Thomas Jefferson University

Thomas Jefferson University's published cost of attendance is $64,197, but need-based aid reshapes that figure meaningfully across income levels. Low-income families pay approximately $22,537 per year in net price, middle-income families pay around $24,680, and higher-income families pay approximately $34,889.

Azimuth ranks Thomas Jefferson University #794 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.

Thomas Jefferson University participates in federal, state, and institutional aid programs, and students apply for need-based assistance using the FAFSA. Given the institution's dominant focus on health professions — a field where graduates often carry above-average debt loads relative to peers in other disciplines — families should weigh the full cost picture carefully.

The gap between sticker price and net price can differ substantially depending on household income and demonstrated need; see the [net price illusion](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for how published costs compare with what families actually pay. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $14,744, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $32,255; 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 $87,195, median federal debt of $14,744 projects to a monthly payment of about $167 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 Thomas Jefferson University earn median earnings of $87,195 four years after enrollment, placing Thomas Jefferson University in the 87.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs above the $67,139 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).

Graduates earn about $26,507 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Thomas Jefferson University in the 98.1 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Thomas Jefferson University #54 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The earnings pattern reflects Thomas Jefferson University's concentration in health-related fields. Nursing combines strong enrollment with solid pay, making it a key contributor to the institution's overall return profile.

Azimuth ranks Nursing #56 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment, with 466 graduates earning median earnings of $99,839 — 1.1x the national benchmark for the field. The Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General program graduates 138 students and earns median earnings of $71,608 four years out, while Azimuth ranks Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions #3 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) with graduates earning median earnings of $106,225.

Design and Applied Arts and Architectural Sciences and Technology round out the top programs, with graduates earning median earnings of $59,731 and $68,760 respectively four years after enrollment.

Thomas Jefferson University's program mix is defined by its Health concentration, with Business accounting for 8% of graduates and Arts representing 5%. Engineering adds another 72%, rounding out a portfolio tightly oriented toward clinical, applied-health, and science fields.

Across 24 programs serving roughly 1,089 students annually, 11 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold — a focused catalog where the largest programs also tend to be the highest-earning, a pattern that concentrates financial outcomes rather than diluting them across low-return fields. Nursing anchors the institution's strongest combination of cohort scale and earnings.

Nursing is the largest program with 466 graduates earning median earnings of $99,839 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks it #56 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General program graduates 138 students with median earnings of $71,608, and Azimuth ranks it #8 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions leads with median earnings of $106,225 from a cohort of 71 graduates, and Azimuth ranks it #3 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The dominant health-sciences programs — including Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (71 graduates, $106,225) and Design and Applied Arts (57 graduates, $59,731) — are high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the workforce directly into sectors with sustained hiring demand.

Philadelphia's large hospital and health-system network provides immediate employer access for these graduates. The supply-demand map for college graduates provides broader context for how health-oriented program families align with national labor-market trends, and Thomas Jefferson University's concentration in these fields positions its graduates squarely within that demand.