Stevens-The Institute of Business & Arts
Saint Louis, Missouri · Private For-Profit · 100.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 4/100 · Poor Value
Stevens-The Institute of Business & Arts (SIBA) earns an ROI score of just 4, the lowest in this batch and one of the worst profiles in the entire CampusROI database. Every single subscore is in the bottom decile: 3 for earnings premium (graduates earn 7.8% LESS than typical high school grads), 7 for payback (999-year flag, meaning earnings never recoup costs), 5 for debt-to-earnings (1.034 ratio, students owe more than they earn), 2 for completion (14.3%), and 1 for repayment rate (28.1%). Tuition is $14,332 but average net price is $19,137 (higher than tuition, indicating fees and indirect costs add substantially), totaling $76,548 over four years. Median 10-year earnings are $29,058 against $27,000 in median debt. The 999-year payback flag means earnings will never recoup the cost. Only 14.3% of enrollees complete, and only 28.1% are making meaningful progress on loan principal. This is a school where the financial outcomes for federal-loan-funded students are deeply problematic.
The data raises concerns about Stevens-The Institute of Business & Arts
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score4/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.03 - Advisors recommend total student debt stay below one year of salary (ratio under 1.0).
- 6-year graduation rate14.3% - Well below the 60% national average. Non-completion is the fastest route to negative ROI.
- Payback period>50 years - Graduates earn at or near the level of high school completers — the cost may not recoup within a working career.
Stevens-The Institute of Business & Arts
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $14,332/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $14,332/yr |
| Average net price | $19,137/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $76,548 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $29,058 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $26,100 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 14.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 89 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The sticker price at Stevens-The Institute of Business & Arts is $14,332/year. But sticker price isn't what most students pay. After grants, scholarships, and financial aid, the average student pays a net price of $19,137/year, or roughly $76,548 over four years.
That net price varies significantly by family income. The lowest-income families (under $30,000/year) pay an average of $19,137/year, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
The median graduate leaves with $27,000 in federal loan debt, translating to an estimated monthly payment of $286 on a standard 10-year repayment plan. Against median earnings of $29,058 ten years out, the debt-to-earnings ratio is 1.03 - above the recommended threshold where total debt should not exceed first-year salary.
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 | $19,137 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | N/A |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | N/A |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $19,137 per year, $76,500 over four years. With median 10-year earnings of $29,058 and a 1.034 debt-to-earnings ratio, the math is impossible for low-income borrowers. The 67.4% Pell rate suggests this is the dominant population, and they are the most vulnerable to the school's poor outcomes profile.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Net price by income is null for all middle-income brackets in current Scorecard data. Given the small enrollment, this is likely small-sample suppression rather than a meaningful price floor. Middle-income families should run the school's net price calculator directly, but given the weak earnings outcomes, the cost is hard to justify regardless of bracket.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The $110,001-plus bracket reports null. Higher-income families would face the full $19,137 net price or close to it. With 999-year payback for typical students, no income tier produces a defensible financial picture for this credential.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at Stevens-The Institute of Business & Arts with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Design and Applied Arts | $40,288 | - |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | $37,244 | - |
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.
Design and Applied Arts
Design and Applied Arts has 8 graduates with four-year earnings of $40,288. Debt and ROI grade data are not reported. The earnings figure is roughly the institutional median for the field nationally, but combined with SIBA's high net price and weak repayment rate, students should evaluate community college design programs or larger arts-focused alternatives before committing. The very small graduate cohort makes the data noisy.
General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations
Sales and Merchandising has 5 graduates with four-year earnings of $37,244. Debt and ROI grade data are not reported. The earnings figure is modest for the field and the credential typically does not require a four-year degree at this price point, retail and merchandising career paths are accessible through associate-level credentials and in-house training at much lower cost.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 21.4% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 28.1% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 30.5% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 41.0% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 100.0% |
| Enrollment | 89 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 67.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,726 |
SIBA admits 100% of applicants, fully open admission. SAT and ACT mid-50% bands are not reported in current Scorecard data, consistent with a small for-profit career college that does not require standardized testing. The combination of open admission, 14.3% completion, and 28.1% repayment rate paints a difficult picture of student outcomes, the institutional structure does not produce strong results for the population it enrolls.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Peer institutions are all for-profit career colleges: Chamberlain University-Missouri (a for-profit nursing school, very different program profile), American InterContinental University-Houston, South University-Austin, DeVry University-Florida, and Eagle Gate College-Layton. Within this for-profit peer set, SIBA's $29,058 ten-year earnings are the worst, and its 14.3% completion rate is among the lowest. The school is at the bottom of an already-weak peer cohort.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stevens-The Institute of Business & Arts (this school) | 4 | $19,137 | $29,058 |
| Chamberlain University-Missouri | 87 | $30,716 | $92,405 |
| DeVry University-Florida | 21 | $29,477 | $45,987 |
| Eagle Gate College-Layton | 8 | $25,873 | $37,518 |
| South University-Austin | 7 | $25,680 | $34,421 |
| American InterContinental University-Houston | 6 | $20,249 | $36,144 |
Who Thrives Here
With just 89 students enrolled and a 67.4% Pell rate, SIBA is a tiny for-profit career college serving primarily low-income students in St. Louis pursuing design and merchandising credentials. The school's outcomes data argues strongly against enrollment, students should evaluate community college design programs, regional public alternatives like UMSL, or apprenticeship/certificate paths in design fields before committing to SIBA's price-to-outcomes mismatch. The 999-year payback flag means the financial math simply does not work for federal-loan-funded students.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
The financial data raises serious concerns about Stevens-The Institute of Business & Arts. With a net cost of $19,137 per year and median graduate earnings of only $29,058 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds >50 years. For most students, the financial return does not justify the cost.
Areas of concern include weak earnings relative to cost and a 14.3% graduation rate and high debt relative to what graduates earn and concerning loan repayment rates and a long payback period.
Median debt of $27,000 against $29,058 in earnings is concerning. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.93 exceeds the commonly recommended threshold. Major choice is critical here.
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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.