🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants.

✅ Best for

  • Solid academic profile (SAT 1150–1330 · ACT 27–31 middle 50% + typically a 3.7+ unweighted GPA in rigorous coursework)
  • Students focused on Business, Management, & Marketing (the school's signature program)
  • Strong long-term ROI — median 10-yr earnings of $86,881 against an average net cost of ~$29,689/yr

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1150, or ACT below 27, or unweighted GPA below ~3.50 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
M1: Master's - Larger Programs
Total enrollment
4,948
5,000 - 9,999
In-state tuition
$53,260
sticker, before aid
Tuition
$53,260
flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)
Admit rate
86.4%
Accepts the majority
SAT middle 50%
1150–1330
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
27–31
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$86,881
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$66,438
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$86,881
4-year completion
79%
Median debt (completers)
$25,500
Cost of attendance
$67,954
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
20%

💰 True ROI

7.3× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)
$118,756
$29,689/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$153,060
vs sticker $271,816
10-yr earnings total
$868,810
$86,881/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
1.4 yrs
at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At Saint Joseph's University, the average net price is $29,689/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$22,570/yr
Family income $30-48k
$23,022/yr
Family income $48-75k
$24,297/yr
Family income $75-110k
$28,772/yr
Family income $110k+
$33,222/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use Saint Joseph's University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Saint Joseph's University →

Opens on Saint Joseph's University's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Saint Joseph's University

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Saint Joseph's University actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Business, Management, & Marketing
570 degrees · 48.4%
Typical career outcomes
Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
2. Health Professions
296 degrees · 25.1%
Typical career outcomes
Registered Nurse $86k Physician Assistant $130k Pharmacist $136k Physical Therapist (post-DPT) $100k
Highest-paying group on this list, but most careers require additional training beyond a 4-year degree.
3. Biological & Biomedical Sciences
151 degrees · 12.8%
Typical career outcomes
Biological Scientist $87k Medical & Clinical Lab Tech $61k Pharmaceutical Rep $82k Physician (post-MD) $239k
Many bio majors → med school / grad school. Direct-employment bio roles are lower-paid than that pipeline.
4. Psychology
84 degrees · 7.1%
Typical career outcomes
HR Specialist $68k Market Research Analyst $75k Clinical Psychologist (post-PhD) $93k Social Worker $58k
Most undergrad psych grads go into non-clinical roles. Clinical/counseling psych requires a master's or doctoral.
5. Social Sciences
76 degrees · 6.5%
Typical career outcomes
Economist $118k Political Scientist $130k Sociologist $93k Market Research Analyst $75k
Economics + poli sci sub-disciplines pay much more than sociology + anthropology.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at Saint Joseph's University

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration. Bachelor's Degree 92 $57,889 $122,633
Computer Science. Bachelor's Degree 16 $62,647 $110,178
Insurance. Bachelor's Degree 58 $66,523 $101,930
Finance and Financial Management Services. Bachelor's Degree 128 $66,072 $96,993
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods. Bachelor's Degree 129 $65,627 $96,930
Accounting and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 76 $69,807 $93,585
Economics. Bachelor's Degree 24 $87,943
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. Bachelor's Degree $86,383
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other. Bachelor's Degree 129 $36,819 $85,690
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General. Bachelor's Degree $84,658

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Saint Joseph's University

CS degrees (annual)
30
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Saint Joseph's University vs. another college

Type the college you want to compare against. We'll show admit rates, net price by your family income, top majors with career outcomes, and merit aid — all in one side-by-side view.

Alternatives to Saint Joseph's University

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options
These similar-selectivity schools have published auto-merit grids that Saint Joseph's University doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.
University of Alabama in Huntsville
AL · Public
39 auto-merit scholarships on file
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
31 auto-merit scholarships on file
The University of Alabama
AL · Public
23 auto-merit scholarships on file
Mississippi State University
MS · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Alabama at Birmingham
AL · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
💰 Better out-of-state value
For families paying $110k+ income tuition, these schools cost meaningfully less than Saint Joseph's University.
Christian Brothers University
TN · Private nonprofit
$5,843/yr for $110k+ families ($27,379 less)
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr for $110k+ families ($24,054 less)
College of the Ozarks
MO · Private nonprofit
$10,426/yr for $110k+ families ($22,796 less)
Indiana University-Kokomo
IN · Public
$10,593/yr for $110k+ families ($22,629 less)
Cedar Crest College
PA · Private nonprofit
$11,008/yr for $110k+ families ($22,214 less)
🛡️ Safer in-state options
Same state, similar SAT band, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.
University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg
PA · Public
98% admit rate (vs 86% here)
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona
PA · Public
97% admit rate (vs 86% here)
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks
PA · Public
97% admit rate (vs 86% here)

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