Private Nonprofit Graduate Good 59/100

Calvary University

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Kansas City, Missouri

About Calvary University

Thinking about Calvary University, a college in Missouri where more students graduate in Theology than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Calvary University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Kansas City, Missouri. It enrolls 154 students (a very small, intimate student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
71.7%
Graduation
37.5%
Net Price
$16,334
Median Earnings (10yr)
$45,421
Enrollment
154
Student : Faculty
8:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
59/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 22
Value 54
Affordability 57
Selectivity 36

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Calvary University admits 71.7% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.

Acceptance Rate
71.7%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
980 – 1140
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
17 – 24
Cumulative composite
Test Policy Required SAT or ACT scores must be submitted with the application.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Calvary University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Getting more selective ↓ 6.9 pts since 2019
77.8%201959.3%202163.2%202270.9%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $16,334 a year on average, it sits below what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$16,334
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
31%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
24%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees
$14,094
Room & Board (on-campus)
$6,492
Room & Board (off-campus)
$18,651
Books & Supplies
$794
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,167
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$16,539
Total Cost of Attendance
$23,938

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $16,764
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $15,734
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $21,115
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $16,666
  • Over $110,000
    $13,749

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$2,750
10% percentile
$5,500
25% percentile
$20,839
Median percentile
$21,321
75% percentile
$35,948
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $13,125 ↓ $7,714
No Pell $10,750 ↓ $10,089
Dependent students $9,738 ↓ $11,101
Independent students $19,962 ↓ $877
Female students $13,563 ↓ $7,276
Male students $10,500 ↓ $10,339
Pell recipients: 16.9% (3,523 students)No Pell: 13.8% (2,885 students)Dependent students: 12.5% (2,614 students)Independent students: 25.7% (5,358 students)Female students: 17.5% (3,640 students)Male students: 13.5% (2,818 students)Overall Median$20,839
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $7,250, less than completers ($20,839), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

38% of students who start here finish within six years, and 58% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
38%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
58%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $45,421 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$45,421
Earning > $25K
75%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$31,000$35,000$39,000$43,000$47,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

What this means: Moderate return on investment. Every dollar of net annual cost is matched by ~$2.8 of median earnings 10 years out. Compare carefully against your funding plan.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 154 students, an intimate, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 35% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
154
Part-Time
31%
First-Generation
35%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 76.6% 118
Hispanic 9.7% 15
Black 6.5% 10
Other 2.6% 4
Asian 2.0% 3
International 1.3% 2
White: 76.6% (118 students)Hispanic: 9.7% (15 students)Black: 6.5% (10 students)Other: 2.6% (4 students)Asian: 2.0% (3 students)International: 1.3% (2 students)Total154

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Calvary University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Large City Kansas City, Missouri
Housing
Strongly residential 192 beds for 154 students
Adult Learners
19% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Religiously affiliated

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Business graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Calvary University offers a varied set of programs: 14 distinct programs across 5 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

8 Programs
1 Program
1 Program
  • Music $43K ($26K–$59K)

Faculty & Resources

There are 8 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.

Student : Faculty
8:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$10M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$35,616
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

16 instructional faculty across 4 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 5 31% $39,660
Associate Professors 4 25% $36,469
Assistant Professors 6 38% $32,363
Instructors 1 6% $31,500

Pros & Cons of Calvary University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Calvary University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
CONS
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • First-year retention is below typical
  • Narrow program catalog compared to mid-sized peers
Best for: Based on the data, Calvary University is a fit for students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Calvary University

The questions families ask most about Calvary University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Calvary University hard to get into?
Admissions at Calvary University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 71.7%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Calvary University?
71.7% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Calvary University?
Aim for 1140 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 980 and 1140 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Calvary University?
Aim for 24 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 17 and 24 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Calvary University cost?
Budget around $16,334 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Calvary University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $45,421 a year against a net price of $16,334, about 2.8 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Calvary University known for?
Mostly Bible/Biblical Studies, Pastoral Counseling, Business Administration. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Calvary University graduates earn?
About $45,421 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Calvary University accredited?
Yes. Calvary University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Calvary University?
154 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Calvary University?
38% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Calvary University a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Calvary University located?
Calvary University is located in Kansas City, Missouri.
What programs does Calvary University offer?
14 different programs, most commonly Bible/Biblical Studies, Pastoral Counseling, Business Administration. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Calvary University?
8 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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