Webster University
Saint Louis, Missouri · Private Nonprofit · 86.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 41/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Webster University lands in Below Benchmark tier with an ROI score of 41, weighed down by a 15.6-year payback period and a weak earnings premium subscore of 28. Median 10-year earnings of $50,876 are notably soft against $23,000 in median debt, producing a 0.602 debt-to-earnings ratio and a 66.4% repayment rate that suggests roughly a third of borrowers struggle to make progress on principal. The 64.4% completion rate is the only respectable metric in the score breakdown. Webster's arts-heavy program portfolio (theatre, film, design, graphic communications) drags overall outcomes down significantly, with several majors producing F ROI grades. The school works for specific niches but the headline numbers are a warning for general-purpose enrollees.
How Webster University 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 Score41/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period15.6 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Webster University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $31,750/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $31,750/yr |
| Average net price | $27,047/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $108,188 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $50,876 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $38,200 |
| Median debt at graduation | $23,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $244 |
| Estimated payback period | 15.6 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 64.4% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,304 |
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: $31,750/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $27,047/year, or roughly $108,188 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 $22,359/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $31,314/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $23,000, which works out to about $244 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($38,200) and comes to 0.60, 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 | $22,359 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $22,083 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $27,257 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $29,315 |
| $110,001+ | $31,314 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $22,359 per year, only modestly less than full-pay sticker. Over four years that's about $89,400 in out-of-pocket cost. The $30,001-$48,000 bracket actually pays slightly less ($22,083), a mild inversion likely caused by aid formula quirks at very low incomes. With median 10-year earnings of $50,876, low-income students face a difficult financial path even with the largest available aid package.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $27,257 and the $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $29,315, totaling $109,000-$117,300 over four years. Combined with earnings that crawl from $38,200 at year six to $50,876 at year ten, middle-income families face the worst risk-reward ratio at Webster.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households over $110,000 pay $31,314 per year, essentially full sticker. Four-year cost runs around $125,300 and the median earnings outcomes provide no real recovery path. Affluent families paying near sticker should treat Webster as a program-specific decision (e.g. its conservatory or film programs) rather than a general-purpose investment.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Webster University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $62,567 | C |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $35,407 | F |
| Psychology | $48,689 | C+ |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $39,604 | F |
| Computer Science | $66,113 | - |
| Design and Applied Arts | $40,397 | F |
| Biology | $56,671 | C |
| Education, General | $45,411 | D |
| Communication and Media Studies | $45,012 | C |
| Graphic Communications | $40,168 | - |
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.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration is Webster's largest program with 100 graduates and earns a C ROI grade. First-year earnings of $45,119 grow to $62,567 by year four, but $28,093 in median debt and a 0.623 debt-to-earnings ratio leave graduates carrying meaningful financial pressure.
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Film/Video earns an F ROI grade with 39 graduates. First-year earnings are $19,071 and four-year earnings are $35,407. Median debt of $23,700 and a 1.243 debt-to-earnings ratio mean graduates owe more than they earn annually a full four years out, the math here simply does not work for federal-loan-funded students.
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Drama/Theatre earns an F grade with 29 graduates and the worst debt-to-earnings ratio on campus at 1.972. First-year earnings of $13,182 reflect the harsh economic reality of theatre careers, and even four-year earnings of $39,604 are no match for $26,000 in median debt. Webster's conservatory has artistic prestige.
Psychology
Psychology earns a C+ ROI grade with 30 graduates.
Design and Applied Arts
Design and Applied Arts earns an F ROI grade with 24 graduates. First-year earnings of $20,257 and four-year earnings of $40,397 against $25,550 in median debt produce a 1.261 debt-to-earnings ratio, students owe more than 125% of annual earnings.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 58.5% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 66.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 64.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 71.6% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Webster 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 | 86.2% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 530-650 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 580-660 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 18-25 |
| Enrollment | 2,304 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 28.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $9,218 |
Webster admits 86.2% of applicants, putting it firmly in the access-oriented category. SAT mid-50% bands are 530-650 math and 580-660 reading, with ACT composites between 18 and 25. The wide SAT/ACT ranges combined with a near-open-admission rate help explain the 64.4% completion rate, while academically prepared students at the top of the band tend to graduate at meaningfully higher rates than the institutional average suggests.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webster University (this school) | 41 | $27,047 | $50,876 |
| Avila University | 51 | $16,053 | $52,773 |
| Felician University | 40 | $40,045 | $57,602 |
| Uta Mesivta of Kiryas Joel | 29 | $4,156 | $31,853 |
| United Talmudical Seminary | 26 | $6,640 | $25,113 |
| Mission University | 15 | $21,383 | $38,641 |
Who Thrives Here
The 86.2% admit rate makes Webster broadly accessible but the underlying outcomes data argues for caution outside its niche programs.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Webster University scores 41/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $27,047 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $50,876 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 15.6 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, a three-year loan repayment rate of 66.4% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $23,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $38,200 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.60, 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.
Webster University: Common Questions
Is Webster University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Webster University scores 41/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $27,047 a year after aid against $50,876 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 15.6 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Webster 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 $27,047 a year, or roughly $108,188 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 Webster University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $50,876 ten years after enrolling, roughly $9,076 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 Webster 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 15.6 years for Webster University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Webster University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $23,000, against average earnings of $38,200 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.60. 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 Webster University?
The six-year graduation rate is 64.4%, 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.