Susquehanna University
Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania · Private Nonprofit · 81.4% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 61/100 · Fair Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Susquehanna University is a private nonprofit liberal arts school in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, with about 2,163 undergraduates. Sticker tuition is $59,850, but average net price falls to $28,819. The lowest-income students pay as little as $18,493. An 82% completion rate and a 87% repayment rate are genuine strengths, and ten-year median earnings of $61,723 show long-term potential. Still, Susquehanna earns only a Fair Value ROI score of 61 due to a 0.67 debt-to-earnings ratio and a 9.6-year payback period at median earnings. Program outcomes are sharply bifurcated: business and accounting graduates perform well, while creative and humanities fields include several programs with F ROI grades. The institution's required global experience component and co-curricular design are differentiators for students who will leverage networking and internships to offset a mixed earnings profile.
Susquehanna University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $59,850/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $59,850/yr |
| Average net price | $28,819/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $115,276 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $61,723 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $40,200 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 9.6 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 81.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,163 |
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: $59,850/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $28,819/year, or roughly $115,276 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 $19,757/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $33,866/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 ($40,200) and comes to 0.67, 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 | $19,757 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $18,493 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $21,171 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $24,190 |
| $110,001+ | $33,866 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $19,757 net, and the $30,001 - $48,000 band pays $18,493 - SU's best aid tier. With $27,000 median debt and earnings of $40,200 at six years, the investment requires a job-intensive major. The 82% completion rate is an asset: students who start in strong-ROI programs and stay enrolled can reach manageable outcomes.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001 - $75,000 band pays $21,171. Combined with $27,000 in median debt and the institution's 9.6-year payback period, middle-income families face meaningful financial stretch. Choosing accounting, finance, or neuroscience rather than psychology, theatre, or publishing materially changes the ROI calculation.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $75,000 pay $24,190.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Susquehanna University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | $47,367 | D |
| Biology | $55,271 | D |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | $40,989 | F |
| Finance and Financial Management | $79,899 | C+ |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $67,304 | C+ |
| Marketing | $82,070 | C+ |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $61,423 | D |
| Teacher Education | $51,105 | C |
| Publishing | $17,585 | F |
| Accounting | $92,279 | B |
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.
Accounting
Accounting is Susquehanna's standout program with 25 graduates earning $65,209 in year one and $92,279 by year four against $27,000 median debt, yielding a 0.41 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B ROI grade. For students interested in public accounting or corporate finance, SU's accounting track delivers returns that justify the net price.
Finance and Financial Management
Finance generates 32 graduates earning $57,855 initially and $79,899 at four years. At a 0.47 debt-to-earnings ratio, it earns C+. The early-career trajectory is solid and SU's proximity to Pennsylvania's financial corridor supports recruiting. Students should track internship outcomes closely to make the most of this major.
Psychology
Psychology is SU's largest reported program at 55 graduates but earns a D ROI grade: first-year earnings of $28,186, $27,000 in debt, and a 0.96 debt-to-earnings ratio. Many psychology graduates intend graduate school, where these early earnings may be a temporary floor, but students without a clear post-graduate plan face real financial pressure in the near term.
Neurobiology and Neurosciences
Neuroscience graduates 10 students with four-year earnings of $63,729 and a 0.42 debt-to-earnings ratio earning a B. This pre-professional pipeline is SU's science program with the strongest post-graduation outcome, likely reflecting high medical and graduate school placement rates among its small cohort.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 82.9% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 87.2% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 86.5% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 91.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Susquehanna 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 | 81.4% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 540-640 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 560-660 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 21-29 |
| Enrollment | 2,163 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 24.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $9,249 |
Susquehanna accepts about 81% of applicants - broadly accessible. Middle 50% SAT runs 540 - 660 reading, 540 - 640 math; ACT composite 21 - 29. The school offers merit scholarships independent of need.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Susquehanna University (this school) | 61 | $28,819 | $61,723 |
| North Central College | 63 | $21,044 | $60,123 |
| John Carroll University | 61 | $28,746 | $62,860 |
| Lewis & Clark College | 61 | $36,013 | $62,205 |
| Albright College | 56 | $20,024 | $58,700 |
| Bryn Athyn College of the New Church | 34 | $20,586 | $40,457 |
Who Thrives Here
Susquehanna is best suited to students who thrive in residential liberal arts settings and have clear intent to pursue business, finance, or pre-professional tracks. The 82% completion rate suggests strong student support systems. Students in arts, writing, publishing, or theatre should be honest about the data: debt-to-earnings ratios above 1.0 are documented in several of those fields at SU, meaning graduates may spend years earning less than their annual debt payment.
The Verdict: A Reasonable Bet - With Caveats
Susquehanna University is a fair-value bet, but how well it pays off depends a lot on you. At $28,819 a year after aid ($115,276 over four years), with the typical graduate earning $61,723 a decade out, the cost takes about 9.6 years to earn back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
What it has going for it: its 81.7% graduation rate, high loan repayment success. What to keep an eye on: a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67 (median across the schools we score: 0.61).
Median debt of $27,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $40,200 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67. 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.
Susquehanna University: Common Questions
Is Susquehanna University worth it?
In our view, it's a fair-value bet - whether Susquehanna University is worth it depends a lot on your major and aid package. It scores 61/100 on our ROI scale. At $28,819 a year after aid ($115,276 over four years) against $61,723 in typical earnings a decade out, the cost takes about 9.6 years to earn back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does Susquehanna 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 $28,819 a year, or roughly $115,276 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 Susquehanna University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $61,723 ten years after enrolling, roughly $19,923 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 Susquehanna 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 9.6 years for Susquehanna University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Susquehanna University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $40,200 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67. 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 Susquehanna University?
The six-year graduation rate is 81.7%, 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.