Wilson College
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania · Private Nonprofit · 92.1% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 21/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Wilson College scores 21 (Below Benchmark) on the CampusROI scale. The data is stark: a 27.3-year payback period, $29,400 average 6-year earnings, a 48.2% completion rate, and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.896. Net price of $21,741 means families pay more than $21,000 per year at a school where the average graduate earns $29,400 six years after enrollment. The school reports only two programs with sufficient data: Registered Nursing (46 graduates, $73,257 year-one, C grade) and Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies (35 graduates, $35,554 year-one, D grade). Nursing is the clear financial rationale for this school. The repayment rate of 68.8% indicates that a material share of graduates struggle with loan repayment. Enrollment is 865. The SAT mid-range (450-570 Math, 480-610 Reading) and ACT data not reported reflects a broadly accessible institution. Wilson is a small Pennsylvania liberal arts college. Outside of nursing, the financial case for enrollment here is very difficult to make on the available data.
How Wilson College 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 Score21/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period27.3 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Wilson College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $27,100/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $27,100/yr |
| Average net price | $21,741/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $86,964 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $43,326 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $29,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,328 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $279 |
| Estimated payback period | 27.3 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 48.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 865 |
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: $27,100/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $21,741/year, or roughly $86,964 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 $14,808/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $26,246/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $26,328, which works out to about $279 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($29,400) and comes to 0.90, 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 | $14,808 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $18,436 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $18,236 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $20,905 |
| $110,001+ | $26,246 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The 0-30000 bracket pays $14,808 per year - nearly $60,000 over four years. Against $29,400 average 6-year earnings and a 27.3-year payback period, the ROI proposition for low-income students is weak in our view. The combination of poor completion, low earnings, and high net-price-to-earnings ratio creates severe financial risk.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families pay $18,236 (48001-75000 bracket) to $20,905 (75001-110000 bracket) per year. Four-year costs of $73,000-$84,000 against $29,400 average earnings and a 27.3-year payback represent poor financial return for students outside the nursing program.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,000+ pay $26,246 per year - about $105,000 total. Nursing is the exception at Wilson, where the outcomes are stronger despite the debt level.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at Wilson College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $73,921 | C |
| Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians | $41,954 | 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.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing (46 graduates) is Wilson's one financially defensible program: $73,257 year-one, $73,921 at year four (C grade, debt-to-earnings 0.561, median debt $41,066). Year-one earnings are solid for Pennsylvania nursing.
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies (35 graduates) earns $35,554 year-one and $41,954 at year four (D grade, debt-to-earnings 0.803, median debt $28,562). Year-one earnings of $35,554 for vet tech roles are above entry-level but below what is needed for comfortable debt service on $28,562 in loans. The D grade reflects this mismatch. Vet tech nationally is a field where earnings do not scale dramatically, and the four-year figure of $41,954 confirms limited upside.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 64.5% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 68.8% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 71.0% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 77.6% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Wilson 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 | 92.1% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 450-570 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 480-610 |
| Enrollment | 865 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 23.5% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,205 |
At 92.1%, Wilson accepts nearly all applicants. The practical admission question is not selectivity but fit and financial planning. Given the 48.2% completion rate, students should consider whether Wilson's academic environment and program offerings align with their specific goals before committing.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Wilson's 21 ROI score reflects the intersection of poor completion, low earnings, and modest-to-high net price.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson College (this school) | 21 | $21,741 | $43,326 |
| Albright College | 56 | $20,024 | $58,700 |
| Bryn Athyn College of the New Church | 34 | $20,586 | $40,457 |
| Be'er Yaakov Talmudic Seminary | 25 | $4,543 | $17,360 |
| Laguna College of Art and Design | 22 | $42,505 | $47,867 |
| Columbia International University | 21 | $26,036 | $38,951 |
Who Thrives Here
Wilson admits 92.1% of applicants, with SAT mid-ranges of 450-570 Math and 480-610 Reading (ACT not reported). Enrollment is 865. The 23.5% Pell grant rate reflects moderate financial need. Wilson's institutional identity includes a long history as a women's college and a current focus on equestrian and veterinary programs alongside nursing. The completion rate is 48.2% - fewer than half of enrolled students earn a degree. Students should assess the academic and financial support infrastructure carefully before enrolling.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Wilson College scores 21/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $21,741 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $43,326 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 27.3 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, its 48.1% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.90 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 68.8% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $26,328 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $29,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.90. 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.
Wilson College: Common Questions
Is Wilson College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Wilson College scores 21/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $21,741 a year after aid against $43,326 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 27.3 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Wilson 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 $21,741 a year, or roughly $86,964 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 Wilson College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $43,326 ten years after enrolling, roughly $1,526 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 Wilson 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 27.3 years for Wilson College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Wilson College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,328, against average earnings of $29,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.90. 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 Wilson College?
The six-year graduation rate is 48.1%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (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.