Private Nonprofit Graduate Good 68/100

St. John Fisher University

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

Compare This College

Rochester, New York

About St. John Fisher University

Thinking about St. John Fisher University, a college in New York where more students graduate in Health 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.

St. John Fisher University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Rochester, New York. It enrolls 2,565 students (a mid-sized 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
66.4%
Graduation
72.8%
Net Price
$28,945
Median Earnings (10yr)
$66,944
Enrollment
2,565
Student : Faculty
12:1

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 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
68/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 80
Value 34
Affordability 28
Selectivity 66

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

St. John Fisher University admits 66.4% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.

Acceptance Rate
66.4%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1120 – 1300
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
23 – 28
Cumulative composite
Test Policy Not Considered Standardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.

5-Year Admission Trend

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

Stable ↑ 3.3 pts since 2019
64.5%201968.4%202071.1%202173%202267.8%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 $28,945 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. 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
$28,945
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
29%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
68%
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
$41,190
Room & Board (on-campus)
$14,908
Room & Board (off-campus)
$14,908
Books & Supplies
$1,150
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$1,600
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$1,500
Total Cost of Attendance
$55,201

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
    $16,054
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $17,953
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $25,992
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $30,268
  • Over $110,000
    $34,085

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.

$5,500
10% percentile
$11,000
25% percentile
$23,250
Median percentile
$27,000
75% percentile
$33,000
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 $21,125 ↓ $2,125
No Pell $19,372 ↓ $3,878
Dependent students $19,500 ↓ $3,750
Independent students $23,356 ↑ $106
Female students $19,687 ↓ $3,563
Male students $19,375 ↓ $3,875
Pell recipients: 17.3% (4,012 students)No Pell: 15.8% (3,679 students)Dependent students: 15.9% (3,704 students)Independent students: 19.1% (4,436 students)Female students: 16.1% (3,739 students)Male students: 15.8% (3,680 students)Overall Median$23,250
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $10,364, less than completers ($23,250), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

73% of students who start here finish within six years, and 85% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. 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
73%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
85%
Returning for their second year
What this means: High first-year retention. Students who arrive tend to stay.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $66,944 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$66,944
Earning > $25K
92%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$60,000$62,000$64,000$66,000$68,0006 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
$47,400

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

Male graduates
$59,400

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


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$45,800

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

Family income (middle third)
$53,300

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

Family income (highest third)
$54,500

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

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $12,000, about 20% 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 ↑ 10.8 pts across 6 years
77.6%1yr82.2%3yr86.4%5yr88.5%7yr
What this signals: Excellent. 88% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 2,565 students, a mid-sized community.

Total Enrolled
2,565
Part-Time
2%
First-Generation
25%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
White 78.7% 2,019
Hispanic 8.0% 205
Black 5.4% 138
Asian 3.4% 88
Other 2.9% 74
International 0.2% 6
White: 78.7% (2,019 students)Hispanic: 8.0% (205 students)Black: 5.4% (138 students)Asian: 3.4% (88 students)Other: 2.9% (74 students)International: 0.2% (6 students)Total2,565

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Large Suburb Rochester, New York
Housing
Mostly residential 1,495 beds on campus
Adult Learners
3% 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.

St. John Fisher University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 49 distinct programs across 19 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.

10 Programs
7 Programs
2 Programs
2 Programs
1 Program
2 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 12 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
12:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$271M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$86,214
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

213 instructional faculty across 5 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 32 15% $112,027
Associate Professors 78 37% $93,765
Assistant Professors 76 36% $76,818
Instructors 22 10% $61,858
No Rank 5 2% $53,188

Pros & Cons of St. John Fisher University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where St. John Fisher 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
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Above-average graduation rate
  • Strong first-year retention
  • Above-average post-graduation earnings
CONS
  • Above-average net price
  • Most students take on federal loans
Best for: Based on the data, St. John Fisher University is a fit for students prioritizing post-graduation earnings.

Frequently Asked Questions about St. John Fisher University

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

Is St. John Fisher University hard to get into?
Admissions at St. John Fisher University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 66.4%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at St. John Fisher University?
66.4% 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 St. John Fisher University?
Aim for 1300 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1120 and 1300 (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 St. John Fisher University?
Aim for 28 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 23 and 28 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does St. John Fisher University cost?
Budget around $28,945 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 St. John Fisher University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $66,944 a year against a net price of $28,945, about 2.3 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 St. John Fisher University known for?
Mostly Nursing, Nursing, Pharmacy. 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 St. John Fisher University graduates earn?
About $66,944 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 St. John Fisher University accredited?
Yes. St. John Fisher University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend St. John Fisher University?
2,565 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at St. John Fisher University?
73% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is St. John Fisher 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 St. John Fisher University located?
St. John Fisher University is located in Rochester, New York.
What programs does St. John Fisher University offer?
49 different programs, most commonly Nursing, Nursing, Pharmacy. 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 St. John Fisher University?
12 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Continue Exploring

Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.