University of Providence
Great Falls, Montana · Private Nonprofit · 50.3% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 35/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
University of Providence earns the Below Benchmark tier with an ROI score of 35 out of 100, but the headline number masks a sharply bimodal outcome story. The Great Falls, Montana Catholic university posts a $30,448 sticker tuition with a $17,649 net price after aid, putting four-year cost at $70,596. The dominant problem on the score is the 27.9% completion rate, which is the lowest single sub-score on this profile and reflects a student body that struggles to finish on time. Average 6-year earnings of $30,500 produce a 15.8-year payback period, well past the typical break-even window. Median debt of $18,750 against those earnings produces a 0.615 debt-to-earnings ratio. What rescues this school's per-program math is its registered nursing program, where 71 graduates per year earn six-figure starting salaries and pull the institution-level numbers down by being averaged with non-completers. The 70.1% three-year repayment rate is mediocre. Students considering UP should evaluate whether they're committing to nursing or one of the smaller programs, because the answer changes the ROI math dramatically.
How University of Providence 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.
- 6-year graduation rate27.9% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period15.8 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
University of Providence
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $30,448/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $30,448/yr |
| Average net price | $17,649/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $70,596 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $48,296 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $30,500 |
| Median debt at graduation | $18,750 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $199 |
| Estimated payback period | 15.8 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 27.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 528 |
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: $30,448/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $17,649/year, or roughly $70,596 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 $14,257/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $20,676/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $18,750, which works out to about $199 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($30,500) and comes to 0.61, 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 | $14,257 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $11,616 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $16,802 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $22,545 |
| $110,001+ | $20,676 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning $0-30K pay $14,257 net annually, while $30,001-48,000 households pay slightly less at $11,616. That $46K-$57K four-year cost is workable on a nursing graduate's $101K starting salary but a significant burden for any student who doesn't complete or who studies a non-nursing major with $30K early earnings.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income brackets show an inversion: $48,001-75,000 households pay $16,802, $75,001-110,000 households pay $22,545, but $110,001-plus drops back to $20,676. That higher-than-expected $75K-$110K bracket may reflect aid drop-off before institutional grants stabilize.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110K pay $20,676 net annually, lower than the $75-110K bracket above it, an inversion to flag. Four-year cost lands at $82,704.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at University of Providence with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $119,206 | A |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $48,103 | - |
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.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing is University of Providence's flagship program by a wide margin: 71 graduates per year earn a median first-year salary of $101,187, climbing to $119,206 by year four. With $23,847 median debt, the 0.236 debt-to-earnings ratio earns an A ROI grade and is the strongest payback math on campus. Western nursing labor markets are tight, and Providence's clinical partnerships with Benefis Health System in Great Falls drive consistent placement. This program is the reason to attend UP.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration is UP's secondary program with 15 graduates per year and a four-year median earnings of $48,103. First-year earnings, debt, and ROI grade are not reported, likely due to the small cohort. The four-year figure is a meaningful step down from nursing graduates.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 61.1% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 70.1% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 60.4% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 61.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How University of Providence’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 | 50.3% |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 15-23 |
| Enrollment | 528 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 32.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,450 |
SAT scores are not reported in current Scorecard data, with only an ACT range of 15-23 published. That low ACT range, paired with the 27.9% completion rate, suggests many admitted students arrive academically underprepared.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Providence (this school) | 35 | $17,649 | $48,296 |
| Carroll College | 66 | $23,960 | $61,772 |
| Parker University | 39 | $29,135 | $42,091 |
| Boricua College | 37 | $15,245 | $35,348 |
| Rocky Mountain College | 35 | $19,751 | $49,036 |
| Calumet College of Saint Joseph | 29 | $22,451 | $46,945 |
Who Thrives Here
University of Providence fits committed nursing students who can navigate the pre-nursing prerequisite gauntlet and complete the BSN, where outcomes are excellent. Enrollment of 528 makes for a small-campus experience, and the 32.9% Pell rate signals access for working-class Catholic families across Montana and the northern Plains. The 27.9% completion rate is the warning flag: students unsure of their major or unprepared for college-level coursework face significant risk of leaving with debt and no degree. Strong fit for nursing-bound students, weak fit for undecided ones.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, University of Providence scores 35/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $17,649 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $48,296 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 15.8 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, its 27.9% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 70.1% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $18,750 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $30,500 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.61, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
University of Providence: Common Questions
Is University of Providence worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. University of Providence scores 35/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $17,649 a year after aid against $48,296 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 15.8 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does University of Providence 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 $17,649 a year, or roughly $70,596 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 University of Providence graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $48,296 ten years after enrolling, roughly $6,496 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 University of Providence?
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 15.8 years for University of Providence. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do University of Providence graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $18,750, against average earnings of $30,500 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.61. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at University of Providence?
The six-year graduation rate is 27.9%. 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.