York University
York, Nebraska · Private Nonprofit · 51.9% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 28/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
York University in Nebraska earns a 28/100 ROI score and the Below Benchmark tier. The numbers tell a hard story: average earnings six years after entry are just $29,400, climbing only to a median $44,130 by year ten. Against a $20,951 average net price and $83,804 total four-year cost, the implied payback period stretches to 24.5 years - meaning a typical graduate's earnings premium over a high-school graduate would not cover their net cost in any reasonable timeframe. Sticker tuition is a relatively modest $23,000, but aid is shallow: even the lowest-income students pay $19,343 net. Debt-to-earnings hits 0.731, with $21,500 median federal debt against earnings that don't keep pace. Repayment performance is mediocre, with only 61% making progress at five years. The earnings premium is 0.109 over a high school graduate. Honest framing: York is a small faith-affiliated school where mission, community, and religious formation may justify the choice, but as a financial investment the math does not work for most students.
How York 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 Score28/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period24.5 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
York University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $23,000/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $23,000/yr |
| Average net price | $20,951/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $83,804 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $44,130 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $29,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $21,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $228 |
| Estimated payback period | 24.5 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 52.2% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 428 |
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: $23,000/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $20,951/year, or roughly $83,804 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 $19,343/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $22,789/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $21,500, which works out to about $228 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 0.73, 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 | $19,343 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $19,940 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $20,531 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $22,098 |
| $110,001+ | $22,789 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $19,343 net price. Pell-eligible students should layer in the $7,395 maximum federal grant and exhaust state-level Nebraska aid before borrowing.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families face $19,940 ($30K-$48K), $20,531 ($48K-$75K), and $22,098 ($75K-$110K). The aid curve is essentially flat - York charges almost the same to a $30K family as to a $110K family, which means need-based discounting is minimal. Middle-income families effectively pay near-sticker.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $22,789 - only $211 less than full sticker. Over four years that's $91,156 net. Given median 10-year earnings of $44,130, the math doesn't work as a financial investment; the case for paying that price has to rest on religious community fit, not earnings.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at York University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $50,936 | 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.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business is York's only program with sufficient graduates for tracking. Graduates earn $34,170 one year out, climbing to $50,936 by year four. Median federal debt is $28,370 - notably above the school median - producing a 0.83 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D ROI grade. The program is the school's largest by completions (40 graduates) and is reasonably stronger than other tracked outcomes at York.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 73.7% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 74.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 61.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 71.7% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How York 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 | 51.9% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 430-570 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 450-540 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 16-23 |
| Enrollment | 428 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 40.2% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,879 |
York admits 52% of applicants, with SAT mid-ranges of 430-570 math and 450-540 reading and an ACT composite mid-range of 16-23. The selectivity profile reflects open-access mission rather than gatekeeping, but also helps explain why aggregate outcomes are weak.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
York's ROI is 28.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| York University (this school) | 28 | $20,951 | $44,130 |
| Clarkson College | 71 | $19,241 | $64,876 |
| Bellevue University | 65 | $17,550 | $61,289 |
| Calumet College of Saint Joseph | 29 | $22,451 | $46,945 |
| Central Christian College of Kansas | 28 | $11,404 | $44,468 |
| Touro University Worldwide | 24 | $19,058 | $40,803 |
Who Thrives Here
York is a tiny 428-student private with a 40.2% Pell rate - it serves a low-to-moderate income population, predominantly local Nebraska students drawn to the Restoration Movement Christian identity. The fit profile is narrow: students who specifically want this religious community and who can keep total borrowing under $15,000 (ideally with significant family contribution or work). Anyone choosing York primarily as a stepping stone to better earnings is choosing badly; the data does not support that case.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, York University scores 28/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $20,951 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $44,130 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 24.5 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 52.2% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.73 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $21,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $29,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.73. 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.
York University: Common Questions
Is York University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. York University scores 28/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $20,951 a year after aid against $44,130 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 24.5 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does York 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 $20,951 a year, or roughly $83,804 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 York University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $44,130 ten years after enrolling, roughly $2,330 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 York 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 24.5 years for York University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do York University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $21,500, against average earnings of $29,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.73. 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 York University?
The six-year graduation rate is 52.2%. 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.