Ursinus College
Collegeville, Pennsylvania · Private Nonprofit · 91.8% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 72/100 · Fair Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Ursinus College earns a Fair Value tier ROI score of 72, with strong completion (73.3%, subscore 83) and repayment (86.6%, subscore 89) supporting an otherwise good profile. Sticker tuition is $61,210 but the average net price drops to $30,536 thanks to substantial institutional aid, making four-year out-of-pocket roughly $122,144. The 6.8-year payback period is excellent (subscore 84) and median 10-year earnings reach $73,721. The one drag on the overall score is a 0.643 debt-to-earnings ratio (subscore 41), driven by $27,000 in median debt at graduation. Ursinus performs as you'd expect from a strong small Pennsylvania liberal arts college: high completion, strong post-graduation earnings, and a price that drops meaningfully after aid for most income brackets. Economics and mathematics produce the strongest program-level outcomes; psychology and English face a humanities/social science earnings ceiling.
Ursinus College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $61,210/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $61,210/yr |
| Average net price | $30,536/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $122,144 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $73,721 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $42,000 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 6.8 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 73.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,491 |
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: $61,210/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $30,536/year, or roughly $122,144 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 $20,622/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $33,625/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 ($42,000) and comes to 0.64, 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 | $20,622 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $24,154 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $28,815 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $31,326 |
| $110,001+ | $33,625 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $20,622 per year, $82,500 over four years. With $73,721 median 10-year earnings and the 6.8-year payback, the math works for low-income completers. Ursinus's relatively strong aid for the lowest income bracket reflects its endowment-supported financial model.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $28,815 and $75,001-$110,000 pays $31,326. Four-year cost runs $115,300 to $125,300, near the published $122,144 average. Combined with $73,721 median 10-year earnings, middle-income families can recoup the cost in a reasonable timeframe, particularly for graduates entering economics, math, or pre-med tracks.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households over $110,000 pay $33,625 per year, $134,500 over four years. The discount from sticker is meaningful even at the top bracket but the price is still substantial. With the strong 86.6% repayment rate and 6.8-year payback for typical borrowers, full-pay families can defend the price for graduates in the strong-ROI program tracks.
Earnings by Major
Top 9 most popular majors at Ursinus College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Economics | $75,573 | C+ |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | $59,415 | F |
| Biology | $58,659 | D |
| Communication and Media Studies | $61,017 | D |
| Psychology | $51,443 | D |
| Natural Resources Conservation | $56,633 | - |
| Biochemistry and Molecular Biology | $40,294 | - |
| English Language and Literature | $56,454 | - |
| Mathematics | $82,419 | - |
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.
Economics
Economics is Ursinus's largest program with 50 graduates and earns a C+ ROI grade. First-year earnings of $52,496 grow to $75,573 by year four, strong for a small liberal arts college. With $27,000 in median debt and a 0.514 debt-to-earnings ratio, the financial picture is workable. Economics here is a clear pipeline into financial services and consulting in the Philadelphia and New York markets.
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences
Physiology and Related Sciences earns an F ROI grade with 43 graduates. First-year earnings are $26,123 and four-year earnings of $59,415 against $27,000 in median debt produce a 1.034 debt-to-earnings ratio. This program functions as a pre-med pipeline, the bachelor's-only earnings data captures graduates before medical school, where lifetime earnings are dramatically higher. Students using this credential as a terminal degree face a difficult financial picture.
Biology
Biology has 38 graduates and earns a D ROI grade. First-year earnings of $38,360 grow to $58,659 by year four, with $27,000 in median debt and a 0.704 debt-to-earnings ratio. As with the physiology track, biology functions partly as a pre-medical pipeline where bachelor's-only earnings underrepresent lifetime outcomes. Direct-to-work biology graduates face the typical field-wide earnings ceiling.
Communication and Media Studies
Communication and Media Studies has 33 graduates and earns a D ROI grade. First-year earnings of $35,420 climb to $61,017 by year four, but $27,000 in median debt produces a 0.762 debt-to-earnings ratio. Earnings ramp is decent but the credential alone is not the primary driver of career outcomes, network and portfolio-building during college matter more for this field.
Psychology
Psychology has 33 graduates and earns a D ROI grade. First-year earnings of $29,458 grow to $51,443 by year four, but $27,000 in median debt produces a 0.917 debt-to-earnings ratio, near the dangerous 1.0 threshold.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 85.3% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 86.6% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 86.8% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 87.4% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Ursinus College’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 | 91.8% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 590-680 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 610-705 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 28-32 |
| Enrollment | 1,491 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 20.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $9,216 |
Ursinus admits 91.8% of applicants, with SAT mid-50% bands of 590-680 math and 610-705 reading and ACT composites of 28-32. The combination of high admission rate but strong incoming academic profiles (admitted students score well) reflects a self-selected applicant pool. The completion rate is 73.3%.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ursinus College (this school) | 72 | $30,536 | $73,721 |
| The College of Saint Scholastica | 74 | $27,846 | $65,934 |
| Valparaiso University | 72 | $18,578 | $63,191 |
| College of Saint Benedict | 66 | $26,640 | $63,260 |
| Albright College | 56 | $20,024 | $58,700 |
| Bryn Athyn College of the New Church | 34 | $20,586 | $40,457 |
Who Thrives Here
With 1,491 students and a 20.1% Pell rate, Ursinus is a small, mostly upper-middle-class liberal arts campus in suburban Philadelphia. It fits academically prepared students who want a residential discussion-based experience with strong outcomes in pre-professional tracks (economics, math, biology pre-med). The 73.3% completion rate and 86.6% repayment rate signal that students who enroll typically complete and service their loans, an important signal of program durability. The 91.8% admission rate makes it accessible to many prepared applicants.
The Verdict: A Reasonable Bet - With Caveats
Ursinus College is a fair-value bet, but how well it pays off depends a lot on you. At $30,536 a year after aid ($122,144 over four years), with the typical graduate earning $73,721 a decade out, the cost takes about 6.8 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 73.3% graduation rate, high loan repayment success. What to keep an eye on: a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.64 (median across the schools we score: 0.61).
Median debt of $27,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $42,000 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.64. 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.
Ursinus College: Common Questions
Is Ursinus College worth it?
In our view, it's a fair-value bet - whether Ursinus College is worth it depends a lot on your major and aid package. It scores 72/100 on our ROI scale. At $30,536 a year after aid ($122,144 over four years) against $73,721 in typical earnings a decade out, the cost takes about 6.8 years to earn back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does Ursinus College 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 $30,536 a year, or roughly $122,144 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 Ursinus College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $73,721 ten years after enrolling, roughly $31,921 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 Ursinus College?
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 6.8 years for Ursinus College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Ursinus College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $42,000 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.64. 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 Ursinus College?
The six-year graduation rate is 73.3%, 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.