Pillar College
Newark, New Jersey · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 47/100 · Below Average Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Pillar College scores 47 (Below Average Value), primarily driven by a 38.5% completion rate and a 44.3% three-year repayment rate. More than 6 in 10 students do not complete a degree. Among those who do, average 6-year earnings of $42,800 are adequate, but only 44.3% of borrowers were making progress on their loans three years after entering repayment - a sign of widespread financial hardship. The school is a small faith-based institution (498 students) in Newark, NJ, serving a predominantly low-income student body: Pell grant rate of 69.9%. Tuition is $25,900, but the net price of $8,470 reflects heavy aid. Two Scorecard-reported programs: Business Administration (B ROI grade, $61,165 four-year earnings) and Psychology (F grade, debt-to-earnings 1.099). The Psychology program is particularly concerning - graduates borrow a median $35,853 and the debt-to-earnings ratio exceeds 1.0. The Scorecard does not report admission rates or test scores for Pillar College.
How Pillar 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.
- 6-year graduation rate38.5% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period16.4 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Pillar College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $25,900/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $25,900/yr |
| Average net price | $8,470/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $33,880 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $45,577 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $42,800 |
| Median debt at graduation | $21,483 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $228 |
| Estimated payback period | 16.4 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 38.5% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 498 |
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: $25,900/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $8,470/year, or roughly $33,880 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 $15,139/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $21,483, which works out to about $228 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($42,800) and comes to 0.50, 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 | $15,139 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $7,114 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $3,181 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $4,411 |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $15,139 net price per year - about $60,556 over four years. At a 38.5% completion rate, most low-income students who enroll at Pillar will not complete a degree. Those who don't finish carry substantial debt without credentials, and only 44.3% of borrowers across all income levels are making progress on repayment three years out.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-75,000 bracket pays $3,181 per year - an unusually low figure that suggests concentrated aid for this income range. The $75,001-110,000 bracket pays $4,411. These prices are genuinely affordable for middle-income families, but the 38.5% completion rate and poor repayment metrics indicate systemic completion and debt service challenges that transcend income levels.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The Scorecard does not report net price for families earning over $110,000 at Pillar College. Given the institution's Pell-heavy student body, this income bracket represents very few enrolled students.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at Pillar College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | $49,543 | F |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $61,165 | B |
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.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration (7 graduates) earns $61,165 four-year median earnings with a B ROI grade (debt-to-earnings 0.427). Year-one earnings are not reported. The cohort is very small - 7 graduates - making these figures statistically fragile. Median debt of $26,132 against $61,165 four-year earnings is manageable. This is the only program at Pillar where the Scorecard suggests an adequate outcome, though the small cohort size limits confidence.
Psychology
Psychology (16 graduates) earns $32,637 year-one and $49,543 year-four, with an F ROI grade and 1.099 debt-to-earnings ratio. Median debt of $35,853 - the highest in the school's program set - against $32,637 year-one earnings means many graduates cannot service their loans from initial employment. The repayment rate at the school is 44.3%. Students considering this program at this institution face severe financial risk.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 36.4% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 44.3% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 44.8% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 47.2% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Pillar College’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
| Enrollment | 498 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 69.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,265 |
The Scorecard does not report admission rate or test score data for Pillar College. The school's small size and faith-based mission suggest a distinctive self-selected applicant pool. Net price for the lowest income bracket is $15,139 per year. The $75,001-110,000 bracket pays only $4,411, which is an unusual inversion in the aid schedule.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
The school's mission-driven focus and Newark location create a distinct institutional identity, but the financial outcomes data presents serious concerns that prospective students should weigh carefully.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pillar College (this school) | 47 | $8,470 | $45,577 |
| Centenary University | 53 | $20,503 | $53,726 |
| Bushnell University | 47 | $20,789 | $53,623 |
| Maranatha Baptist University | 47 | $26,005 | $45,593 |
| Tabor College | 45 | $20,205 | $54,058 |
| Caldwell University | 40 | $24,691 | $53,843 |
Who Thrives Here
The Scorecard does not report admission rate, SAT, or ACT data for Pillar College. At 498 enrolled students, the school is very small. A 69.9% Pell rate indicates a predominantly low-income student body. The institution's mission is explicitly faith-based and urban, with a Newark NJ location and a student population that likely includes significant proportions of working adults and first-generation college students. Low-income students who do not complete face the most severe financial exposure given the poor repayment rate.
The Verdict: Proceed With Caution
The money case for Pillar College is mixed, and worth a hard look before you commit. At $8,470 per year after aid, the typical graduate earns $45,577 ten years after entry, which means it takes about 16.4 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years. Whether it's worth it comes down to your major and your aid package.
What to keep an eye on: its 38.5% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 44.3% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $21,483 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $42,800 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.50, 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.
Pillar College: Common Questions
Is Pillar College worth it?
In our view, the money case is mixed and worth a hard look before you commit. Pillar College scores 47/100 on our ROI scale. At $8,470 a year after aid the typical graduate earns $45,577 ten years after entry, so it takes about 16.4 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does Pillar 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 $8,470 a year, or roughly $33,880 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 Pillar College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $45,577 ten years after enrolling, roughly $3,777 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 Pillar 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 16.4 years for Pillar College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Pillar College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $21,483, against average earnings of $42,800 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.50. 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 Pillar College?
The six-year graduation rate is 38.5%. 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.