Scripps College
Claremont, California · Private Nonprofit · 38.3% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 78/100 · Strong Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Scripps College scores 78 (Strong Value) on CampusROI, a strong result for a women's liberal arts college with no programs data and a sticker price of $65,950. The score is driven by excellent debt metrics: median debt of $13,500, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.304, and a 6.7-year payback period. The 82.5% completion rate is solid. No program-level Scorecard data is available, which limits granular analysis but reflects the breadth of the Claremont Colleges consortium - Scripps students cross-register extensively, and degree-completion data may not map cleanly to a single institution. Ten-year earnings of $77,539 suggest meaningful career advancement, likely reflecting graduate school placement and professional track mobility. Repayment rate data is imputed (not directly observed).
Scripps College scores in the top 15% of the schools we score, with strong earnings outcomes relative to cost.
Scripps College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $65,950/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $65,950/yr |
| Average net price | $36,294/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $145,176 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $77,539 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $44,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $13,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $143 |
| Estimated payback period | 6.7 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 82.5% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,113 |
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: $65,950/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $36,294/year, or roughly $145,176 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 $6,948/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $54,572/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $13,500, which works out to about $143 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($44,400) and comes to 0.30, which in our view is comfortably manageable.
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 | $6,948 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $4,522 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $15,831 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $36,472 |
| $110,001+ | $54,572 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $6,948 per year at Scripps - $27,792 over four years. The 30001-48000 bracket pays $4,522, the lowest in the income schedule. Against $44,400 average 6-year earnings and a 6.7-year payback, the financial case for low-income families with admitted students is strong. The 82.5% completion rate reduces non-completion risk.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 48001-75000 bracket pays $15,831 per year - a significant step up from the lower brackets. The 75001-110000 bracket rises to $36,472. Middle-income families in the $48,000-$75,000 range face approximately $63,000 in four-year cost, which is manageable. The $75,000-$110,000 bracket faces $146,000 over four years - a much steeper increase. The Claremont Colleges consortium access and California labor market positioning provide meaningful qualitative return for this income tier.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning over $110,000 pay $54,572 per year - approximately $218,000 over four years. Median debt of $13,500 indicates that even at these price points, many students do not borrow near the full cost, suggesting either family ability to cash-flow some expenses or additional scholarship packaging not captured in the net price figure. At $44,400 average 6-year earnings and a median $77,539 at 10 years, the long-run trajectory provides some support for the full-pay case for students targeting law, graduate school, or professional careers with strong long-run earnings.
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 | 90.7% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 93.5% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Scripps 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
| Acceptance rate | 38.3% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 720-770 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 720-770 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 31-34 |
| Enrollment | 1,113 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 11.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $13,213 |
SAT 720-770 Math and Reading and ACT 31-34 describe a high-achieving admitted cohort. Scripps students gain access to all five Claremont Colleges - this cross-registration feature makes Scripps enrollment function more like admission to a five-college ecosystem than to a single 1,113-student institution. The women's college environment and humanities/social science focus shape the applicant pool toward students seeking that specific context.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scripps College (this school) | 78 | $36,294 | $77,539 |
| Barnard College | 90 | $28,800 | $80,516 |
| Bryn Mawr College | 74 | $31,759 | $75,217 |
| Smith College | 73 | $27,579 | $64,027 |
| Simmons University | 72 | $25,265 | $63,494 |
| St Catherine University | 66 | $19,764 | $59,282 |
Who Thrives Here
Scripps admits 38.3% of applicants, placing it in the selective tier. SAT mid-ranges are 720-770 Math and 720-770 Reading; ACT 31-34. Enrollment is 1,113 - very small, creating an intimate academic environment.
The Verdict: The Investment Pays Off
For most students, Scripps College pays off. You'd pay about $36,294 a year after aid ($145,176 over four years), and the typical graduate earns $77,539 ten years after enrollment. That puts the payback - the time it takes for the earnings bump to cover what you spent - at roughly 6.7 years, a solid return.
What it has going for it: its 82.5% graduation rate, manageable debt relative to earnings.
Median debt of $13,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $44,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.30, 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.
Scripps College: Common Questions
Is Scripps College worth it?
In our view, yes - for most students Scripps College pays off. It scores 78/100 on our ROI scale. You'd pay about $36,294 a year after aid ($145,176 over four years), and the typical graduate earns $77,539 ten years after enrollment, so the cost takes roughly 6.7 years to earn back.
How much does Scripps 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 $36,294 a year, or roughly $145,176 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 Scripps College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $77,539 ten years after enrolling, roughly $35,739 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 Scripps 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 6.7 years for Scripps College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Scripps College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $13,500, against average earnings of $44,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.30. 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 Scripps College?
The six-year graduation rate is 82.5%, 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.