Wheaton College
Wheaton, Illinois · Private Nonprofit · 87.4% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 70/100 · Fair Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Wheaton College (Illinois) scores 70 (Fair Value) on the CampusROI scale. It charges $45,546 in tuition with a $26,975 average net price, and produces $39,600 average 6-year earnings and an 8.6-year payback period. Two metrics stand out as genuine strengths: an 84.75% completion rate and a 91.7% 3-year loan repayment rate - both well above average for this price tier. Students who start at Wheaton mostly finish, and graduates manage their debt. The median debt of $23,250 is moderate. Computer Science (17 graduates, $81,470 year-one) and Economics (31 graduates, $62,889 year-one, ROI grade B+) are the clear outliers. Bible/Biblical Studies (33 graduates, $29,986 year-one, ROI grade D) is the clearest low-return track.
Wheaton College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $45,546/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $45,546/yr |
| Average net price | $26,975/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $107,900 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $63,756 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $39,600 |
| Median debt at graduation | $23,250 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $246 |
| Estimated payback period | 8.6 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 84.8% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,121 |
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: $45,546/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $26,975/year, or roughly $107,900 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 $20,001/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $33,435/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $23,250, which works out to about $246 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($39,600) and comes to 0.59, 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 | $20,001 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $18,587 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $20,553 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $24,176 |
| $110,001+ | $33,435 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $20,001 net price per year at Wheaton. The $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $18,587 - lower than the lowest bracket, reflecting an inversion in the aid formula. The 21.7% Pell grant rate suggests Wheaton enrolls a modest share of low-income students. For low-income students deeply aligned with Wheaton's mission, the aid package at $18-20k per year is meaningful but requires careful career planning to manage the 8.6-year institutional payback.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) pay $20,553 per year; those earning $75,001-$110,000 pay $24,176. These are competitive prices for a private liberal arts college with Wheaton's completion rate and loan repayment profile. A student paying $20-24k per year who completes a business, economics, or CS track will have a reasonable return. The 8.6-year payback period is an institutional median pulled down by ministry and humanities tracks; STEM and business paybacks will be shorter.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,000+ pay $33,435 per year, totaling about $133,740 over four years. For families outside the evangelical Christian community, the faith covenant is a decisive filter. For those inside it, Wheaton's combination of academic rigor, strong completion, and Chicago proximity is a reasonable proposition at this price for students in business, CS, or economics tracks.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Wheaton College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Information Systems | $80,258 | B |
| Psychology | $49,974 | D |
| English Language and Literature | $52,647 | C |
| Communication and Media Studies | $60,695 | C |
| Bible/Biblical Studies | $29,986 | D |
| Economics | $84,829 | B+ |
| Music | $40,329 | D |
| Teacher Education | $48,374 | C+ |
| International Relations | $45,069 | C+ |
| Romance Languages | $42,635 | D |
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.
Computer Science
Computer Science is Wheaton's highest year-one earner: 17 graduates, $81,470 year-one (year-four data not available, no ROI grade). The small cohort size (17) makes this figure volatile year to year, but $81k year-one is consistent with Chicago-area technology market rates for new CS graduates. Wheaton's CS graduates enter a competitive labor market where the college's academic rigor is a credential but the brand recognition is limited outside religious and Midwest markets.
Economics
Economics is Wheaton's strongest full-data ROI program: 31 graduates, $62,889 year-one, $84,829 year-four, ROI grade B+, debt-to-earnings 0.334. Median debt of $21,000 is the lowest in Wheaton's program data, and the year-one earnings of $63k reflect placement into Chicago financial services, consulting, and business roles. The four-year trajectory to $85k shows solid career progression. Wheaton economics graduates who leverage Chicago proximity find meaningfully better outcomes than the institutional median.
Business Information Systems
Business Information Systems is the highest-volume STEM-adjacent program at 74 graduates: $55,300 year-one, $80,258 year-four, ROI grade B, debt-to-earnings 0.434. The four-year figure of $80k suggests solid advancement. Median debt of $24,000 is manageable. This program is Wheaton's strongest employment pipeline for students who want applied business-technology skills.
Psychology
Psychology has 56 graduates earning $31,658 year-one and $49,974 year-four, ROI grade D, debt-to-earnings 0.715. At $26,975 net price, the $31k year-one earnings create financial stress unless graduate school is the plan. Students should have a clear post-baccalaureate path.
Bible/Biblical Studies
Bible/Biblical Studies has 33 graduates earning $29,986 year-one (year-four data not available), ROI grade D, debt-to-earnings 0.772. Median debt of $23,147 against $30k year-one earnings is a stretched ratio. Bible graduates at Wheaton enter ministry, nonprofit, church work, and missionary careers where near-term compensation is structurally low regardless of institution. The Scorecard measures economic return, not vocational or personal return; families who have a clear faith-ministry career path should weigh Wheaton's program quality against the financial reality of these career tracks.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 89.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 91.7% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 93.0% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 96.2% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Wheaton 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 | 87.4% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 610-730 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 650-740 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 28-32 |
| Enrollment | 2,121 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 21.7% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $10,473 |
An 87.4% acceptance rate with a strong academic profile - ACT 28-32 - is unusual: Wheaton is more academically selective than its acceptance rate suggests. The evangelical Christian covenant requirement functions as a self-selection filter; students who are not aligned with Wheaton's stated faith community self-select out of the applicant pool. This creates a relatively aligned, high-functioning student body despite the high acceptance rate, which explains the strong completion rate.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheaton College (this school) | 70 | $26,975 | $63,756 |
| Azusa Pacific University | 71 | $22,212 | $66,677 |
| Bethel University | 71 | $28,556 | $63,764 |
| Westmont College | 65 | $29,053 | $64,778 |
| Calvin University | 65 | $22,992 | $58,375 |
| Wheaton College (Massachusetts) | 64 | $29,822 | $67,725 |
Who Thrives Here
Wheaton admits 87.4% of applicants with SAT ranges of 610-730 Math and 650-740 Reading and ACT 28-32 composite. At 2,121 undergraduates in Wheaton, Illinois, it is a nationally recognized evangelical Christian college with strong academic standards and a distinctive faith-integration mission. Students who want to maximize near-term earnings should understand that Wheaton's program mix and graduate destinations - ministry, graduate school, nonprofit, teaching - produce below-average 6-year earnings that do not fully capture long-run career outcomes.
The Verdict: A Reasonable Bet - With Caveats
Wheaton College is a fair-value bet, but how well it pays off depends a lot on you. At $26,975 a year after aid ($107,900 over four years), with the typical graduate earning $63,756 a decade out, the cost takes about 8.6 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 84.8% graduation rate, high loan repayment success.
Median debt of $23,250 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $39,600 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.59, 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.
Wheaton College: Common Questions
Is Wheaton College worth it?
In our view, it's a fair-value bet - whether Wheaton College is worth it depends a lot on your major and aid package. It scores 70/100 on our ROI scale. At $26,975 a year after aid ($107,900 over four years) against $63,756 in typical earnings a decade out, the cost takes about 8.6 years to earn back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does Wheaton 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 $26,975 a year, or roughly $107,900 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 Wheaton College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $63,756 ten years after enrolling, roughly $21,956 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 Wheaton 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 8.6 years for Wheaton College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Wheaton College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $23,250, against average earnings of $39,600 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.59. 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 Wheaton College?
The six-year graduation rate is 84.8%, 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.