10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$132,722at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Westmont College
⌖ Santa Barbara, CA · 8 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
10-year estimate · Negative payoff
−$132,722 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
With these assumptions, the added earnings do not recover the cost within ten years.
18.1 yrsModeled economic break-even
−45%Modeled 10-year ROI
$61,349Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedMaximum annual price for positive 10-year payoff
What the numbers say about Westmont College
What does Westmont College cost?
Westmont College reports an average annual net price of $29,053 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Westmont College graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $61,349 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Westmont College graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $23,250. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Westmont College worth the same?
No. DegreeVerdict currently shows 8 field-and-credential outcomes at Westmont College; reported earnings and debt can differ substantially by program category.
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$16,510
$8,000Annual price−$48,510
$16,000Annual price−$80,510
$24,000Annual price−$112,510
$29,000Current college-wide context−$132,510
$32,000Annual price−$144,510
$40,000Annual price−$176,510
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- Suburban
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
Cost, debt, completion and earnings context
$29,053Average net price / year
$71,150Cost of attendance
$23,250Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$246/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$61,349Median earnings · year 5 after completion
70.3%Completion rate
77.0%Admission rate
1,302Student size
Institution debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded; missing and privacy-suppressed values remain unavailable.
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
67% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
158 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
74% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$61,848Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$62,827Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$67,391Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income74%
Middle income82%
Higher income84%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use only reportable field-and-credential records at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$37,671Year 1
$64,044Year 4
$61,349Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Business/Managerial Economics · Bachelor's Degree$84,8152Biology, General · Bachelor's Degree$75,8893Communication and Media Studies · Bachelor's Degree$62,5354Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities · Bachelor's Degree$61,9395English Language and Literature, General · Bachelor's Degree$58,4596Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness · Bachelor's Degree$56,8787Psychology, General · Bachelor's Degree$45,455Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Biology, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $75,889 reported+33%vs same-degree national median$23,250federal debt2English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $58,459 reported+20%vs same-degree national median$26,388federal debt3Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's Degree · $61,939 reported+17%vs same-degree national median$19,500federal debt4Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's Degree · $62,535 reported+11%vs same-degree national median$23,250federal debt5Business/Managerial EconomicsBachelor's Degree · $84,815 reported+9%vs same-degree national median$25,000federal debt6Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's Degree · $56,878 reported+4%vs same-degree national median$24,250federal debt
Comparable colleges in CA
Currently operating private nonprofit institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Riverside, CA
California Baptist University
- Annual net price
- $26,285
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $63,882
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -34%
California Lutheran University
- Annual net price
- $30,109
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $66,372
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -29%
Whittier College
- Annual net price
- $25,757
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $57,770
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -55%
Biola University
- Annual net price
- $31,495
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $56,263
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -63%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2023–24 awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business/Managerial Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $84,815 | $25,000 | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $75,889 | $23,250 | Not reported |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $62,535 | $23,250 | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Bachelor's Degree | $61,939 | $19,500 | Not reported |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | $58,459 | $26,388 | Not reported |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Bachelor's Degree | $56,878 | $24,250 | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $45,455 | $25,500 | Not reported |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $23,048 | Not reported |
Awards use first-major IPEDS completions aggregated to the same four-digit field and credential.
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.