Students at Chestnut Hill College benefit from strong access to higher education and earn modestly more than expected given the student profile, though absolute earnings remain below national averages.
The college serves nearly half Pell-eligible students while maintaining solid loan repayment outcomes, reflecting its mission-driven approach to education.
Chestnut Hill College is a small private nonprofit institution in Philadelphia that serves a diverse student body with strong access but faces challenges in delivering competitive long-term outcomes. Nearly half of students receive Pell Grants and 44% are first-generation college students, reflecting the college's commitment to serving underrepresented populations. However, graduates earn a median of $52,015 ten years after enrollment, placing the institution at the 43rd percentile nationally for earnings outcomes.
The college falls into the "Under-Resourced Institutions" mobility quadrant, meaning it provides good access for low-income students but struggles to deliver the strong earnings outcomes that drive economic mobility. While graduates do earn about $8,405 more than expected compared with similar students at other institutions, this earnings advantage doesn't fully offset the college's below-average absolute earnings levels.
As a small private college, Chestnut Hill offers an intimate educational environment with close faculty relationships and personalized attention. For students who thrive in smaller settings and value community over career outcomes, the college provides meaningful access to higher education, though families should understand that the financial return on investment may be more modest than at larger research universities or more selective institutions.
Chestnut Hill College's program portfolio reflects its mission-oriented approach to education, with the strongest programs by enrollment and economic impact concentrated in service fields. Human Services leads both in graduate numbers and total economic impact, producing 63 graduates annually who earn a median of $32,284 ten years after graduation. While these earnings are modest, they reflect career paths in social work, counseling, and community services that offer personal fulfillment and social impact.
Business Administration represents the college's largest traditional professional program, graduating 42 students per year with median earnings of $43,240. This program offers stronger financial outcomes than the college's service-oriented majors and provides a pathway to management and entrepreneurship roles. Corrections Administration, with 38 graduates earning $37,568, reflects the college's connection to criminal justice and public safety careers.
The program mix reveals both the college's strengths and its challenges. While these fields align with the college's values-driven mission and provide meaningful career paths, they typically offer more modest earning potential than STEM fields, finance, or technology. For students drawn to service careers and community impact, Chestnut Hill provides solid preparation, but families should understand that financial returns will likely be more limited than in higher-earning professional fields.
Graduates of Chestnut Hill College see modest long-term financial outcomes that reflect both the institution's mission and its resource constraints. Ten years after enrollment, graduates earn a median of $52,015, which places the college at the 43rd percentile nationally for earnings outcomes. While this represents solid middle-class earning potential, it falls below what graduates achieve at many comparable private institutions and public universities.
One positive aspect of Chestnut Hill's outcomes is that graduates do earn about $8,405 more than expected compared with similar students at other institutions, suggesting the college adds meaningful value beyond what its student profile might predict. This earnings advantage helps offset some concerns about absolute earnings levels, though it doesn't fully close the gap with higher-performing institutions.
The college's program mix centers on human services, business administration, and corrections administration. Human Services represents the largest program by total economic impact, graduating 63 students annually with median earnings around $32,284. Business Administration graduates about 42 students per year with stronger earnings of $43,240, while Corrections Administration produces 38 graduates earning approximately $37,568. These programs reflect the college's focus on service-oriented careers that may offer personal fulfillment but typically provide more modest financial returns than STEM or high-demand professional fields.
Affordability represents a significant challenge at Chestnut Hill College, with net prices that rank in the bottom 12th percentile nationally for cost-effectiveness. Low-income students face annual costs of $29,262, middle-income families pay around $27,238, and high-income students see net prices of $33,080. These figures place substantial financial pressure on families across all income levels, particularly given the college's modest earnings outcomes.
The debt burden compounds these affordability concerns. Typical graduates leave with $26,389 in federal student loan debt, while families often supplement with Parent PLUS loans averaging $23,143. Combined, this creates total family borrowing that can exceed $49,000, a significant amount relative to the $52,015 median earnings graduates achieve ten years later. The college does maintain a 0% federal loan default rate, suggesting that while debt levels are high, graduates generally manage to avoid default.
For families considering Chestnut Hill, the affordability equation requires careful consideration of priorities and financial capacity. The college's high costs relative to outcomes mean that families are essentially paying a premium for the small college experience, personalized attention, and community environment rather than for strong financial returns. This can be worthwhile for students who thrive in intimate educational settings, but it requires realistic expectations about post-graduation earning potential.
Chestnut Hill College Hub Overview
Executive summary with admissions, cost, outcomes, and program analysis
