Pacific Islands University
Mangilao, Guam · Private Nonprofit · 100.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 28/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Pacific Islands University earns an ROI score of 28 out of 100, landing in the Below Benchmark tier. The school is genuinely inexpensive: in-state tuition is $7,203 ($7,516 out-of-state) and the net price is $9,334, producing a $37,336 four-year all-in cost. Median federal debt and detailed debt metrics are not reported. Graduates earn just $20,902 ten years out (six-year earnings unreported), and the Scorecard reports a 999-year payback meaning the earnings premium over a typical Guam high school graduate never recoups even this modest cost. The 66.7% completion rate is solid for the institution's small size. With only 61 enrolled students and a 100% Pell rate, this is an extremely small Bible college serving an entirely low-income population. The financial decision is constrained more by Guam's labor market and the school's narrow ministry-focused mission than by anything the school controls.
How Pacific Islands 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 Score28/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
Pacific Islands University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $7,203/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $7,516/yr |
| Average net price | $9,334/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $37,336 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $20,902 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | N/A |
| Median debt at graduation | N/A |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | N/A |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 66.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 61 |
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: $7,203/year ($7,516/year out-of-state), 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 $9,334/year, or roughly $37,336 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 $9,334/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
The Department of Education does not report a median debt figure for this school, usually because too few students borrow federal loans for the figure to be published. Our ROI score gives this measure a neutral middle value rather than treating it as zero debt.
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 | $9,334 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | N/A |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | N/A |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $9,334. This is the only income bracket reported, consistent with the school's 100% Pell rate enrollment. Combined with Pell Grant funding, low-income families face essentially negligible out-of-pocket cost beyond living expenses. Over four years, total cost stays under $40,000. Workable on the cost side; the labor market is the binding constraint.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Net price data for middle-income families is not reported because effectively no middle-income families attend this school. The school's mission and enrollment profile mean this income bracket is not relevant to its student body.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Net price data for high-income families is not reported for the same reason. The school does not serve high-income households.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | N/A | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | N/A | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | N/A | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | N/A | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Pacific Islands University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 100.0% |
| Enrollment | 61 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 100.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $2,958 |
Pacific Islands University admits 100% of applicants, an open-admission school. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported, consistent with a tiny Bible college that does not use standardized tests for admissions.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Islands University (this school) | 28 | $9,334 | $20,902 |
| American Baptist College | 32 | $9,216 | $41,216 |
| Allegheny Wesleyan College | 29 | $5,355 | $37,453 |
| Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico-Orlando | 28 | $16,577 | $47,540 |
| Carolina Christian College | 23 | $22,366 | $40,672 |
| Yeshivah Gedolah Rabbinical College | 18 | $12,587 | $30,667 |
Who Thrives Here
Pacific Islands University enrolls just 61 students with a 100% Pell rate, marking it as an extremely small low-income institution serving primarily Pacific-region students preparing for Christian ministry across Micronesia and Guam. The financial decision is essentially religious-vocational rather than economic.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Pacific Islands University scores 28/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $9,334 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $20,902 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 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, a long payback period.
Pacific Islands University: Common Questions
Is Pacific Islands University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Pacific Islands University scores 28/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $9,334 a year after aid against $20,902 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Pacific Islands 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 $9,334 a year, or roughly $37,336 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 Pacific Islands University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $20,902 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off Pacific Islands 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 more than 50 years for Pacific Islands University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
What is the graduation rate at Pacific Islands University?
The six-year graduation rate is 66.7%, 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.