Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks Mount Saint Mary's University #191 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $79,546, placing Mount Saint Mary's University in the 86.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Mount Saint Mary's University sits in the 98.8 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions, reflecting the university's health-focused program mix and strong graduate outcomes relative to similar students at comparable institutions. Mount Saint Mary's University's composite ranking reflects a health-dominant program portfolio that delivers median earnings well above what similar students earn at comparable institutions, placing the university among the stronger performers in the Azimuth coverage set. The combination of earnings beyond expectations and solid median 4-year earnings signals that Los Angeles graduates enter the workforce with a meaningful financial advantage relative to peers at institutions with comparable student profiles.
Azimuth ranks Mount Saint Mary's University #191 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. A private university in Los Angeles, CA, Mount Saint Mary's University enrolls roughly 1,719 undergraduates. Retention stands at 71.1% and the six-year graduation rate is 53.2%, figures that reflect steady degree completion for a smaller institution anchored in the health professions. What drives Mount Saint Mary's University's composite position is mobility. The university sits in the 58.2 percentile for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions, a reflection of how effectively it converts broad access into durable outcomes for students from lower-income backgrounds. 57.1% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 49.7% are first-generation college students — shares that place Mount Saint Mary's University well above typical private institutions on access, where it sits in the 77.9 percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The dominant program family is Health, and the concentration in health-related fields channels graduates into career paths with stable demand and clear credentialing pipelines. Return on investment is the weaker pillar in the composite — Mount Saint Mary's University sits in the 94.3 percentile for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median earnings four years after enrollment of $79,546, and graduates earn about $31,028 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Mount Saint Mary's University in the 98.8 percentile for among nonprofit four-year institutions. Affordability sits in the 40.1 percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions, shaped by the gap between sticker price and what families actually pay after need-based aid.
Mount Saint Mary's University lists a published cost of attendance of $66,726, but need-based aid reshapes what families actually pay. Low-income families see a net price of approximately $23,849, while middle-income families pay around $17,876, and higher-income families pay approximately $18,762. Azimuth ranks Mount Saint Mary's University #854 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown. Mount Saint Mary's participates in federal, state, and institutional aid programs, and the gap between sticker price and net price is most pronounced for lower-income families — a pattern common among smaller private nonprofits with active need-based aid programs. Families apply using the FAFSA and, where required, the CSS Profile. The net price illusion is worth understanding here: the published cost of attendance rarely reflects what most students pay, and the income-band figures above offer a more grounded starting point for planning. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $25,949, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $23,250; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the Parent PLUS risk framework for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $79,546, median federal debt of $25,949 projects to a monthly payment of about $293 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
Mount Saint Mary's University is a strong fit for students drawn to health, education, and applied professional fields who want a private, mission-driven institution in Los Angeles, CA — particularly those from low-income or first-generation backgrounds seeking a supportive environment with meaningful post-graduation outcomes. Graduates earn about $31,028 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Mount Saint Mary's University in the 98.8 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $79,546, placing Mount Saint Mary's University in the 86.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The access profile is broad. 57.1% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 49.7% are first-generation college students — a profile that reflects the university's longstanding commitment to serving students from underrepresented and lower-income households. Mount Saint Mary's University sits in the 85.8 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions — a historical 10-year Scorecard measure not yet updated to the 4-year horizon — suggesting that students from lower-income backgrounds have historically converted their degrees into meaningful earnings gains. Fit depends on two realistic filters: the program mix is concentrated in Health and related applied fields, so students whose interests align with those areas will find the strongest outcomes. Median student debt at graduation is $25,949, and families considering higher net prices should weigh that figure against the earnings trajectory the degree supports.
This school profile was generated using Azimuth's proprietary ROI framework, developed by founder Daniel Rogers. Our methodology transforms federal education data into actionable insights for families.
College Azimuth is a private research initiative and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. Data sourced from College Scorecard.
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or professional advice. Consult a qualified advisor before making any financial decisions.
Comprehensive Analysis
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This is the Mount Saint Mary's University hub overview page. Related admissions, cost, outcomes, majors, and similar-school pages provide the detailed school data.
Based on federal data for students receiving aid. Actual costs may vary.
Mount Saint Mary's University lists a published cost of attendance of $66,726, but need-based aid reshapes what families actually pay. Low-income families see a net price of approximately $23,849, while middle-income families pay around $17,876, and higher-income families pay approximately $18,762.
Azimuth ranks Mount Saint Mary's University #854 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.
Mount Saint Mary's participates in federal, state, and institutional aid programs, and the gap between sticker price and net price is most pronounced for lower-income families — a pattern common among smaller private nonprofits with active need-based aid programs. Families apply using the FAFSA and, where required, the CSS Profile.
The [net price illusion](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is worth understanding here: the published cost of attendance rarely reflects what most students pay, and the income-band figures above offer a more grounded starting point for planning. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $25,949, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $23,250; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.
For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $79,546, median federal debt of $25,949 projects to a monthly payment of about $293 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).
Graduates of Mount Saint Mary's University earn median earnings of $52,000 four years after enrollment, placing Mount Saint Mary's University in the 68th percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $55,000 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).
Graduates earn below expectations, placing the institution in the 36th percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures still represent lifetime returns relative to California's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $34,000, the state median earnings of working adults aged 25–34 with only a high school credential.
While institution-level earnings track California's regional labor market, specific programs deliver materially stronger outcomes. Azimuth ranks Business Administration, Management and Operations 25th nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $60,000 — 1.2x the national benchmark for the field.
Business is the dominant program family, with Business accounting for 29% of degrees and Health Professions representing 19%. Among the largest programs, Registered Nursing, Nursing, Nursing Research and The Clinical Nursing program graduates 120 students annually, and Azimuth ranks it 50th nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions with graduates earning median earnings of $95,000.
Azimuth ranks Business Administration, Management and Operations 25th nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $60,000, and Azimuth ranks Psychology, General 100th nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $40,000.
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
195 graduates
Accounting and Related Services
9 graduates
Business Administration, Management and Operations
20 graduates
Sociology
18 graduates
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
15 graduates
Mount Saint Mary's University's program mix is anchored in Health, with Business accounting for 9% of graduates, followed by Social Sciences at 8% and Arts at 4%. The largest program by enrollment is Nursing with 195 graduates, followed by Psychology, General (44 graduates) and Business Administration (20 graduates).
This concentration in health and applied-professional fields shapes the institution's overall earnings profile and reflects a career-oriented academic identity suited to Los Angeles's large healthcare and social-services labor market. The strongest national rankings belong to smaller, specialized programs.
Azimuth ranks Nursing #10 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 195 graduates earning $119,050. Azimuth ranks Business Administration #313 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $63,194.
Nursing, the institution's largest program, graduates 195 students and delivers median earnings of $119,050 — Azimuth ranks it #10 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, combining meaningful cohort scale with solid early-career pay. Several of Mount Saint Mary's University's strongest programs feed directly into high-demand, locally anchored career paths — particularly Nursing and Business Administration, where graduates typically enter the workforce immediately in clinical or applied roles.
Sociology (18 graduates, $59,575 median earnings) and General Studies (15 graduates, $56,616 median earnings) represent fields where four-year earnings may undercount lifetime trajectory for graduates who continue to graduate or professional school. The [supply-demand map for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how these program families align with national and regional labor-market demand. ```
Peer institutions with comparable quality and outcomes:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University Of The Pacific Similar quality tier in West (#4338 ranked) | CA | 71% | $78,445 | #4338 | Compare |
Saint Xavier University Similar quality tier (#4340 ranked) | IL | 84% | $58,656 | #4340 | Compare |
Illinois Institute Of Technology Similar quality tier (#4345 ranked) | IL | 55% | $82,592 | #4345 | Compare |
Holy Family University Similar quality tier (#4348 ranked) | PA | 71% | $62,235 | #4348 | Compare |
Babson College Similar quality tier (#4320 ranked) | MA | 17% | $123,938 | #4320 | Compare |
