Whitworth University
Spokane, Washington · Private Nonprofit · 89.8% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 55/100 · Below Average Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Whitworth University earns a Below Average Value tier with an overall ROI score of 55 out of 100, a result that reflects a real tension between Whitworth's strengths and its price tag. The good news: 70.9% of students complete their degree, well above the national average, and that drives the strongest sub-score on the profile (80). The bad news: sticker tuition runs $52,880 per year, total four-year cost lands at $106,136, and the average net price is $26,534 per year even after aid. Median earnings 10 years after entry are $58,561. Whitworth's earnings premium relative to high school graduates is real but modest at 22.2%. The math here is the classic private-liberal-arts story: high completion and decent long-run earnings partially offset a heavy price, but families who pay close to sticker price will struggle to justify the spread on financial grounds alone. Repayment behavior is solid (78.6% making progress on debt within three years), suggesting graduates do honor their loans - it just takes them a decade to break even.
Whitworth University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $52,880/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $52,880/yr |
| Average net price | $26,534/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $106,136 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $58,561 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $37,200 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $265 |
| Estimated payback period | 10.4 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 70.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,858 |
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: $52,880/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $26,534/year, or roughly $106,136 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 $16,788/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $34,641/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $25,000, which works out to about $265 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($37,200) and comes to 0.67, 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 | $16,788 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $18,242 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $20,358 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $26,525 |
| $110,001+ | $34,641 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay an average net price of $16,788 per year - meaningfully below sticker but still a substantial commitment over four years (roughly $67,000). Combined with Whitworth's strong completion rate, this can pencil out for low-income students who target the higher-ROI majors. For students choosing humanities or arts paths, even this discounted price is hard to recoup quickly given the 10.4-year payback baseline.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) pay $20,358 per year and the $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $26,525. That's about $80,000-$106,000 over four years - a serious investment that requires confidence in major selection. The aid curve flattens noticeably across these brackets, so middle-income families are the ones most likely to feel they're getting the worst deal: too much income for need-based aid, not enough for full pay to feel comfortable.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning above $110,000 pay $34,641 per year on average, or roughly $139,000 over four years. At full or near-full pay, Whitworth's ROI math becomes unforgiving unless the student targets Nursing, Computer Science, Physics, or Accounting.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Whitworth University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher Education | $60,010 | C |
| Psychology | $51,288 | D |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | $55,534 | D |
| Registered Nursing | $82,980 | B+ |
| Computer Science | $87,897 | B |
| Biology | $29,599 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $75,038 | C |
| English Language and Literature | $47,699 | C |
| Communication and Media Studies | $56,304 | C+ |
| Mathematics | $73,097 | C+ |
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.
Registered Nursing
Nursing is Whitworth's clearest ROI win. Graduates earn a median of $78,417 just one year out and $82,980 by year four, against a median program debt of $24,950 - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.318, the lowest at the school. With 33 graduates per year, this is a substantive program, not a token offering, and the Pacific Northwest nursing job market remains strong.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education is Whitworth's largest program at 61 graduates per year, but the financial math is sobering. Median earnings of $42,846 one year out and $60,010 at four years against $27,000 of debt produce a 0.63 debt-to-earnings ratio and a C ROI grade. Teaching is mission-aligned for many Whitworth students, but families should understand they're effectively paying private-college prices to enter a field with public-school salary ceilings.
Computer Science
Computer Science delivers solid ROI: $62,139 one year out, $87,897 at four years, with $27,000 in debt and a B grade. The 0.435 debt-to-earnings ratio is healthy. With 33 graduates per year, the program is sized appropriately for a school of this scale. Students targeting Pacific Northwest tech employment (Microsoft, Amazon, regional firms) will find this a defensible private-school choice.
Psychology
Psychology is the second-largest program at 52 graduates per year, but it carries a D ROI grade. Median earnings of $29,005 one year out and $51,288 at four years against $25,062 of debt produce a 0.864 debt-to-earnings ratio - meaning debt is nearly as large as first-year earnings. Students drawn to psychology should plan for graduate school; the bachelor's alone does not generate enough earnings to make Whitworth's net price work.
Interdisciplinary Studies
Interdisciplinary Studies graduates 50 students per year with weak outcomes: $34,703 first-year earnings and $25,990 in debt for a D grade. The 0.749 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates start their careers with debt approaching 75% of annual earnings. This is a flexible program that works for students with clear post-graduate plans, but as a default major it produces difficult financial outcomes at Whitworth's price point.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 74.9% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 78.6% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 75.4% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 81.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Whitworth 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 | 89.8% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 540-660 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 550-670 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 21-29 |
| Enrollment | 1,858 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 29.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,332 |
Whitworth admits 89.8% of applicants, so it functions as a near-open-access institution despite its private-college pricing. The high admit rate combined with a 70.9% completion rate is unusual and a credit to Whitworth's student support systems.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitworth University (this school) | 55 | $26,534 | $58,561 |
| Gonzaga University | 81 | $35,119 | $78,892 |
| St. Francis College | 57 | $18,129 | $58,099 |
| Southern Nazarene University | 55 | $22,084 | $54,951 |
| Pacific University | 52 | $35,273 | $60,583 |
| Cornish College of the Arts | 17 | $40,062 | $33,696 |
Who Thrives Here
Whitworth fits a fairly specific student: someone drawn to a small Christian liberal-arts environment (enrollment is just 1,858), willing to invest in a high-touch undergraduate experience, and ideally targeting Nursing, Computer Science, or one of the quantitative majors where ROI grades hit B or B+. The 29.5% Pell rate is moderate - Whitworth is not primarily serving low-income students, but it isn't exclusively wealthy either. Students aiming for humanities, religion, music, or psychology should run the net-price calculator carefully; many of those programs carry D or F ROI grades and the debt math gets ugly.
The Verdict: Proceed With Caution
The money case for Whitworth University is mixed, and worth a hard look before you commit. At $26,534 per year after aid, the typical graduate earns $58,561 ten years after entry, which means it takes about 10.4 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years. Whether it's worth it comes down to your major and your aid package.
What it has going for it: its 70.9% graduation rate. What to keep an eye on: a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67 (median across the schools we score: 0.61).
Median debt of $25,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $37,200 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67. 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.
Whitworth University: Common Questions
Is Whitworth University worth it?
In our view, the money case is mixed and worth a hard look before you commit. Whitworth University scores 55/100 on our ROI scale. At $26,534 a year after aid the typical graduate earns $58,561 ten years after entry, so it takes about 10.4 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does Whitworth 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 $26,534 a year, or roughly $106,136 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 Whitworth University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $58,561 ten years after enrolling, roughly $16,761 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 Whitworth 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 10.4 years for Whitworth University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Whitworth University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,000, against average earnings of $37,200 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67. 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 Whitworth University?
The six-year graduation rate is 70.9%, 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.