Private Nonprofit Graduate Good 67/100

Peirce College

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

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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

About Peirce College

Thinking about Peirce College, a college in Pennsylvania where more students graduate in Business 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.

Peirce College is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It enrolls 799 students (a small, tight-knit 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
—
Graduation
21.8%
Net Price
$12,148
Median Earnings (10yr)
$50,660
Enrollment
799
Student : Faculty
11:1

Accreditor Middle States Commission on Higher Education
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 Open / Online), 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
67/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 39
Value 66
Affordability 60
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Peirce College does not report an acceptance rate. Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.

Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

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 $12,148 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
$12,148
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
53%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
62%
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
$15,060
Room & Board (off-campus)
$8,800
Books & Supplies
$1,200
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$1,800
Total Cost of Attendance
$18,660

Application fee: $50 (one-time, due at submission)


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.

$3,500
10% percentile
$6,375
25% percentile
$31,250
Median percentile
$33,625
75% percentile
$48,750
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 $22,394 ↓ $8,856
No Pell $19,939 ↓ $11,311
Dependent students $21,631 ↓ $9,619
Independent students $21,999 ↓ $9,251
Female students $22,500 ↓ $8,750
Male students $20,291 ↓ $10,959
Pell recipients: 17.4% (5,435 students)No Pell: 15.5% (4,839 students)Dependent students: 16.8% (5,250 students)Independent students: 17.1% (5,339 students)Female students: 17.5% (5,461 students)Male students: 15.8% (4,925 students)Overall Median$31,250
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $14,459, less than completers ($31,250), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

22% of students who start here finish within six years, and 75% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. 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
22%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
75%
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 $50,660 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)
$50,660
Earning > $25K
75%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$40,000$43,000$46,000$49,000$52,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

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

By Gender

Female graduates
$47,200

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$58,000

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$39,600

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$52,500

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$69,500

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $10,800, about 19% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 29.0 pts across 6 years
39%1yr49.3%3yr59.4%5yr68%7yr
What this signals: Moderate. Only 68% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 799 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 55% are the first in their family to go to college, and 83% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
799
Part-Time
83%
First-Generation
55%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
Black 50.9% 407
White 21.7% 173
Hispanic 12.6% 101
Asian 3.1% 25
Other 2.4% 19
Black: 50.9% (407 students)White: 21.7% (173 students)Hispanic: 12.6% (101 students)Asian: 3.1% (25 students)Other: 2.4% (19 students)Total799

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Large City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
91% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Predominantly Black Institution (PBI)

What You Can Study

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

Peirce College offers a varied set of programs: 22 distinct programs across 8 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
3 Programs
2 Programs
2 Programs
2 Programs
1 Program
  • Human $49K ($35K–$63K)

Faculty & Resources

There are 11 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
11:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$28M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$73,212
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

18 instructional faculty across 3 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 10 56% $80,943
Associate Professors 7 39% $64,409
Assistant Professors 1 6% $57,523

Pros & Cons of Peirce College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Peirce College 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
  • Solid post-graduation earnings
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • Modest first-year retention
  • Higher than typical student debt at graduation
  • Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for: Based on the data, Peirce College is a fit for working adults or students needing part-time study options; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Peirce College

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

How much does Peirce College cost?
Budget around $12,148 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 Peirce College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $50,660 a year against a net price of $12,148, about 4.2 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 Peirce College known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Liberal Arts, Health 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 Peirce College graduates earn?
About $50,660 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 Peirce College accredited?
Yes. Peirce College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Peirce College?
799 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 Peirce College?
22% 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 Peirce College 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 Peirce College located?
Peirce College is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
What programs does Peirce College offer?
22 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Liberal Arts, Health 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 Peirce College?
11 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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