Quincy University
Quincy, Illinois · Private Nonprofit · 50.9% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 37/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Quincy University scores 37 (Below Benchmark), a result shaped by a 14.4-year payback period, a 45% completion rate, and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.702. Average 6-year earnings of $34,200 against net price of $20,359 - and median debt of $24,000 - produce a slow and uncertain financial return. Quincy is a small (1,010 students) Franciscan Catholic university in west-central Illinois. The 45% completion rate means barely half of enrollees earn a degree within 6 years, which is the primary structural problem. Most program-level data is sparse, limiting the ability to assess outcomes by major in detail.
How Quincy 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 Score37/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
Quincy University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $37,140/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $37,140/yr |
| Average net price | $20,359/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $81,436 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $50,369 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $34,200 |
| Median debt at graduation | $24,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $254 |
| Estimated payback period | 14.4 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 45.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,010 |
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: $37,140/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $20,359/year, or roughly $81,436 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 $16,502/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $25,231/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $24,000, which works out to about $254 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($34,200) and comes to 0.70, 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 | $16,502 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $13,561 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $17,804 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $12,825 |
| $110,001+ | $25,231 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The lowest income bracket (0-$30,000) pays $16,502 per year at Quincy. The $30,001-48,000 bracket actually drops to $13,561, an unusual inversion suggesting the aid formula steps down for near-poverty-line families. At average 6-year earnings of $34,200 and a 45% completion rate, low-income students face significant financial risk. Students who do not complete carry debt with no earnings premium.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families in the $48,001-75,000 range pay $17,804 per year, and the $75,001-110,000 bracket pays $12,825 - another unusual inversion at the higher income band. Net prices vary considerably by bracket, which complicates planning. At 14.4 years payback, the financial case is marginal across all middle-income scenarios.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,000+ pay $25,231 per year, approaching the net price average. At full-pay-equivalent costs for a school with 14.4-year payback and 45% completion, the financial case is weak unless students enter nursing or quantitative business fields.
Earnings by Major
Top 7 most popular majors at Quincy University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $78,599 | - |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $58,745 | B |
| Teacher Education | $37,657 | - |
| Accounting | $55,610 | - |
| Finance and Financial Management | $58,139 | - |
| Human Services, General | $32,726 | D |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $62,841 | - |
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.
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
Management Sciences is Quincy's strongest-documented program at 22 graduates with $58,745 four-year earnings. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.444 (ROI grade B) reflects median debt of $26,074 - the only program with both earnings and debt data for a complete ROI calculation. Year-four earnings of $58k represent solid Midwest business outcomes for quantitative management graduates entering finance, analytics, and operations roles.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing graduates 32 students with $78,599 four-year earnings. No year-one or debt data is available, limiting a full ROI assessment. Students considering nursing at Quincy should verify NCLEX pass rates and clinical placement quality.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education graduates 14 students with $37,657 year-one earnings. No four-year or debt data is available. Illinois teacher salaries at year one are consistent with this figure; the debt load at Quincy's net price of $20,359 against teacher compensation will be meaningful.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 69.3% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 75.7% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 68.8% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 75.9% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Quincy 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 | 50.9% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 510-600 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 490-600 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 20-25 |
| Enrollment | 1,010 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 29.7% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,758 |
At 50.9% acceptance with ACT 20-25 range, Quincy is moderately selective - it admits roughly half of applicants. The SAT ranges suggest a solid-but-not-exceptional academic preparation level. Admission is achievable for most well-prepared applicants; the challenge is completing the degree, where only 45% of students succeed within 6 years.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
The 45% completion rate and 14.4-year payback are the primary drivers of the low score.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quincy University (this school) | 37 | $20,359 | $50,369 |
| Augustana College | 67 | $22,736 | $62,971 |
| The College of Idaho | 40 | $19,481 | $48,473 |
| Geneva College | 38 | $25,890 | $50,004 |
| Our Lady of the Lake University | 35 | $16,442 | $48,675 |
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago | 21 | $49,790 | $40,151 |
Who Thrives Here
Quincy admits 50.9% of applicants with SAT mid-ranges of 510-600 Math and 490-600 Reading, ACT composite 20-25. With 29.7% Pell recipients, the school serves a mix of lower-middle and middle-income families from the Illinois-Missouri-Iowa border region. Students primarily motivated by financial return should consider the 14.4-year payback and 45% completion rate carefully before committing.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Quincy University scores 37/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $20,359 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $50,369 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 14.4 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 45.0% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.70 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $24,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $34,200 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.70. 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.
Quincy University: Common Questions
Is Quincy University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Quincy University scores 37/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $20,359 a year after aid against $50,369 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 14.4 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Quincy 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 $20,359 a year, or roughly $81,436 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 Quincy University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $50,369 ten years after enrolling, roughly $8,569 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 Quincy 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 14.4 years for Quincy University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Quincy University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $24,000, against average earnings of $34,200 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.70. 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 Quincy University?
The six-year graduation rate is 45.0%. 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.
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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.