Seton Hill University
Greensburg, Pennsylvania · Private Nonprofit · 79.5% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 42/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Seton Hill scores 42 (Below Benchmark), driven by a 13.7-year payback period and average six-year earnings of only $35,900. Sticker tuition of $42,944 drops to a $22,204 net price through aid, but even net of aid this is an expensive proposition relative to outcomes. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.752 with $27,000 median debt is the clearest sign of financial pressure: graduates owe more than three-quarters of a year's earnings before they begin to build wealth. The 67.4% completion rate is the one bright spot. Drama/Theatre graduates earn $21,239 at year one against $27,000 in debt - an F-grade outcome with no realistic repayment pathway in early career.
How Seton Hill 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 Score42/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
Seton Hill University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $42,944/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $42,944/yr |
| Average net price | $22,204/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $88,816 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $51,748 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $35,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 13.7 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 67.4% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,492 |
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: $42,944/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $22,204/year, or roughly $88,816 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 $15,143/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $27,764/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $27,000, which works out to about $286 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($35,900) and comes to 0.75, 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 | $15,143 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $13,436 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $17,823 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $21,993 |
| $110,001+ | $27,764 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The 0-$30,000 income bracket pays $15,143 per year at Seton Hill. The 31.3% Pell rate indicates a moderate low-income population. For low-income students, the 13.7-year payback means the investment pays off very slowly. Allied health or biology tracks are the most defensible financial choices for low-income students here.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $17,823 and the $75,001-$110,000 bracket rises to $21,993 per year. The private-school experience premium needs to be explicitly valued by the family to justify the difference.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,000 or more pay $27,764 per year - $111,056 over four years. Against $35,900 average six-year earnings, the full-price ROI case is very poor. High-income families choosing Seton Hill should do so for mission, community, or specific program fit reasons, not financial return. The payback period at full price extends well beyond 20 years for median earners.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Seton Hill University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $59,841 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $74,675 | - |
| Teacher Education | $47,328 | D |
| Biology | $70,848 | B |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $56,609 | - |
| Marketing | $57,156 | C+ |
| Human Resources Management | $65,388 | C |
| Accounting | $66,276 | - |
| Psychology | $43,426 | C |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $34,890 | F |
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.
Allied Health Diagnostic and Treatment
Allied Health earns $100,987 at year one and $112,793 at year four with a B+-grade debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.267 - the strongest financial outcome at Seton Hill. The program reports zero graduates in the data, limiting confidence in these figures, but the earnings trajectory is consistent with radiologic technology and diagnostic imaging fields where Seton Hill historically places students. Debt of $27,000 is manageable against these wages.
Biology
Biology (21 graduates) reaches $70,848 at year four with a B-grade debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.353 and $25,000 median debt. The year-one figure is not available, suggesting many graduates enter graduate or professional school immediately. This is one of Seton Hill's better-performing programs for students who follow through to graduate or medical education. The 4-year trajectory does not fully account for additional professional school debt.
Marketing
Marketing (12 graduates) reaches $57,156 at year four with a C+-grade debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.455 and $26,000 median debt. At a $22,204 net price, marketing represents a middle-ground outcome - not a strong financial case but not a weak one for students who enter marketing-adjacent roles in western Pennsylvania.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education (23 graduates) earns $27,056 at year one and $47,328 at year four with a D-grade debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.998. Graduates carry $27,000 in debt against starting wages below $28,000, producing debt service that consumes a high percentage of take-home pay in early career. Teacher salary compression in Pennsylvania limits the four-year growth.
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Theatre (10 graduates) earns $21,239 at year one and $34,890 at year four with an F-grade debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.271 and $27,000 median debt. Graduates earn less in their first year than their debt principal. This is Seton Hill's weakest financial outcome and represents a genuinely poor financial decision for most students unless they have independent means or a clear plan for graduate training in a more employable specialty.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 68.5% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 73.7% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 71.5% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 72.9% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Seton Hill 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 | 79.5% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 510-620 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 510-620 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 19-27 |
| Enrollment | 1,492 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 31.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,143 |
Seton Hill admits 79.5% of applicants with SAT Math 510-620 and Reading 510-620, ACT composite 19-27. This is a moderately selective institution by technical measure but broadly accessible to prepared students. The Catholic mission and small-campus environment are the primary differentiators - academically, admissions is not the filter here.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Debt-to-earnings ratios across the board argue for serious financial scrutiny.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seton Hill University (this school) | 42 | $22,204 | $51,748 |
| Albright College | 56 | $20,024 | $58,700 |
| Grace College and Theological Seminary | 44 | $19,932 | $45,411 |
| Mount Vernon Nazarene University | 42 | $22,421 | $49,555 |
| Felician University | 40 | $40,045 | $57,602 |
| Bryn Athyn College of the New Church | 34 | $20,586 | $40,457 |
Who Thrives Here
Seton Hill is a small Catholic liberal arts institution (1,492 students) in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, that fits students seeking a structured, values-based environment and strong student-to-faculty relationships. The financial data argues strongly for students to focus on health and business programs if they attend. Drama/Theatre shows $21,239 in year-one earnings against $27,000 in median debt; Kinesiology shows $32,975. The 79.5% acceptance rate is broadly accessible.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Seton Hill University scores 42/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $22,204 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $51,748 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 13.7 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, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.75 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $27,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $35,900 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.75. 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.
Seton Hill University: Common Questions
Is Seton Hill University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Seton Hill University scores 42/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $22,204 a year after aid against $51,748 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 13.7 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Seton Hill 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 $22,204 a year, or roughly $88,816 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 Seton Hill University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $51,748 ten years after enrolling, roughly $9,948 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 Seton Hill 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 13.7 years for Seton Hill University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Seton Hill University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $35,900 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.75. 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 Seton Hill University?
The six-year graduation rate is 67.4%, 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.