Webster University

Webster University's published cost of attendance is $51,188. Net price by income band varies across the enrollment spectrum: low-income families pay approximately $22,359, mid-low-income families pay around $22,083, middle-income families pay about $27,257, mid-high-income families pay approximately $29,315, and higher-income families pay around $31,314.

Azimuth ranks Webster University #944 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.

Webster University structures aid as need-based, with families applying through the FAFSA and CSS Profile. The institution participates in federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans), state, and institutional aid programs to help bridge the gap between sticker price and what families pay.

Financial aid savings — the difference between cost of attendance and net price — average $24,141 across the student body, reflecting the institution's commitment to making enrollment accessible across income levels. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $23,000, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $13,587; 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 $75,697, median federal debt of $23,000 projects to a monthly payment of about $260 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 Webster University earn median 4-year earnings of $75,697, placing Webster University in the 75.1 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $20,118 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Webster University in the 95.7 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Azimuth ranks Webster University #184 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Webster University's strength in visual and performing arts alongside professional and applied fields.

Business Administration is the largest program with 98 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $62,567, performing at 0.9x the national benchmark for the field. The Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft program graduates 53 students earning $39,604, while Computer Science and Education, General round out the major enrollment clusters with median earnings of $66,113 and $45,411 respectively.

Film/Video and Photographic Arts completes the top-five profile with 36 graduates earning $35,407. This program diversity, anchored in Visual & Performing Arts, creates multiple pathways to solid long-term financial outcomes for students across different academic interests.

Webster University's program mix is anchored in Visual & Performing Arts, a signature that shapes both the institution's identity and its graduate outcomes. The largest programs by enrollment are Business Administration with 98 graduates earning a median $62,567 four years after enrollment, Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft with 53 graduates earning a median $39,604, and Computer Science with 40 graduates earning a median $66,113.

Education, General and Film/Video and Photographic Arts round out the top five by scale, each serving meaningful cohorts within the institution's portfolio. The highest-earning programs at Webster University reflect a different profile than the largest by enrollment.

Computer Science leads with graduates earning a median $66,113 four years after enrollment from a cohort of 40, followed by Business Administration at a median $62,567 with 98 graduates. Biology, General graduates earn a median $56,671, while Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians and Psychology, General deliver median earnings of $50,359 and $48,689 respectively.

This spread between popular and highest-earning programs illustrates how Webster University's program-mix signature — concentrated in Arts at 22%, with secondary strength in Business at 16% and Education at 6% — creates distinct pathways for students with different career goals. As a nonprofit institution in Saint Louis, Webster University graduates approximately 658 students annually across 33 programs.

The concentration in visual and performing arts reflects the institution's positioning as a specialized creative-focused university where program outcomes vary considerably by field and career trajectory. The supply and demand for college graduates provides context for how these program families align with national labor-market trends and employer demand across creative and applied fields.