Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Private Nonprofit · 88.8% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 86/100 · Strong Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Saint Joseph's University scores 86 (Strong Value) on the CampusROI scale - a solid result for a private Jesuit institution in Philadelphia with $53,260 sticker tuition. The 5-year payback period and $49,600 average 6-year earnings are respectable, and the 78.8% completion rate and 88% 3-year loan repayment rate reflect a student body that generally finishes and manages debt. Finance (110 graduates, $66,072 year-one, $96,993 year-four) and Accounting (77 graduates, $69,807 year-one, $93,585 year-four) are the strongest programs by volume and earnings, fitting SJU's reputation as a business-oriented university in the greater Philadelphia market. The $29,689 average net price is the key variable: families who receive meaningful aid find a defensible deal, while those paying near sticker face a harder calculation.
The median graduate earns $86,881 ten years after entry - well above the roughly $53,600 median across the schools we score.
Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $53,260/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $53,260/yr |
| Average net price | $29,689/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $118,756 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $86,881 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $49,600 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $270 |
| Estimated payback period | 5 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 78.8% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 4,948 |
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: $53,260/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $29,689/year, or roughly $118,756 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 $22,570/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $33,222/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $25,500, which works out to about $270 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($49,600) and comes to 0.51, 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 | $22,570 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $23,022 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $24,297 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $28,772 |
| $110,001+ | $33,222 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $22,570 net price per year at SJU - a significant ask for low-income families against $53,260 sticker tuition. Low-income students who receive merit or institutional aid above this floor will find a better deal. The Pell grant rate is 19.8%, suggesting SJU's aid focus skews toward middle-income families.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) pay $24,297 per year; those earning $75,001-$110,000 pay $28,772. These are meaningful annual costs for a private university. A family earning $70,000 paying $24k per year faces a total 4-year cost of about $97,000 - justified for business and finance graduates, less clear for students entering lower-earning programs. The 5-year payback period is institutional median; major-specific payback varies significantly.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,000+ pay $33,222 per year, totaling about $132,888 over four years.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy | $122,633 | - |
| Health Professions, Residency Programs | $85,690 | D |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | $80,764 | C+ |
| Marketing | $78,522 | C+ |
| Biology | $82,769 | D |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $96,930 | B |
| Finance and Financial Management | $96,993 | B |
| Accounting | $93,585 | B |
| Psychology | $56,647 | C+ |
| Insurance | $101,930 | 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.
Finance and Financial Management
Finance and Financial Management is SJU's highest-volume high-earning program: 110 graduates, $66,072 year-one, $96,993 year-four, ROI grade B. Median debt of $25,000 against year-one earnings of $66k produces a 0.378 ratio. The four-year figure of $97k reflects placement into Philadelphia's banking, insurance, and financial services industries, where SJU has a strong regional pipeline. The Jesuit alumni network in Philadelphia financial services is a real, if hard to quantify, asset.
Accounting
Accounting has 77 graduates earning $69,807 at year one and $93,585 at year four, ROI grade B, debt-to-earnings 0.357. SJU's Erivan K. Haub School of Business produces graduates who enter Big Four and regional accounting firms in the Philadelphia metro. The year-one figure above $69k is strong for a private bachelor's program, reflecting the structured hiring pipeline that accounting provides. Median debt of $24,903 is manageable.
Insurance
Insurance is a smaller but high-performing program at 47 graduates: $66,523 year-one, $101,930 year-four, ROI grade B+. The four-year trajectory to $102k is strong, reflecting Philadelphia's role as a regional insurance hub. This is a specialized program with clear labor market demand and earnings outcomes that justify the tuition.
Marketing
Marketing has 124 graduates earning $50,763 year-one and $78,522 year-four, ROI grade C+, debt-to-earnings 0.515. Marketing graduates enter a broad and competitive labor market; the four-year figure of $78k suggests career progression is real but not exceptional. Median debt of $26,149 against $50k starting salary is a stretched ratio that requires active debt management.
Biology
Biology has 118 graduates with $33,767 year-one and $82,769 year-four earnings, ROI grade D, debt-to-earnings 0.777. The extreme gap between year-one ($33k) and year-four ($83k) is the characteristic pattern of pre-professional biology tracks where students enter professional school before the 10-year earnings measurement. SJU biology graduates heading to medical, dental, or pharmacy school will see long-run outcomes not reflected in Scorecard data. Those entering the workforce directly with a biology degree will face the $33k year-one reality.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 84.4% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 88.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 82.5% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 86.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia’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 | 88.8% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 580-670 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 590-680 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 28-31 |
| Enrollment | 4,948 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 19.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $11,284 |
An 88.8% acceptance rate means SJU is not selective in the conventional sense. The SAT and ACT ranges are moderate - ACT 28-31 - but the wide acceptance rate suggests the school is competitive in aid negotiation rather than admissions filtering. Families should use the net price calculator carefully; at 88% acceptance, the financial package matters more than the admissions decision.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia (this school) | 86 | $29,689 | $86,881 |
| Wentworth Institute of Technology | 82 | $34,170 | $82,721 |
| University of St Thomas | 81 | $29,155 | $73,739 |
| Gonzaga University | 81 | $35,119 | $78,892 |
| Albright College | 56 | $20,024 | $58,700 |
| Bryn Athyn College of the New Church | 34 | $20,586 | $40,457 |
Who Thrives Here
SJU admits 88.8% of applicants, making it accessible to most students who meet basic academic thresholds. SAT ranges of 580-670 Math and 590-680 Reading with ACT 28-31 composite indicate a moderately prepared student body. At 4,948 undergraduates, the university offers a smaller, relationship-oriented campus experience appropriate for students who want engagement with faculty and classmates. SJU fits students who want a Jesuit liberal arts environment with strong business and professional programs in a major metro market.
The Verdict: The Investment Pays Off
For most students, Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia pays off. You'd pay about $29,689 a year after aid ($118,756 over four years), and the typical graduate earns $86,881 ten years after enrollment. That puts the payback - the time it takes for the earnings bump to cover what you spent - at roughly 5 years, a solid return.
What it has going for it: a strong earnings premium over high school graduates, its 78.8% graduation rate, high loan repayment success.
Median debt of $25,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $49,600 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.51, 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.
Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia: Common Questions
Is Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia worth it?
In our view, yes - for most students Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia pays off. It scores 86/100 on our ROI scale. You'd pay about $29,689 a year after aid ($118,756 over four years), and the typical graduate earns $86,881 ten years after enrollment, so the cost takes roughly 5 years to earn back.
How much does Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia 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 $29,689 a year, or roughly $118,756 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 Joseph's University - Philadelphia graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $86,881 ten years after enrolling, roughly $45,081 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 Joseph's University - Philadelphia?
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 5 years for Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,500, against average earnings of $49,600 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.51. 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 Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia?
The six-year graduation rate is 78.8%, at or above the 64% national average for four-year schools (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.