SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary
El Dorado Hills, California · Private Nonprofit · 40.7% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 19/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary scores 19 out of 100 on CampusROI, placing it firmly in the Below Benchmark tier on financial metrics, though context matters here. This is a tiny 198-student Pentecostal Bible college in El Dorado Hills, California, where most students are pursuing ministry vocations rather than maximizing labor-market earnings. The earnings premium reads as 0.5% above high-school-only workers, the payback period clocks in at 542.4 years (i.e., never), and the debt-to-earnings ratio sits at 1.06 against $26,677 in median federal debt. The one genuinely strong number is the 84.8% completion rate, which earns a sub-score of 93 and reflects a small, mission-aligned student body that mostly finishes what they start. But the repayment rate of 35.1% is the lowest sub-score on the page (just 2 out of 100), suggesting most borrowers are not actively reducing principal. Sticker tuition is $10,460 per year, but average net price is actually higher at $21,680, indicating institutional aid is minimal and most cost is covered out of pocket or via loans. Four-year total cost lands near $86,720. Average earnings six years out are $25,100 rising only to a median $35,418 by year ten. The value here is religious vocation, not labor-market return.
How SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary 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 Score19/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.06 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- Payback period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $10,460/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $10,460/yr |
| Average net price | $21,680/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $86,720 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $35,418 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $25,100 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,677 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $283 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 84.8% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 198 |
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: $10,460/year, which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $21,680/year, or roughly $86,720 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 $21,249/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $17,426/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $26,677, which works out to about $283 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($25,100) and comes to 1.06, 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least 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 | $21,249 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $22,068 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $21,807 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $23,144 |
| $110,001+ | $17,426 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 face an average net price of $21,249 per year, totaling roughly $85,000 over four years. With $25,100 in six-year average earnings, this price is genuinely difficult to recover on labor-market terms alone. Low-income students should expect to draw heavily on federal loans, scholarships, or church-funded sponsorships to make this work.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001 to $75,000 bracket pays $21,807 and the $75,001 to $110,000 bracket pays $23,144. Four-year totals are $87,200 to $92,600. The aid curve is essentially flat across the lower three brackets, indicating SUM has very limited institutional aid to deploy and most discount comes from federal Pell.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 actually pay LESS at $17,426 per year than middle-income families, an inverted bracket worth flagging. Four-year cost lands near $69,700. This unusual inversion may reflect merit-aid or endowed-scholarship policies that favor higher-income academically prepared applicants, or simply small-sample noise in the Scorecard cohort. Either way, families in this bracket are paying the lowest effective price.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Bible/Biblical Studies | $36,973 | 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.
Bible/Biblical Studies
Bible/Biblical Studies is the school's signature program with 13 graduates per cohort. Year-one earnings of $26,407 climb to $36,973 by year four. Median debt of $29,299 against those earnings produces a 1.11 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F ROI grade. This is the entire economic story of the school: graduates who go on to pastoral roles, missionary work, or denominational employment may receive housing, vehicle, and benefit packages that don't appear in tax records, but on a pure earnings-versus-debt basis, this program does not pencil out and students should not borrow heavily for it.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 29.9% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 35.1% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 41.4% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 32.7% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 40.7% |
| Enrollment | 198 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 44.6% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,000 |
SUM Bible College admits 40.7% of applicants. Standardized test mid-ranges are not reported, consistent with a faith-based institution that screens on denominational affiliation, pastoral references, and statement of faith rather than test scores. The 84.8% completion rate suggests this admissions screen does effectively select for students who will finish.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary (this school) | 19 | $21,680 | $35,418 |
| Azusa Pacific University | 71 | $22,212 | $66,677 |
| Art Center College of Design | 56 | $48,661 | $71,958 |
| Universidad Teologica del Caribe | 20 | $9,045 | $23,536 |
| Caribbean University-Vega Baja | 20 | $5,235 | $22,842 |
| Carolina College of Biblical Studies | 17 | $21,322 | $24,581 |
Who Thrives Here
SUM Bible College serves 198 students with a 44.7% Pell rate. The fit case is narrow and specific: students called to Pentecostal or charismatic Christian ministry who specifically want training tied to the school's denominational tradition and who can finance their education with minimal borrowing. The 84.8% completion rate is genuinely high, and graduates entering ministry roles often see non-cash compensation (housing, benefits) that does not show up in IRS-record earnings. Students considering this purely as a credentialing pathway should weigh the labor-market data hard.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary scores 19/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $21,680 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $35,418 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 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 it has going for it: its 84.8% graduation rate. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.06 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 35.1% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $26,677 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $25,100 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.06. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary: Common Questions
Is SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary scores 19/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $21,680 a year after aid against $35,418 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary 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 $21,680 a year, or roughly $86,720 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 SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $35,418 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at more than 50 years for SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,677, against average earnings of $25,100 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.06. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so how much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary?
The six-year graduation rate is 84.8%, 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.