Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Mount Vernon, Ohio · Private Nonprofit · 84.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 42/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Mount Vernon Nazarene University earns an overall ROI score of 42/100, placing it in the Below Benchmark band on CampusROI's framework. Tuition runs $37,158 with an average net price of $22,421 after aid. Average earnings six years after entry land at $39,300, climbing to a median of roughly $49,555 by year ten, producing a payback period of about 15.8 years. Median federal debt of $25,000 works out to a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.64, which is tight. The component scores break down as earnings premium 31/100, completion 75/100, payback 36/100, debt-to-earnings 43/100, repayment 40/100. The lowest sub-score is earnings premium over a high-school baseline at 31/100, which is the main weight pulling the overall number down; the strongest sub-score is completion rate at 75/100. Data points here come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (2024-2025 vintage), and Scorecard earnings carry a 6-10 year reporting lag, so the figures describe recent graduating cohorts rather than this year's incoming class.
How Mount Vernon Nazarene 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 Score42/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period15.8 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $37,158/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $37,158/yr |
| Average net price | $22,421/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $89,684 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $49,555 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $39,300 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $265 |
| Estimated payback period | 15.8 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 68.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,358 |
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: $37,158/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $22,421/year, or roughly $89,684 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 $22,358/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $26,271/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $25,000, which works out to about $265 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($39,300) and comes to 0.64, 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 | $22,358 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $20,508 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $18,116 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $21,486 |
| $110,001+ | $26,271 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay an average net price of $22,358 per year here. With expected earnings around $49,555 a decade out, that's a difficult number - Pell, state grants, and any institutional aid are doing real work to make it accessible, but families should still model debt carefully across four years.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) face a net price of about $18,116 per year. These households typically get less Pell support and partial institutional aid, so the tuition bill is more directly felt. Whether the math works depends on the major: programs with stronger early earnings can absorb this cost; lower-paying majors will produce a longer payback period. Note: the income-bracket data shows inversions where the 0-30k bracket pays more than the 30-48k bracket and the 30-48k bracket pays more than the 48-75k bracket - that's unusual and likely reflects small-sample noise or aid policy quirks; treat the brackets as approximate.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families in the $110,000+ bracket pay an average of $26,271 per year.
Earnings by Major
Top 7 most popular majors at Mount Vernon Nazarene University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher Education | $38,001 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $63,714 | C |
| Registered Nursing | $74,527 | B |
| Biology | $59,219 | C+ |
| Social Work | $51,766 | D |
| Teacher Education, Subject-Specific | $38,069 | D |
| Design and Applied Arts | $40,641 | - |
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.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education (CIP 1312) graduates 47 students per year. Reported median first-year earnings of $35,268 and four-year earnings of $38,001. Median program debt is $27,000 against a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.77, which is heavy. CampusROI assigns this program an ROI grade of D. Teacher education leads to relatively low-volatility employment but capped wages, so debt management matters more than at higher-earning majors.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration, Management, and Operations (CIP 5202) graduates 44 students per year. Reported median first-year earnings of $51,899 and four-year earnings of $63,714. Median program debt is $31,024 against a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.60, which is tight. CampusROI assigns this program an ROI grade of C. Business and management is the workhorse major here; outcomes track closely with the student's region and willingness to relocate for opportunity.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing (CIP 5138) graduates 31 students per year. Reported median first-year earnings of $69,303 and four-year earnings of $74,527. Median program debt is $26,952 against a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.39, which is manageable. CampusROI assigns this program an ROI grade of B. Nursing graduates typically enter clinical settings with strong wage floors and transferable licensure, which is why these programs hold up even at high cost.
Biology
Biology (CIP 2601) graduates 28 students per year. Reported median four-year earnings of $59,219. Median program debt is $27,000 against a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.46, which is manageable. CampusROI assigns this program an ROI grade of C+. Health-adjacent bachelor's majors often need a graduate or licensure step to hit the earnings figures shown; budget for that next step in the financing plan.
Social Work
Social Work (CIP 4407) graduates 24 students per year. Reported median first-year earnings of $37,979 and four-year earnings of $51,766. Median program debt is $34,837 against a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.92, which is heavy. CampusROI assigns this program an ROI grade of D.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 68.0% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 70.2% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 73.3% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 76.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Mount Vernon Nazarene 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 | 84.2% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 518-670 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 528-645 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 18-25 |
| Enrollment | 1,358 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 30.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,687 |
The school admits roughly 84.2% of applicants, putting it in the broad-access category (SAT Math 25th-75th of 518-670; SAT Reading 25th-75th of 528-645; ACT Composite 25th-75th of 18-25). For prepared students with solid high school records the admit decision is unlikely to be the binding constraint here.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Mount Vernon Nazarene University sits at ROI 42 with 15.8yr payback.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Vernon Nazarene University (this school) | 42 | $22,421 | $49,555 |
| Union Adventist University | 43 | $23,716 | $55,045 |
| Northwest Nazarene University | 41 | $29,580 | $51,719 |
| Westminster College | 41 | $24,314 | $52,199 |
| Southwestern Adventist University | 41 | $22,778 | $52,946 |
| Clear Creek Baptist Bible College | 31 | $10,949 | $41,623 |
Who Thrives Here
Strong fit profile is a focused, locally-rooted student who has a clear major in mind and needs the in-state pricing and small-campus scale to make the math work. Completion is solid enough that a motivated student has a reasonable shot at finishing on time. Median earnings ten years out of $49,555 should be the honest yardstick for whether the price the family will actually pay (see the income-bracket breakdown below) leads to a workable post-graduation budget.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Mount Vernon Nazarene University scores 42/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $22,421 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $49,555 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 15.8 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 it has going for it: its 68.1% graduation rate. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.64 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 70.2% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $25,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $39,300 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.64. 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 Vernon Nazarene University: Common Questions
Is Mount Vernon Nazarene University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Mount Vernon Nazarene University scores 42/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $22,421 a year after aid against $49,555 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 15.8 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Mount Vernon Nazarene 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 $22,421 a year, or roughly $89,684 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 Vernon Nazarene University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $49,555 ten years after enrolling, roughly $7,755 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 Vernon Nazarene 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 15.8 years for Mount Vernon Nazarene University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Mount Vernon Nazarene University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,000, against average earnings of $39,300 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.64. 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 Vernon Nazarene University?
The six-year graduation rate is 68.1%, at or above the 64% national average for four-year schools (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.