Mount Mary University
Milwaukee, Wisconsin · Private Nonprofit · 62.3% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 32/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Mount Mary University, a small Catholic women's university in Milwaukee, posts a 32 ROI score in the Below Benchmark tier. The financial picture is mixed. Published tuition is $35,420 and net price drops to $20,144 after substantial institutional aid, putting four-year total at $80,576. Ten-year median earnings of $48,745 produce a 17.1 percent earnings premium over a high-school grad - modest. Median federal debt of $25,288 against this earnings level yields a 0.674 debt-to-earnings ratio and a 16-year payback period. Completion rate is weak at 43 percent. Repayment is mediocre at 64.3 percent three years out, drifting to 65 percent at seven - alumni are making slow but stable progress. Pell rate is high at 59.4 percent, signaling heavily low-income enrollment - and indicating that Mount Mary is using institutional aid heavily to subsidize Pell-eligible students. Enrollment is small at 631.
How Mount Mary 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 Score32/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period16 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Mount Mary University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $35,420/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $35,420/yr |
| Average net price | $20,144/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $80,576 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $48,745 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $37,500 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,288 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $268 |
| Estimated payback period | 16 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 43.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 631 |
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: $35,420/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $20,144/year, or roughly $80,576 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 $18,155/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $27,371/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $25,288, which works out to about $268 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($37,500) and comes to 0.67, 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 | $18,155 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $19,013 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $19,277 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $20,584 |
| $110,001+ | $27,371 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $18,155 per year net, about $72,600 over four. Pell ($7,395 max) plus Wisconsin Grant typically closes some of the gap; the rest requires Direct loans. The progressive income discount is fairly smooth across the lower brackets, suggesting reasonable need-based aid formulas.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Households at $48,001 to $75,000 pay $19,277, about $77,100 over four. Manageable but tight; federal loans plus modest family contribution can cover this. The progression from low- to middle-income brackets is reasonably smooth.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $27,371 per year, about $109,500 over four years. The jump from the $75,001-$110,000 bracket ($20,584) to $110,001-plus ($27,371) is noticeable. Mount Mary's aid model rewards lower-income enrollment progressively.
Earnings by Major
Top 5 most popular majors at Mount Mary University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | $45,377 | D |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | $55,207 | C |
| Communication and Media Studies | $56,763 | - |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | $47,827 | C |
| Design and Applied Arts | $49,881 | D |
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.
Psychology
Psychology is the largest reported program with 10 graduates. One-year earnings of $34,411 climb to $45,377 by year four against $26,987 debt - 0.784 ratio and D grade. Standard psych BA outcome. Mount Mary's strong counseling and clinical psychology graduate programs offer a natural progression pathway; students should plan for graduate work to recover the investment.
Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations
Sales/Merchandising/Marketing produces 8 graduates with one-year earnings of $39,038 and four-year of $55,207, against $25,000 debt - 0.64 ratio and C grade. Mount Mary's fashion-merchandising program has a long history and connects students to Milwaukee retail and apparel hiring. Among the cleaner financial pathways on campus.
Design and Applied Arts
Design produces 5 graduates with one-year earnings of $30,053 climbing to $49,881 by year four, against $26,500 debt - 0.882 ratio and D grade. Mount Mary's fashion-design program is a signature offering.
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Rehab and Therapeutic Professions produces 5 graduates with four-year earnings of $47,827 against $27,000 debt - 0.565 ratio and C grade. This pre-OT and pre-PT-track program funnels students into Mount Mary's master's-level OT and physician assistant programs; the financial pathway works for students who commit to the full graduate-school timeline.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 56.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 64.3% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 60.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 65.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Mount Mary 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 | 62.3% |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 18-21 |
| Enrollment | 631 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 59.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,776 |
Mount Mary admits 62.3 percent of applicants. No SAT mid-range is reported; ACT mid-range is 18 to 21. The 43 percent completion rate reflects both this preparation profile and the financial challenges facing the heavily Pell-eligible enrolled population. Selectivity is real but soft; the binding question is whether students can complete the degree.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Mary University (this school) | 32 | $20,144 | $48,745 |
| Bellin College | 72 | $37,408 | $76,222 |
| Alverno College | 39 | $22,540 | $53,145 |
| LaGrange College | 37 | $20,875 | $51,745 |
| Bluefield University | 32 | $25,573 | $48,896 |
| Lyon College | 29 | $19,616 | $44,232 |
Who Thrives Here
Mount Mary fits Milwaukee-area women drawn to a single-gender Catholic environment, particularly those interested in design, fashion, education, occupational therapy, or counseling psychology. Enrollment of 631 keeps the cohort small and supportive; the 59.4 percent Pell rate indicates a heavily low-income student body relying on institutional aid plus Pell. Strongest reported outcomes appear in communications and sales/merchandising tracks (around $55K four-year).
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Mount Mary University scores 32/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $20,144 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $48,745 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 16 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 43.0% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 64.3% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $25,288 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $37,500 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67. 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.
Mount Mary University: Common Questions
Is Mount Mary University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Mount Mary University scores 32/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $20,144 a year after aid against $48,745 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 16 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Mount Mary 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 $20,144 a year, or roughly $80,576 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 Mount Mary University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $48,745 ten years after enrolling, roughly $6,945 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 Mount Mary 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 16 years for Mount Mary University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Mount Mary University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,288, against average earnings of $37,500 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67. 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 Mount Mary University?
The six-year graduation rate is 43.0%. 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.