St. John's College
Annapolis, Maryland · Private Nonprofit · 55.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 33/100 · Poor Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
St. John's College in Annapolis earns a 33/100 ROI score and a Poor Value tier - a result that demands context. St. John's is the famous Great Books college: every student takes the same four-year curriculum reading Plato, Euclid, Newton, and Tolstoy in original languages where possible. The data reflects what that means financially: median earnings six years after entry are $31,600, climbing to $51,584 by year ten. The school's structural feature is that net price ($45,597) actually EXCEEDS sticker tuition ($40,684) - because room, board, and fees push total cost-of-attendance above tuition alone, and institutional aid is moderate. Total four-year cost is $182,388 - among the most expensive in our database. Median federal debt is $27,000 (capped near federal limits; significant additional borrowing happens privately). The 0.854 debt-to-earnings ratio is severe. The implied payback period is 19.4 years. The bright spots are completion (71.4%, well above private-college averages and the second-strongest sub-score) and repayment (80% three-year). The earnings premium of 9.1% is genuinely weak, and the school is unapologetic about this: St. John's openly markets that its graduates often pursue graduate study (law, philosophy, theology) and that the financial outcome is back-loaded behind those next-credential decisions. The honest framing: this is one of the most distinctive intellectual experiences in American higher education and a financially expensive choice; it is not an upgrade pathway for direct-entry workforce earnings.
The data raises concerns about St. John's College
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score33/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
- Payback period19.4 years - Most 4-year schools we track have payback periods of 4-10 years.
St. John's College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $40,684/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $40,684/yr |
| Average net price | $45,597/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $182,388 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $51,584 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $31,600 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 19.4 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 71.4% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 471 |
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: $40,684/year. Here's the part that matters - almost nobody pays that. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $45,597/year, or roughly $182,388 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 $42,528/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $45,828/year.
Most students borrow to get here. The median graduate leaves owing $27,000 in federal loans, which works out to about $286 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Hold that up against the $51,584 the typical graduate earns ten years out: the debt-to-earnings ratio comes to 0.85, within the range advisors call workable but worth keeping an eye on.
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 | $42,528 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $46,145 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $44,755 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $49,373 |
| $110,001+ | $45,828 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $42,528 net price. Note the bracket inversion: the $30K-$48K bracket pays $46,145, MORE than the $0-$30K bracket. Across four years, low-income families face $170,112 net cost. This is structurally incompatible with low-income family resources unless layered with substantial outside scholarships. St. John's is not effectively accessible to Pell-eligible students.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income brackets pay $46,145 ($30K-$48K), $44,755 ($48K-$75K), and $49,373 ($75K-$110K). The aid curve zigzags rather than scaling smoothly with need - another sign of the small-cohort statistical noise (471 students total). The $48K-$75K bracket pays slightly less than the $30K-$48K bracket, an inversion. Families across the middle pay roughly the same - aid is broadly available but not steeply need-based.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $45,828 - effectively the same as the $0-$30K bracket. Over four years that's $183,312 net. Note also that the $75K-$110K bracket pays $49,373, MORE than the highest bracket. This pattern indicates St. John's institutional aid is not strongly need-based and inversely affects upper-middle families. Wealthy families face a $183K commitment to the Great Books experience.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at St. John's College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $44,652 | 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.
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Liberal arts and sciences IS the entire curriculum at St. John's - every student earns this degree because there are no other majors. Graduates earn $25,307 one year out (the lowest first-year earnings in our dataset among non-arts schools) climbing to $44,652 four years out. Median debt is $27,000 against a 1.067 debt-to-earnings ratio - F grade. With 91 graduates this is the entire graduating class. The honest read: these earnings reflect that ~50% of graduates pursue graduate or professional school directly, often in fields (academia, theology, law, philosophy) where bachelor's-level earnings don't capture lifetime value. For students enrolling specifically because Great Books IS the point, the financial outcome is the price of that intellectual commitment.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 77.5% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 79.8% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 86.3% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 82.1% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How St. John's College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2023).
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 | 55.2% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 590-690 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 680-750 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 27-32 |
| Enrollment | 471 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 20.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,919 |
St. John's admits 55% of applicants, with SAT mid-ranges of 590-690 math and 680-750 reading and an ACT composite mid-range of 27-32 - placing admitted students well above national medians, with a particularly strong reading/verbal profile. Test scores reflect the students who self-select into a Great Books curriculum: highly literate, intellectually committed. The 71.4% completion rate is consistent with the selectivity profile and reflects strong fit between the curriculum and the matriculating student.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
St. John's MD's peer set includes Capitol Technology University, Washington Adventist University, Calumet College of Saint Joseph, Bethany College KS, and Boricua College - a peculiar peer group that mostly does not capture St. John's actual character. None are Great Books colleges; most are smaller, less academically selective regional privates. A more accurate peer would be its sister campus St. John's College Santa Fe, plus other small intellectually distinctive colleges like Reed, Deep Springs, or Thomas Aquinas. Within the listed peers St. John's posts the strongest completion rate but mid-pack ROI given its high price.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. John's College (this school) | 33 | $45,597 | $51,584 |
| Capitol Technology University | 79 | $22,102 | $85,035 |
| Washington Adventist University | 55 | $18,526 | $64,249 |
| Boricua College | 37 | $15,245 | $35,348 |
| Bethany College | 31 | $27,686 | $49,694 |
| Calumet College of Saint Joseph | 29 | $22,451 | $46,945 |
Who Thrives Here
St. John's enrolls 471 students with a 20.1% Pell rate - a more middle-class profile than typical access-mission privates. The fit profile is exceptionally narrow: students passionate about Great Books, primary-text reading, Socratic discussion, and intellectual life for its own sake - and either independently wealthy, willing to take on substantial debt for the experience, or intent on graduate study where the credential's signaling pays back. Anyone choosing St. John's primarily to optimize earnings is making a category error.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
We'll be straight with you: the numbers at St. John's College are a real concern. With a net cost of $45,597 per year and the typical graduate earning only $51,584 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds 19.4 years. For most students, the financial return does not justify the cost - go in with your eyes open.
What it has going for it: its 71.4% graduation rate. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, high debt relative to what graduates earn, a long payback period.
Median debt of $27,000 against $51,584 in earnings is reasonable, though your major matters a lot here. Graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
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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.