Saint Louis University — admissions, outcomes, merit aid & scholarships

🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants.

✅ Best for

Solid academic profile (SAT 1210–1430 · ACT 26–31 middle 50% + typically a 3.7+ unweighted GPA in rigorous coursework)
Students focused on Health Professions (the school's signature program)
Research-curious students (R2 — active research output)

🎯 The reality

Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1210, or ACT below 26, 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

R2: Doctoral - High Research Activity

Total enrollment

7,267

10,000 - 19,999

In-state tuition

$55,760

sticker, before aid

Tuition

$55,760

flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)

Admit rate

81.5%

Accepts the majority

SAT middle 50%

1210–1430

EBRW + Math composite

ACT middle 50%

26–31

composite

Test policy

Test-optional

2023

10-yr earnings

$70,783

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

$60,716

Earnings, 10 yrs after entry

$70,783

4-year completion

80%

Median debt (completers)

$25,000

Cost of attendance

$71,932

sticker price, not net

Pell-eligible students

17%

💰 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)

$97,592

$24,398/yr avg net

Aid that hides behind the sticker

$190,136

vs sticker $287,728

10-yr earnings total

$707,830

$70,783/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 Louis University, the average net price is $24,398/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k

$22,501/yr

Family income $30-48k

$21,854/yr

Family income $48-75k

$21,880/yr

Family income $75-110k

$21,702/yr

Family income $110k+

$27,466/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 Louis University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Saint Louis University →

Opens on Saint Louis 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 Louis University

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

1. Health Professions

538 degrees · 42.9%

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.

2. Business, Management, & Marketing

285 degrees · 22.7%

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.

3. Biological & Biomedical Sciences

179 degrees · 14.3%

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. Engineering

140 degrees · 11.2%

Typical career outcomes

Mechanical Engineer $100k Electrical Engineer $107k Civil Engineer $93k Chemical Engineer $112k

Engineering majors land high-paying technical roles. Top-earning sub-disciplines: petroleum, chemical, computer engineering.

5. Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness

112 degrees · 8.9%

Typical career outcomes

Athletic Trainer $58k Fitness Trainer / Coach $46k Recreation Director $65k

Coaching, athletic training, public-sector recreation, fitness industry.

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 Louis 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
Mechanical Engineering.	Bachelor's Degree	27	$74,209	$99,331
Finance and Financial Management Services.	Bachelor's Degree	73	$60,055	$93,647
International Business.	Bachelor's Degree	30	$52,670	$92,270
Business Administration, Management and Operations.	Bachelor's Degree	15	$48,371	$91,483
Computer Science.	Bachelor's Degree	35	$69,849	$91,081
Accounting and Related Services.	Bachelor's Degree	31	$63,153	$90,963
Computer and Information Sciences, General.	Bachelor's Degree	7	$64,436	$90,660
Biomedical/Medical Engineering.	Bachelor's Degree	48	$56,932	$86,844
Management Information Systems and Services.	Bachelor's Degree	12	$59,754	$86,238
Air Transportation.	Bachelor's Degree	33	$44,459	$83,903

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

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Saint Louis University

AI degrees (annual)

13

CIP 11.0102

CS degrees (annual)

120

CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Saint Louis 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 Louis 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 Louis 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