Saint Elizabeth University
Morristown, New Jersey · Private Nonprofit · 71.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 41/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Saint Elizabeth University scores 41/100 (Below Benchmark), a typical-private-nonprofit profile with one outsized strength masking weaker general outcomes. Tuition is $36,741 against a $23,125 net price (37% discount), and four-year total cost runs $92,500. The completion rate is 51.1%, and the 12.9-year payback period is workable. Median debt of $24,934 against $53,038 in 10-year earnings produces a 0.63 debt-to-earnings ratio that is the best sub-score on the page (44/100). The earnings premium is 0.195, modest. Repayment rate of 67.7% at three years (33/100 sub-score) shows borrowers manage payments but slowly reduce principal. The school's defining feature is its outlier nursing program: 46 graduates earning $100,007 in year one and $109,286 by year four with a 0.275 debt-to-earnings ratio and B+ ROI grade. Strip nursing out and the institution's economics fall apart - other reported programs land in C to F territory. SEU is a small (557 students) Catholic former women's college in suburban NJ with a 57.9% Pell rate, effectively functioning as a nursing pipeline with a residual liberal-arts core.
How Saint Elizabeth 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 Score41/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
Saint Elizabeth University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $36,741/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $36,741/yr |
| Average net price | $23,125/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $92,500 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $53,038 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $39,600 |
| Median debt at graduation | $24,934 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $264 |
| Estimated payback period | 12.9 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 51.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 557 |
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: $36,741/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $23,125/year, or roughly $92,500 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 $20,379/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $30,559/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $24,934, which works out to about $264 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($39,600) and comes to 0.63, 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 | $20,379 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $18,441 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $21,866 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $31,937 |
| $110,001+ | $30,559 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $20,379 net, but in a notable inverted-bracket signal the $30,001-$48,000 tier actually pays less at $18,441. This inversion suggests aid-stacking quirks where some need-based programs phase in slowly. Even at $20,379 net, four-year cost of $81,516 is manageable for nursing-track students given their $100,000 year-1 earnings, but heavier relative to earnings in other majors.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Households earning $48,001-$75,000 pay $21,866 and $75,001-$110,000 pay $31,937. The jump from middle to upper-middle income is the steepest in the bracket. Middle-income families face four-year cost of $87,464 to $127,748 against $53,038 schoolwide earnings; the math only works for nursing students or for completers continuing to graduate school.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $30,559 net, slightly less than the $75,001-$110,000 bracket (a mild inversion). Four-year cost is $122,236. SEU at full price is a fit decision for the Catholic mission and small-college environment.
Earnings by Major
Top 4 most popular majors at Saint Elizabeth University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $109,286 | B+ |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $46,247 | C |
| Psychology | $38,484 | F |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $55,573 | 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.
Registered Nursing
Nursing is the school's flagship. 46 graduates, $100,007 first-year earnings rising to $109,286 by year four, $27,500 debt and a 0.275 debt-to-earnings ratio for a B+ grade. The six-figure starting wage reflects NJ metropolitan-area hospital pay scales and SEU's strong clinical placement pipeline. This single program essentially carries the school's value proposition; for nursing-track students, SEU is a genuine economic win.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business graduates 13 students with $37,218 first-year and $46,247 four-year earnings against $24,548 debt for a 0.66 debt-to-earnings ratio and C grade.
Psychology
Psychology produces 11 graduates with just $22,040 first-year earnings and $38,484 four-year against $25,000 debt for a 1.134 debt-to-earnings ratio and F grade. The major produces the school's worst ROI by a wide margin. Median undergrad debt is $25,000.
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Interdisciplinary Studies produces 2 graduates with $55,573 four-year earnings against $24,934 debt for a 0.449 debt-to-earnings ratio and B grade. The tiny sample makes the data noisy, but the program is often a flexible degree-completion path for working adults or pre-grad students. The B grade is worth treating with skepticism given the sample size.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 61.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 67.7% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 65.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 67.1% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Saint Elizabeth 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 | 71.0% |
| Enrollment | 557 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 57.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,875 |
Saint Elizabeth admits 71% of applicants but reports no SAT or ACT mid-ranges in current Scorecard data, leaving little signal on academic profile. Selectivity is real but modest; the 51.1% completion rate suggests the school admits students across a wide preparation band, with nursing-track students completing at substantially higher rates than the schoolwide average given the program's clinical sequencing and academic requirements.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Elizabeth University (this school) | 41 | $23,125 | $53,038 |
| Centenary University | 53 | $20,503 | $53,726 |
| Florida College | 44 | $23,931 | $43,445 |
| Caldwell University | 40 | $24,691 | $53,843 |
| Parker University | 39 | $29,135 | $42,091 |
| Rabbinical College Bobover Yeshiva Bnei Zion | 31 | $9,136 | $20,707 |
Who Thrives Here
Saint Elizabeth fits NJ students committed to nursing as their major, willing to absorb $23,125 in annual net price, and drawn to a small-college Catholic environment. With 557 students and 57.9% Pell, the campus is heavily need-served and intimate. Non-nursing students should evaluate carefully: business is a C, psychology is an F, and the school's economics outside nursing are weak.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Saint Elizabeth University scores 41/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $23,125 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $53,038 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 12.9 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 51.1% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.63 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 67.7% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%).
Median debt of $24,934 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $39,600 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.63. 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.
Saint Elizabeth University: Common Questions
Is Saint Elizabeth University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Saint Elizabeth University scores 41/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $23,125 a year after aid against $53,038 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 12.9 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Saint Elizabeth 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 $23,125 a year, or roughly $92,500 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 Saint Elizabeth University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $53,038 ten years after enrolling, roughly $11,238 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 Saint Elizabeth 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 12.9 years for Saint Elizabeth University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Saint Elizabeth University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $24,934, against average earnings of $39,600 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.63. 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 Saint Elizabeth University?
The six-year graduation rate is 51.1%. 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.