Uta Mesivta of Kiryas Joel
Monroe, New York · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 39/100 · Poor Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Uta Mesivta of Kiryas Joel is a Hasidic religious institution serving the Satmar community in Monroe, NY, and the conventional ROI framework applied to this school produces deeply unusual numbers that need careful context. The overall ROI score is 39 (Poor Value, red tier), but the institution is not operating as a labor-market credentialing engine. Tuition is $16,000 with a net price of just $4,156, and four-year total cost is roughly $16,624 - extraordinarily low for a private nonprofit. There is no median federal debt reported, which yields a perfect debt-to-earnings score of 100. However, the earnings story is severe: median earnings are $23,600 six years after enrollment and only $31,853 at ten years, both well below the wages a typical high-school graduate earns nationally. The earnings premium is actually negative (-0.189), meaning graduates earn less than non-college peers. The Scorecard payback period of 999 years is the algorithm's way of saying the cost is never recouped through wage premiums. Completion rate is reasonable at 70.2%. The honest assessment: this is a religious-studies school whose mission is theological formation within a closed community, and traditional ROI metrics simply do not capture its purpose.
The data raises concerns about Uta Mesivta of Kiryas Joel
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score39/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
- Payback period>50 years - Graduates earn at or near the level of high school completers - the cost may not recoup within a working career.
Uta Mesivta of Kiryas Joel
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $16,000/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $16,000/yr |
| Average net price | $4,156/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $16,624 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $31,853 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $23,600 |
| Median debt at graduation | N/A |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $0 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 70.2% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,957 |
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: $16,000/year. Here's the part that matters - almost nobody pays that. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $4,156/year, or roughly $16,624 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 $3,915/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $4,482/year. If money is tight, that matters: this school gives low-income students enough aid to land well below the sticker price.
Most students borrow to get here. The median graduate leaves owing N/A in federal loans, which works out to about $0 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Hold that up against the $31,853 the typical graduate earns ten years out: the debt-to-earnings ratio comes to 0.00, comfortably manageable.
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 | $3,915 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $3,898 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $4,617 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $6,690 |
| $110,001+ | $4,482 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $3,915 per year and the $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $3,898 - essentially the same. The very low net price reflects heavy institutional and federal grant support and means the cost burden on the lowest-income families is minimal. The financial math is the most defensible part of the picture: families are not taking on significant debt to attend.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income brackets pay $4,617 to $6,690 per year. Note an inversion: the $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays more ($6,690) than the highest bracket reported here ($4,482), an unusual aid pattern likely reflecting small sample sizes within each bracket rather than systematic policy. Even the highest figure is well below typical private-college net prices.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households over $110,000 pay $4,482, which is lower than what middle-income families pay - again, the inverted bracket pattern. At this price point the financial outlay is trivial relative to most private institutions. The decision for any income level here is not financial; it is whether the institution's religious mission matches the family's goals.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at Uta Mesivta of Kiryas Joel with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Religion/Religious Studies | $29,579 | - |
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.
Religion/Religious Studies
Religious studies is the institution's only reported program and accounts for all 403 graduates. Median earnings are $22,543 one year out and $29,579 four years out, both below national high-school-only wage benchmarks. No median debt is reported, suggesting graduates do not borrow federally. There is no roiGrade because the framework cannot meaningfully grade an institution whose graduates do not enter mainstream wage labor. Career paths are religious leadership, community education, and family-business roles within the Satmar community.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | N/A | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | N/A | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | N/A | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | N/A | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Uta Mesivta of Kiryas Joel’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2023).
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
| Enrollment | 2,957 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 87.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $3,617 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data. The institution serves a specific Hasidic community and admissions are functionally tied to community membership rather than competitive selection. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are also not reported, and prospective external students should not approach this institution as a conventional college option. The 70.2% completion rate suggests strong student-institution alignment among those who enroll.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
The Scorecard's algorithmic peer set - Adelphi University, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Southern Adventist University, and Loyola University New Orleans - is not meaningful here because none of those institutions share UTA Mesivta's mission, community structure, or educational model. Adelphi and Albany Pharmacy are mainstream regional privates; Palm Beach Atlantic and Southern Adventist are Christian institutions; Loyola is a comprehensive Catholic university. All five post dramatically higher graduate earnings and operate on entirely different ROI calculus. Treating UTA Mesivta as comparable to any of them on financial grounds misreads the data.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uta Mesivta of Kiryas Joel (this school) | 39 | $4,156 | $31,853 |
| Yeshiva of Nitra Rabbinical College | 39 | $10,880 | $41,785 |
| United Talmudical Seminary | 36 | $6,640 | $25,113 |
| Talmudical Seminary Oholei Torah | 35 | $10,755 | $39,230 |
| Kehilath Yakov Rabbinical Seminary | 33 | $3,822 | $36,442 |
| Talmudical Seminary of Bobov | 30 | $2,840 | $22,432 |
Who Thrives Here
This institution fits members of the Satmar Hasidic community pursuing religious study within their tradition. Pell rate is 87.4%, the highest end of the spectrum, and enrollment is 2,957. The financial-aid profile reflects very low household incomes among enrolled students. Career outcomes track community-internal roles (teaching, religious leadership, community service) rather than the wage-labor markets the Scorecard measures. Outside students should not consider this institution; community members should weigh it on theological and family criteria rather than on ROI metrics.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
We'll be straight with you: the numbers at Uta Mesivta of Kiryas Joel are a real concern. With a net cost of $4,156 per year and the typical graduate earning only $31,853 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds >50 years. For most students, the financial return does not justify the cost - go in with your eyes open.
What it has going for it: its 70.2% graduation rate, manageable debt relative to earnings. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a long payback period.
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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.