.
Accounting
Accounting graduates 24 students annually. Starting pay of $68,992 rises to $92,262 by year four, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.362 (B grade). Accounting at a New York school carries a specific career advantage: proximity to the firms that recruit the hardest. The Big Four and mid-market accounting firms recruit aggressively in the NYC area, and a school with a functioning placement operation in the Bronx can place students into those pipelines. Median debt of $24,984 is moderate relative to the earning trajectory.
Finance and Financial Management
Finance graduates 52 students per year with starting pay of $55,972 and four-year earnings of $100,376. The four-year trajectory is strong, suggesting that early finance careers involve a steep ramp from analyst to associate levels. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.470 earns a C+ grade at the starting-year baseline but improves significantly against the four-year figure. Finance students at Manhattan are essentially paying for access to the New York financial services market. That premium can be worth it for students who land in the right firms, but the 0.47 debt-to-earnings ratio means the bet does not pay off immediately.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 80.9% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 86.2% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 85.8% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 87.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Manhattan 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 | 78.9% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 600-678 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 580-680 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 25-29 |
| Enrollment | 2,744 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 36.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $12,755 |
Manhattan University accepts 78.9% of applicants - broadly accessible. Admitted students score SAT Math 600-678, SAT Reading 580-680, ACT 25-29. The school is not selective in a conventional sense, but the NYC cost-of-living reality filters for motivated applicants who want to be in the city.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manhattan University (this school) | 84 | $27,256 | $86,316 |
| Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | 94 | $29,882 | $131,426 |
| Ohio Northern University | 88 | $24,478 | $80,928 |
| Thomas Jefferson University | 86 | $28,928 | $77,449 |
| University of Detroit Mercy | 84 | $15,232 | $71,030 |
| Adelphi University | 75 | $30,783 | $75,482 |
Who Thrives Here
Engineering and business students with mid-range SAT scores (Math 600-678, Reading 580-680) and a sense of purpose about their career path. Pell rate of 36% suggests the school serves a meaningful number of lower-income students.
The Verdict: The Investment Pays Off
For most students, Manhattan University pays off. You'd pay about $27,256 a year after aid ($109,024 over four years), and the typical graduate earns $86,316 ten years after enrollment. That puts the payback - the time it takes for the earnings bump to cover what you spent - at roughly 4.9 years, a solid return.
What it has going for it: a strong earnings premium over high school graduates, manageable debt relative to earnings, high loan repayment success.
Median debt of $26,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $54,000 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.48, 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.
Manhattan University: Common Questions
Is Manhattan University worth it?
In our view, yes - for most students Manhattan University pays off. It scores 84/100 on our ROI scale. You'd pay about $27,256 a year after aid ($109,024 over four years), and the typical graduate earns $86,316 ten years after enrollment, so the cost takes roughly 4.9 years to earn back.
How much does Manhattan 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 $27,256 a year, or roughly $109,024 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 Manhattan University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $86,316 ten years after enrolling, roughly $44,516 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 Manhattan 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 4.9 years for Manhattan University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Manhattan University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,000, against average earnings of $54,000 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.48. 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 Manhattan University?
The six-year graduation rate is 63.7%. 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.