Providence Christian College
Pasadena, California · Private Nonprofit · 100.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 28/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Providence Christian College scores 28 (Below Benchmark) on CampusROI - a rating reflecting a 20% completion rate, a 21.4-year payback period, and $46,264 median 10-year earnings. Only 1 in 5 students who enroll completes a degree. The Scorecard does not report 6-year earnings or repayment rates, leaving the ROI picture partially incomplete. Net price is $25,163. The one reported Scorecard program is Liberal Arts and Sciences (25 graduates), which earns $32,598 at year one and $45,640 at year four, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.767 (ROI grade D). Providence is a small Reformed Christian liberal arts college in Pasadena, California, and its academic identity is explicitly denominational. Families choosing it for religious formation or community reasons are making a values-driven decision that falls outside the scope of ROI analysis. On purely financial metrics, the combination of private-college pricing, very low completion, and modest earnings is reflected in the CampusROI score.
How Providence Christian 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.
- ROI Score28/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate20.0% - 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 period21.4 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Providence Christian College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $36,963/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $36,963/yr |
| Average net price | $25,163/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $100,652 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $46,264 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | N/A |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $265 |
| Estimated payback period | 21.4 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 20.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 168 |
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: $36,963/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $25,163/year, or roughly $100,652 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 $23,481/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 $25,000, which works out to about $265 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. We do not have the six-year earnings figure needed to work out a debt-to-earnings ratio for this school.
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 | $23,481 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $19,669 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $40,748 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The 0-30000 income bracket pays $23,481 per year at Providence. Low-income families paying nearly $94,000 over four years against $46,264 in median 10-year earnings and a 20% completion rate face a poor financial outcome. The Scorecard does not report repayment data, but the financial stress signal is clear. Low-income students should carefully evaluate completion likelihood before enrolling.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 30001-48000 bracket pays $19,669 - somewhat lower. The 48001-75000 bracket rises sharply to $40,748. The Scorecard does not report net price for the 75001-110000 or 110001-plus brackets. The income-based pricing creates an unusual pattern: middle-income families in the $48k-$75k range face costs close to the full sticker price. Against the institution's 21.4-year payback period, this income band carries substantial financial risk.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The Scorecard does not report net price for families earning above $75,000. Given sticker tuition of $36,963 and the likely minimal aid at higher income levels, the full-pay cost will approach $150,000 over four years against $46,264 median 10-year earnings. On financial grounds alone, this is a difficult case to defend at any income level above the need-aid threshold.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at Providence Christian College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $45,640 | 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.
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Liberal Arts and Sciences is the only reported program: 25 graduates, $32,598 year-one earnings, $45,640 year-four, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.767 (ROI grade D). Graduates borrow a median $25,000 against $32,598 starting earnings. The debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates carry a loan balance nearly equal to their annual salary at graduation.
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 Providence Christian College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2010-2024).
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 | 168 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 31.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,313 |
The Scorecard reports an admission rate of 1.0, indicating that Providence Christian College admits all or virtually all applicants. SAT and ACT ranges are not reported. Admission is determined by fit with the college's Reformed Christian mission rather than competitive academic criteria.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Families choosing Providence for mission-fit reasons should enter with realistic expectations about the financial trade-off they are accepting.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence Christian College (this school) | 28 | $25,163 | $46,264 |
| Azusa Pacific University | 71 | $22,212 | $66,677 |
| Art Center College of Design | 56 | $48,661 | $71,958 |
| Manhattan Christian College | 29 | $24,213 | $48,860 |
| Machzikei Hadath Rabbinical College | 27 | $16,515 | $41,527 |
| Universidad Pentecostal Mizpa | 17 | $6,440 | $21,410 |
Who Thrives Here
Providence Christian College admits 100% of applicants - the Scorecard reports an admission rate of 1.0. It has 168 enrolled students. Pell grant rate is 31.3%. The college operates within a Reformed Christian tradition and attracts students specifically seeking that environment. SAT and ACT ranges are not reported by the Scorecard. The institutional fit profile is narrow and mission-specific rather than broadly academic.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Providence Christian College scores 28/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $25,163 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $46,264 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 21.4 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 20.0% graduation rate, a long payback period.
Providence Christian College: Common Questions
Is Providence Christian College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Providence Christian College scores 28/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $25,163 a year after aid against $46,264 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 21.4 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Providence Christian 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 $25,163 a year, or roughly $100,652 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 Providence Christian College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $46,264 ten years after enrolling, roughly $4,464 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 Providence Christian 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 21.4 years for Providence Christian College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
What is the graduation rate at Providence Christian College?
The six-year graduation rate is 20.0%. 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.
NewsletterCollege decisions are better with data.
From CampusROI, when there is something worth acting on.
Rankings & Links
Guides & Tools
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.