Provo College
Provo, Utah · Private For-Profit
ROI Score: 14/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Provo College, a private for-profit institution in Provo, UT, scores 14 on the ROI index - firmly in Below Benchmark territory. Net price is $27,053 against in-state tuition of $16,548, meaning aid actually adds cost (fees, books, living estimates push the all-in figure well above sticker). Average earnings six years after entry are $28,700, rising to a median $39,645 at the 10-year mark. The damaging numbers are debt-to-earnings of 1.454 - median debt of $41,733 is roughly 1.5x first-year earnings - and a payback period of 53.4 years. Earnings premium over a high-school baseline is just 4.3%, and the repayment rate at three years is 55%, signaling many borrowers are not making progress on principal. With only 669 students enrolled and a 31% Pell rate, this is a small, debt-intensive program where the nursing pathway (the only reported program) carries surprising earnings power but at debt levels that erase the gain on standard ROI math.
How Provo 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 Score14/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.45 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- 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.
Provo College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $16,548/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $16,548/yr |
| Average net price | $27,053/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $108,212 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $39,645 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $28,700 |
| Median debt at graduation | $41,733 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $442 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 51.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 669 |
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: $16,548/year, 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 $27,053/year, or roughly $108,212 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 N/A/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $28,227/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $41,733, which works out to about $442 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($28,700) and comes to 1.45, 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least 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 | N/A |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $30,099 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $24,784 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $29,053 |
| $110,001+ | $28,227 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The $0-$30,000 net price bracket is not reported. The $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $30,099 - which exceeds even the median net price of $27,053. The numbers suggest aid here is structured oddly, perhaps because for-profit aid disclosure to the federal system is incomplete. Low-income families should request a full financial-aid offer in writing before enrolling.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income brackets show inverted pricing: $48,001-$75,000 pays $24,784, while $30,001-$48,000 pays $30,099 - meaning the lower-middle band actually pays more than the upper-middle band. The $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $29,053, which is again higher than the $48-75K bracket.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $28,227. Combined with a $41,733 median debt load and $28,700 six-year earnings, the math doesn't pencil for self-funding families either.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at Provo College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $79,485 | 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.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing is the lone reported program with 138 graduates, median first-year earnings of $63,317 (rising to $79,485 at four years), and a D ROI grade. The earnings are strong by Utah RN standards, but median program debt is $51,285, producing an 0.81 debt-to-earnings ratio that the system grades D. The career path is licensed clinical nursing - credible employment with starting pay near $60K.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 48.9% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 55.2% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 48.5% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 50.5% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Provo College’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
| Enrollment | 669 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 31.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,300 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data. SAT and ACT data are also unreported. Without admission filtering, the 51.4% completion rate is the clearer signal: roughly half of enrolling students finish.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Provo's score of 14 is dragged down by the 1.454 debt-to-earnings ratio.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provo College (this school) | 14 | $27,053 | $39,645 |
| Nightingale College | 18 | $30,852 | $27,126 |
| Five Towns College | 17 | $22,992 | $35,887 |
| The College of Westchester | 15 | $16,296 | $42,215 |
| Eagle Gate College-Murray | 10 | $27,345 | $37,518 |
| American InterContinental University-Atlanta | 7 | $16,482 | $36,144 |
Who Thrives Here
Provo College fits adult learners pursuing licensed nursing in the Utah market who can either qualify for substantial outside aid or pay net price without taking on the full $41,733 in debt the median graduate carries. Enrollment of 669, 31% Pell rate, and an exclusively healthcare/professional curriculum frame the realistic candidate. Students who plan to fund the full ride with federal loans should expect a payback timeline that exceeds a working career on standard repayment.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Provo College scores 14/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $27,053 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $39,645 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, its 51.3% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.45 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 55.2% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $41,733 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $28,700 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.45. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Provo College: Common Questions
Is Provo College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Provo College scores 14/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $27,053 a year after aid against $39,645 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 Provo 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 $27,053 a year, or roughly $108,212 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 Provo College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $39,645 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 Provo 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 more than 50 years for Provo College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Provo College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $41,733, against average earnings of $28,700 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.45. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so how much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Provo College?
The six-year graduation rate is 51.3%. 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.
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.