Private Nonprofit Graduate Strong 80/100

Pillar College

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

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Newark, New Jersey

About Pillar College

Thinking about Pillar College, a college in New Jersey where more students graduate in Liberal Arts 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.

Pillar College is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Newark, New Jersey. It enrolls 498 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
—
Graduation
21.9%
Net Price
$8,470
Median Earnings (10yr)
$45,577
Enrollment
498
Student : Faculty
14:1

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.

Strong
80/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 64
Value 79
Affordability 80
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Pillar 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 Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.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 $8,470 a year on average, it sits well below what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. 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
$8,470
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
70%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
42%
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
$25,900
Room & Board (off-campus)
$24,000
Books & Supplies
$1,500
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,000
Total Cost of Attendance
$38,047

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


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
    $15,139
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $7,114
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $3,181
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $4,411

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.

$3,433
10% percentile
$6,381
25% percentile
$21,483
Median percentile
$27,749
75% percentile
$42,268
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 $16,750 ↓ $4,733
No Pell $25,000 ↑ $3,517
Dependent students $9,359 ↓ $12,124
Independent students $19,000 ↓ $2,483
Female students $17,689 ↓ $3,794
Male students $17,745 ↓ $3,738
Pell recipients: 15.9% (3,409 students)No Pell: 23.7% (5,089 students)Dependent students: 8.9% (1,905 students)Independent students: 18.0% (3,867 students)Female students: 16.8% (3,601 students)Male students: 16.8% (3,612 students)Overall Median$21,483
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $10,283, less than completers ($21,483), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

22% of students who start here finish within six years, and 78% 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
78%
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 $45,577 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)
$45,577
Earning > $25K
66%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$37,000$39,000$42,000$44,000$47,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

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 ↑ 24.3 pts across 6 years
36.4%1yr44.3%3yr60.7%5yr
What this signals: Moderate. Only 61% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 498 students, an intimate, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 59% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
498
Part-Time
3%
First-Generation
59%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
White 59.0% 294
Hispanic 27.7% 138
Black 10.6% 53
Asian 0.8% 4
International 0.6% 3
Other 0.4% 2
White: 59.0% (294 students)Hispanic: 27.7% (138 students)Black: 10.6% (53 students)Asian: 0.8% (4 students)International: 0.6% (3 students)Other: 0.4% (2 students)Total498

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Large City Newark, New Jersey
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
53% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)
Designation
Religiously affiliated

What You Can Study

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

Pillar College offers a focused set of programs: 8 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.

1 Program
2 Programs
2 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 14 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
14:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$889,803
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$42,950
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

15 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 6 40% $41,674
Associate Professors 3 20% $34,525
Assistant Professors 4 27% $38,906
No Rank 2 13% $67,500

Pros & Cons of Pillar College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Pillar 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
  • Very affordable net price after aid
  • Reasonable class sizes
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • 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
  • Narrow program catalog compared to mid-sized peers
Best for: Based on the data, Pillar College is a fit for families focused on keeping net cost low; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Pillar College

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

How much does Pillar College cost?
Budget around $8,470 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 Pillar College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $45,577 a year against a net price of $8,470, about 5.4 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 Pillar College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Counseling Psychology, Psychology. 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 Pillar College graduates earn?
About $45,577 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 Pillar College accredited?
Yes. Pillar College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Pillar College?
498 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 Pillar 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 Pillar 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 Pillar College located?
Pillar College is located in Newark, New Jersey.
What programs does Pillar College offer?
8 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Counseling Psychology, Psychology. 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 Pillar College?
14 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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