St. John's College
Santa Fe, New Mexico · Private Nonprofit · 53.1% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 35/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
St. John's College in Santa Fe earns a Below Benchmark ROI score of 35 - and the score itself dramatically understates the institution's distinctiveness. St. John's offers a single Great Books curriculum based on the original texts of Western civilization, taught discussion-style; there are no majors, no electives, no traditional academic departments. Tuition lists at $40,504, but heavy aid drops net price to $26,674 with four-year cost of $106,696. Average earnings six years out are just $26,400 - extraordinarily low, reflecting a graduate body heavily oriented toward graduate school (law, philosophy, classics) where bachelor's-only earnings don't capture career trajectory. By year ten, earnings climb to a median $44,985. Payback period of 24.7 years and a neutral middle debt score (median debt not reported, suggesting low borrowing) reflect the institution's high-quality student body that often has family resources to limit loans. Completion rate of 54.9% is mediocre. Repayment rate of 80.5% is solid - graduates who borrow do pay down. The single program (Liberal Arts and Sciences) shows $23,029 first-year earnings, $27,000 debt, 1.172 ratio, F grade. As of 2024-2025 Scorecard data, St. John's economic value emerges only over very long time horizons.
How St. John's College 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 Score35/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period24.7 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
St. John's College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $40,504/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $40,504/yr |
| Average net price | $26,674/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $106,696 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $44,985 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $26,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | N/A |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | N/A |
| Estimated payback period | 24.7 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 54.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 368 |
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: $40,504/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $26,674/year, or roughly $106,696 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 $16,014/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $35,680/year.
The Department of Education does not report a median debt figure for this school, usually because too few students borrow federal loans for the figure to be published. Our ROI score gives this measure a neutral middle value rather than treating it as zero debt.
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 | $16,014 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $17,151 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $19,053 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $21,551 |
| $110,001+ | $35,680 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $16,014 - genuinely generous aid that makes St. John's accessible to Pell-eligible students. Four-year cost around $64,000. Strong financial aid plus the school's high repayment rate suggests low-income graduates manage debt better than the headline numbers suggest. Still, the immediate earnings ceiling is a real concern.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) pay $19,053. Four-year cost around $76,000. The brackets are perfectly progressive. For students committed to graduate study or independently funded post-graduation paths, the investment can work; for students needing immediate earnings, it does not.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Higher-income families ($110,001+) pay $35,680 - well above the lower brackets but still a substantial discount off the $40,504 sticker. Four-year cost approaches $143,000. For full-pay families that value the distinctive Great Books education and can absorb the cost, St. John's offers a genuinely rare academic product. The financial case rests on qualitative value, not measurable career returns.
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 | $30,778 | 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 is the only program at St. John's: 59 graduates annually with first-year earnings of $23,029 against $27,000 median debt - a 1.172 ratio and F ROI grade. Earnings climb only to $30,778 by year four. The numbers reflect a graduate body heavily concentrated in graduate-school pipelines (law school, philosophy and classics PhDs, theological study) where four-year-out earnings vastly understate career trajectory. By the time graduates complete advanced degrees in their late 20s, the financial picture shifts substantially - but Scorecard data, which measures earnings at fixed post-bachelor's intervals, cannot capture this. Treat the F grade as a statement about timing, not lifetime value.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 74.4% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 80.5% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 76.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 82.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How St. John's 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 | 53.1% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 610-710 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 680-750 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 28-34 |
| Enrollment | 368 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 27.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $9,850 |
St. John's admits 53.2% of applicants - moderately selective, with notably strong test scores: SAT mid-ranges of 610-710 math and 680-750 reading, and ACT 28-34. The combination of strong students and demanding Great Books curriculum produces a self-selected academic profile; the 55% completion rate reflects the program's intensity rather than student weakness. St. John's draws intellectually serious applicants who could attend much more selective schools.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. John's College (this school) | 35 | $26,674 | $44,985 |
| Pillar College | 47 | $8,470 | $45,577 |
| Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education | 44 | $35,671 | $54,914 |
| Boston Architectural College | 43 | $25,865 | $62,123 |
| College of Biblical Studies-Houston | 43 | $672 | $39,260 |
| University of the Southwest | 27 | $16,927 | $45,389 |
Who Thrives Here
St. John's fits a very specific student: deeply intellectually curious, drawn to primary-text discussion-based learning, and either independently wealthy enough to limit borrowing or committed to graduate school pathways where earnings catch up. Enrollment of 368 is tiny. Pell rate of 26.9% is moderate. The bachelor's-only financial return is slow on Scorecard timelines. Students choose St. John's for the education itself, not the immediate financial return. Many graduates go on to law school, PhDs, or teaching where lifetime returns can be solid but slow.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, St. John's College scores 35/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $26,674 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $44,985 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 24.7 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 long payback period.
St. John's College: Common Questions
Is St. John's College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. St. John's College scores 35/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $26,674 a year after aid against $44,985 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 24.7 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does St. John's 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 $26,674 a year, or roughly $106,696 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 St. John's College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $44,985 ten years after enrolling, roughly $3,185 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 St. John's 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 24.7 years for St. John's College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
What is the graduation rate at St. John's College?
The six-year graduation rate is 54.9%. 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.