College of Our Lady of the Elms
Chicopee, MA 01013
About College of Our Lady of the Elms
College of Our Lady of the Elms is a private research university in Chicopee, Massachusetts, enrolling about 949 students. Admission is moderately selective for first-time degree-seeking undergraduates reporting admissions data to the Education Department. The acceptance rate is about 85.26% in the latest College Scorecard admissions data. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $51,540 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- College of Our Lady of the Elms charges 48% above the national private non-profit median tuition ($43,325).
- Versus the Massachusetts median, sticker tuition is 26% above.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 68.09%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $51,540.
Research findings
Finding
Average net price at College of Our Lady of the Elms is about 60% below published tuition.
Published tuition is $43,325; average net price is $17,545 in the latest Scorecard extract.
Interpretation: Institutional aid and grants compress sticker price into a substantially lower typical undergraduate cost signal.
Limitation: Average net price masks variation by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the campus average.
Finding
Modeled return on investment at College of Our Lady of the Elms is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 634% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| College of Our Lady of the Elms | $43,325 | $17,545 | 1 |
| Private Non-profit (national median) | $29,325 | — | 1,444 |
| Massachusetts (state median) | $34,256 | $12,244 | 93 |
| Rural (locale median) | $14,160 | $18,700 | 1,649 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
Average net price is 60% below published tuition at College of Our Lady of the Elms
Key findings
- College of Our Lady of the Elms's average net price ($17,545) is 60% below published tuition ($43,325).
- College of Our Lady of the Elms charges 48% above the national private non-profit median tuition ($43,325).
- Versus the Massachusetts median, sticker tuition is 26% above.
College of Our Lady of the Elms tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $43,325
Finding College of Our Lady of the Elms charges 48% above the national private non-profit median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $43,325. That is 48% above the national private non-profit median ($29,325). Versus the Massachusetts median ($34,256), sticker tuition is 26% above. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is about 3.6×.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to private non-profit and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at College of Our Lady of the Elms versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at College of Our Lady of the Elms versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at College of Our Lady of the Elms is $17,545.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $17,545 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $5,301 above the Massachusetts median net price. Versus rural campuses, net price runs $1,155 below the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Key takeaway College of Our Lady of the Elms’s published tuition substantially overstates typical undergraduate cost: average net price is about 60% lower after grants and scholarships.
College of Our Lady of the Elms: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for College of Our Lady of the Elms—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
Completion, earnings, and net price together describe a campus where sticker price overstates typical undergraduate cost while outcomes remain at the high end of Scorecard distributions.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$43,325
Avg. net price
$17,545
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $8,099 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $22,645 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $17,539 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $21,243 |
| $110,001+ | $25,491 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $173,300. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What College of Our Lady of the Elms is known for
Top program completions
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse99
- Nursing Education45
- Nursing Practice31
- Social Work30
- Nursing Science26
See earnings & programs for more.
Admissions landscape
- Broad access — most applicants are admitted.
- Yield: 16% of admitted students enrolled.
- Average SAT: 1240
See Admissions for the full funnel.
Is College of Our Lady of the Elms a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
College of Our Lady of the Elms is a good school for those looking for strong completion and solid mid-career earnings—especially where average net price sits well below published tuition (about 60% lower in this extract).
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for College of Our Lady of the Elms.
Campus
Location
Chicopee, MA
City / state
- ZIP
- 01013
- NCES locale
- Rural fringe
Compared with Rural campuses nationally, net price is 6% below the median for Rural campuses ($18,700 median).
Control
Institution type
Private Non-profit
Control
- Region
- New England
- Carnegie
- Master's Colleges and Universities: Small Programs
Size
Enrollment
949
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 1,232
- Graduate
- 266
- Full-time share
- 91%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$25,000
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 45.09%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for College of Our Lady of the Elms.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at College of Our Lady of the Elms was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for College of Our Lady of the Elms in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | $30,132 | $30,132 | $19,996 |
| 2014 | $31,188 | $31,188 | $20,813 |
| 2015 | $32,280 | $32,280 | $21,102 |
| 2016 | $33,412 | $33,412 | $23,005 |
| 2017 | $34,578 | $34,578 | $20,989 |
| 2018 | $35,788 | $35,788 | $22,803 |
| 2019 | $37,000 | $37,000 | $23,855 |
| 2020 | $38,391 | $38,391 | $25,321 |
| 2021 | $39,449 | $39,449 | $21,655 |
| 2022 | $40,635 | $40,635 | $21,757 |
| 2023 | $42,061 | $42,061 | $21,436 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
This institution has a moderate acceptance rate, accepting most qualified applicants.
Applicants → admits → first-time enrollment from College Scorecard / IPEDS. Bar widths are scaled for readability at highly selective schools.
Test Scores
Average 1240 (middle 50% not reported)
Scores for enrollees who submitted tests (College Scorecard).
Academic Requirements
Estimated from admission selectivity and test scores. Scorecard does not publish admitted-student GPA for most institutions.
Estimated range · median 3.40
Estimated GPA band from selectivity and test scores — not an official requirement.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
College of Our Lady of the Elms reported total enrollment of about 949 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 27% male and 73% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (45.2%), Hispanic or Latino (28.3%), and Black or African American (12.9%). About 45.09% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 35.2% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
90.8% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at College of Our Lady of the Elms in 2024 is 949 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 1,232 students. Graduate enrollment is about 266 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
76.0%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
60.28% 100% Completion Time
68.09% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 60.28% of students graduating from College of Our Lady of the Elms completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse: 5% male / 95% female
- Nursing Education: 11% male / 89% female
- Nursing Practice: 6% male / 94% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
College of Our Lady of the Elms graduates earn a median of $51,540 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of College of Our Lady of the Elms.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $51,540. Median federal loan debt: $25,000. Average net price used in cost models: $17,545.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway College of Our Lady of the Elms graduates report median earnings of $51,540 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for College of Our Lady of the Elms.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 10 programs by IPEDS completions (37 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at College of Our Lady of the Elms.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for College of Our Lady of the Elms graduates.
How financially powerful is this institution?
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for College of Our Lady of the Elms—endowment assets (fiscal year 2023), instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Institutional endowment
$21M
End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023
- Massachusetts median 0.34× the median ($62.1M)
- New England median 0.49× the median ($42.9M)
- U.S. median 0.80× the median ($26.4M)
- Massachusetts median 0.63× the median ($30,011)
- New England median 0.81× the median ($23,268)
- U.S. median 1.6× the median ($12,100)
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 32.3%
- Massachusetts median 18.8 pp below median (51.1%)
- New England median 21.0 pp below median (53.3%)
- U.S. median 25.7 pp below median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $7,693
- Massachusetts median 0.80× the median ($9,649)
- New England median 0.83× the median ($9,262)
- U.S. median near the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $9,941
- Massachusetts median 0.89× the median ($11,192)
- New England median near the median ($10,182)
- U.S. median 1.4× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
College of Our Lady of the Elms at a glance
College of Our Lady of the Elms
College of Our Lady of the Elms is a private non-profit institution in Chicopee, MA, classified as Master's Colleges and Universities: Small Programs.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Registered Nursing/Registered NurseNursing EducationNursing Practice
- Largest enrollment groups
- White or Caucasian45.2%Hispanic or Latino28.3%Black or African American12.9%
Schools near College of Our Lady of the Elms
Other campuses in Chicopee, MA when available, plus nearby institutions in Massachusetts.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade C) within Massachusetts, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is College of Our Lady of the Elms located?
College of Our Lady of the Elms is located in Chicopee, MA.
What is College of Our Lady of the Elms's acceptance rate?
The acceptance rate at College of Our Lady of the Elms is 85.3% among first-time degree-seeking students reporting admissions data. IPEDS reports 1,442 applicants and 1,264 admits in the latest admissions cycle in our extract.
What is College of Our Lady of the Elms's tuition?
College of Our Lady of the Elms tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $43,325 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $17,545 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does College of Our Lady of the Elms cost?
Reported tuition is $43,325 and average net price is $17,545 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $15,605 annually.
Why is College of Our Lady of the Elms's net price so much lower than tuition?
At College of Our Lady of the Elms, published tuition is $43,325 while average net price is $17,545—about 60% lower. Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid (College Scorecard). Institutional aid therefore compresses sticker price into a lower typical undergraduate cost signal. The campus average still masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average. EDsmart Data treats the sticker–net gap as an analytical finding, not advice about individual aid offers.
What explains College of Our Lady of the Elms's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($17,545), completion (68.1% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($51,540). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
What is the student body demographics at College of Our Lady of the Elms?
College of Our Lady of the Elms reports undergraduate enrollment of about 1,232 students, White (45.2%), Hispanic or Latino (28.3%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend College of Our Lady of the Elms?
About 35.2% of students at College of Our Lady of the Elms are first-generation college students.
What test scores do students need for College of Our Lady of the Elms?
Among enrolled students who submitted scores, College of Our Lady of the Elms reports midpoint SAT about 1240.
What do graduates of College of Our Lady of the Elms earn?
Median earnings are $54,087 six years after entry and $51,540 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at College of Our Lady of the Elms?
The 150%-time completion rate is 68.1% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do College of Our Lady of the Elms students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $25,000.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.