University of Valley Forge
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania · Private Nonprofit · 61.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 16/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
University of Valley Forge scores 16, firmly in the Below Benchmark tier. The headline anomalies are striking: net price of $32,265 actually exceeds sticker tuition of $25,240, indicating the school provides essentially no institutional aid and that the net-price figure captures full living costs on top of tuition. Total four-year cost runs $129,060. The 67-year payback period (sub-score 11) signals that median earnings premium does not realistically recoup the cost of attendance in any working lifetime. Average earnings six years after entry are just $28,700, climbing to a median $39,016 by year ten - a 3.1% earnings premium (sub-score 10), essentially indistinguishable from the high-school-graduate baseline. Debt-to-earnings is 0.941 on $27,000 of median debt (sub-score 7, near bottom). Completion rate is 49.0% and three-year repayment is 68%. This is a small (471 enrollment) Pentecostal Bible school where the financial calculation is fundamentally not the point - students enroll for vocational ministry training rather than earnings return - but on the ROI metrics CampusROI tracks, the school performs poorly.
How University of Valley Forge 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 Score16/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 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.
University of Valley Forge
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $25,240/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $25,240/yr |
| Average net price | $32,265/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $129,060 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $39,016 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $28,700 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 49.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 471 |
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: $25,240/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 $32,265/year, or roughly $129,060 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 $30,614/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $32,981/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 ($28,700) and comes to 0.94, 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 | $30,614 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $31,228 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $32,077 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $33,146 |
| $110,001+ | $32,981 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning $0-30,000 pay $30,614 net per year (about $122,456 over four years). With 47% Pell enrollment, this is the modal family, and even with Pell the net price remains high because the school provides minimal institutional aid. The math does not work against $28,700 six-year earnings.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-110,000) pay $32,077-$33,146 net per year, putting four-year cost near $130,000. The $110,001+ bracket actually dips slightly to $32,981 (lower than the $75,001-110,000 bracket at $33,146) - a near-flat aid curve that suggests pricing is essentially income-blind.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $32,981 per year, $131,924 over four years. The flat aid structure across all brackets means high-income families effectively subsidize low-income families through near-identical pricing, which is the single biggest equity issue here.
Earnings by Major
Top 5 most popular majors at University of Valley Forge with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Theological and Ministerial Studies | $46,072 | F |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $43,724 | D |
| Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries | $40,407 | - |
| Psychology | $40,155 | C |
| Business Administration and Management | $37,563 | - |
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.
Theological and Ministerial Studies
Theological and Ministerial Studies graduates 12 students with $25,051 first-year earnings and $46,072 by year four. Debt is $28,000 and debt-to-earnings is 1.118 for an F grade. The financial outcome is weak, and any vocational case for this program rests on calling rather than ROI, which these figures do not capture.
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication
Radio/TV/Digital Communication graduates 8 students with $28,751 first-year and $43,724 four-year earnings. Debt is $27,000 and debt-to-earnings is 0.939 for a D grade. This is likely a Christian broadcasting track and the earnings ceiling reflects that specific labor market.
Psychology
Psychology graduates 6 students with $40,155 four-year earnings, $27,903 of debt, and a 0.695 debt-to-earnings ratio for a C grade. First-year earnings are not reported. This is one of Valley Forge's less-weak programs and likely serves as a feeder into Christian counseling careers.
Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries
Pastoral Counseling graduates 7 students with $40,407 four-year earnings. Debt and ratio data are not reported. This is the second major ministry-track program at the school; the absent debt data and small cohort mean ROI grading is not available, but the labor market for these graduates is well understood.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 63.3% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 68.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 62.7% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 70.1% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How University of Valley Forge’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 | 61.2% |
| Enrollment | 471 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 47.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,928 |
Valley Forge admits 61.2% of applicants. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported, consistent with the school's enrollment model that emphasizes faith and ministry-fit screening over standardized testing. The 61% admit rate combined with a 49% completion rate signals a real screen but persistent attrition once students arrive, likely driven by both academic and financial pressures given the school's high net price relative to the modest tuition.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Valley Forge (this school) | 16 | $32,265 | $39,016 |
| Albright College | 56 | $20,024 | $58,700 |
| Bryn Athyn College of the New Church | 34 | $20,586 | $40,457 |
| Kentucky Christian University | 19 | $24,038 | $42,375 |
| Cornish College of the Arts | 17 | $40,062 | $33,696 |
| Caribbean University-Ponce | 17 | $4,964 | $22,842 |
Who Thrives Here
Enrollment is small at 471 with a 47.4% Pell rate. This is overwhelmingly a low-income evangelical Christian student body preparing for ministry, Christian counseling, and church-affiliated careers. The school's value proposition is denominational and vocational rather than financial - students should evaluate it against their calling and family support, not against an ROI calculator. For students considering it as a general undergraduate option, the data are unambiguous that it is a weak investment.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, University of Valley Forge scores 16/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $32,265 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $39,016 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 to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 49.0% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.94 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 68.0% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $27,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $28,700 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.94. 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.
University of Valley Forge: Common Questions
Is University of Valley Forge worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. University of Valley Forge scores 16/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $32,265 a year after aid against $39,016 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 University of Valley Forge 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 $32,265 a year, or roughly $129,060 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 Valley Forge graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $39,016 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 University of Valley Forge?
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 University of Valley Forge. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do University of Valley Forge graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $28,700 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.94. 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 University of Valley Forge?
The six-year graduation rate is 49.0%. 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.