Yeshiva Toras Chaim
Lakewood, New Jersey · Private Nonprofit · 44.3% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 69/100 · Fair Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Yeshiva Toras Chaim scores 69 (Fair Value) with significant data caveats - the debt-to-earnings ratio and repayment rate are both imputed (no actual data), reducing the overall confidence score to 0.8. What is known: this is a small Orthodox Jewish Talmudic yeshiva in Lakewood, New Jersey, with 227 enrolled students, a $5,356 net price, and a $12,750 tuition. The earnings premium sub-score of 99/100 with a raw earnings premium of 1.285 indicates very high ten-year earnings ($62,526) relative to cost - the strongest earnings-to-cost ratio in our dataset of schools. The 31.0% completion rate is very low. No program data is reported. The 5.9-year payback is fast given the low cost. This is a specialized religious institution where standard ROI metrics apply unevenly.
The data raises concerns about Yeshiva Toras Chaim
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- 6-year graduation rate31.0% - Well below the 60% national average. Non-completion is the fastest route to negative ROI.
Yeshiva Toras Chaim
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $12,750/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $12,750/yr |
| Average net price | $5,356/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $21,424 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $62,526 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | N/A |
| Median debt at graduation | N/A |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $0 |
| Estimated payback period | 5.9 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 31.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 227 |
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: $12,750/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 $5,356/year, or roughly $21,424 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 $3,247/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/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 $62,526 the typical graduate earns ten years out: the debt-to-earnings ratio comes to N/A, which we can't fully judge without more data.
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 | $3,247 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $4,931 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $5,629 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $8,287 |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The 0-$30,000 income bracket pays $3,247 per year - one of the lowest net prices on this site for any four-year institution. The 37.8% Pell rate confirms significant financial need among the student population. For Pell-eligible students in the Orthodox community, Yeshiva Toras Chaim provides religious education at nearly zero net cost.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $5,629 and the $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $8,287 per year. At these prices, the financial burden is minimal regardless of earnings outcomes. Middle-income Orthodox families choosing this institution are doing so primarily for religious and community reasons, not financial optimization.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Net price data for the $110,001 and above bracket is not available (null). For the income brackets where data exists, the institution is extraordinarily affordable. High-income families considering this institution are evaluating religious training and community fit, not financial return.
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 Yeshiva Toras Chaim’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2023).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 44.3% |
| Enrollment | 227 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 37.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,532 |
Yeshiva Toras Chaim admits 44.3% of applicants; no SAT, ACT, or other standardized test data is available. The institution does not operate on conventional academic selectivity metrics - admission is governed by religious community standards and readiness for intensive Talmudic learning. No program-level data is available in the Scorecard, which limits financial analysis to institution-wide figures only.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Yeshiva Toras Chaim's peers include Caldwell University, Centenary University, Aultman College, Charles R. Drew University, and Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Jewish Theological Seminary is the most analogous peer - another Jewish religious institution with specialized mission. Caldwell and Centenary are general New Jersey private colleges with very different student populations. Yeshiva Toras Chaim's 69 score is shaped almost entirely by its low cost and high earnings premium; the imputed data and very low completion rate add uncertainty. Direct comparison with conventional colleges is limited by the specialized religious mission.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yeshiva Toras Chaim (this school) | 69 | $5,356 | $62,526 |
| Jewish Theological Seminary of America | 75 | $43,195 | $92,751 |
| Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science | 67 | $35,558 | $83,438 |
| Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences | 66 | $24,204 | $63,582 |
| Centenary University | 53 | $20,503 | $53,726 |
| Caldwell University | 40 | $24,691 | $53,843 |
Who Thrives Here
Yeshiva Toras Chaim exclusively serves Orthodox Jewish men pursuing Talmudic study in the Lakewood, NJ community - the largest yeshiva community in the world outside Israel. The institution's mission is religious training, not traditional career preparation. The high ten-year earnings ($62,526) likely reflect the entrepreneurial and professional community that develops within the Lakewood Orthodox network rather than career placement by the institution. The 44.3% acceptance rate and the 31.0% completion rate reflect the specialized nature of the program and the community from which students are drawn. Standard ROI analysis provides limited insight here.
The Verdict: A Reasonable Bet - With Caveats
Yeshiva Toras Chaim is a fair-value bet, but how well it pays off depends a lot on you. At $5,356 a year after aid ($21,424 over four years), with the typical graduate earning $62,526 a decade out, the cost takes about 5.9 years to earn back. That's roughly average - not a bargain, not a mistake.
What it has going for it: a strong earnings premium over high school graduates. What to keep an eye on: its 31.0% graduation rate.
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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.