Active Report Report ID: EDU-177418-2026

Fontbonne University

Saint Louis, MO 63105-3098

Acceptance rate95.03%Broad access
Tuition$28,976Published sticker
Avg. net price$18,251After aid
Graduation rate39.89%150% time
Median salary$48,82510yr post-entry

About Fontbonne University

Fontbonne University is a private research university in Saint Louis, Missouri, enrolling about 207 students. Admission is moderately selective for first-time degree-seeking undergraduates reporting admissions data to the Education Department. The acceptance rate is about 95.03% in the latest College Scorecard admissions data. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $48,825 among students who received federal aid.

Key findings

  • Fontbonne University charges 1% below the national private non-profit median tuition ($28,976).
  • Versus the Missouri median, sticker tuition is about 2.0×.
  • Completion within 150% of normal time is 39.89%.
  • Median earnings 10 years after entry are $48,825.

Research findings

01

Finding

Modeled return on investment at Fontbonne University is strong.

Estimated ROI reaches about 569% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.

— Evidence from EDsmart Data analysis

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
Fontbonne University$28,976$18,2511
Private Non-profit (national median)$29,3251,444
Missouri (state median)$14,822$12,95481
Rural (locale median)$14,160$18,7001,649
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.

Cost

Average net price is 37% below published tuition at Fontbonne University

Source College Scorecard + EDsmart aggregatesMethod Sticker vs net; peer mediansUpdated 2026 extractCoverage Undergraduate (Title IV net price)Confidence Federal extract

Key findings

  • Fontbonne University's average net price ($18,251) is 37% below published tuition ($28,976).
  • Fontbonne University charges 1% below the national private non-profit median tuition ($28,976).
  • Versus the Missouri median, sticker tuition is about 2.0×.
Published sticker

Fontbonne University tuition

Published undergraduate tuition $28,976

Finding Fontbonne University charges 1% below the national private non-profit median tuition.

Evidence Published tuition is $28,976. That is 1% below the national private non-profit median ($29,325). Versus the Missouri median ($14,822), sticker tuition is about 2.0×. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is about 2.4×.

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 Fontbonne University versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.

Evidence: average net price at Fontbonne University versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.

Average net price

What undergraduates typically pay

Finding Average net price at Fontbonne University is $18,251.

Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $18,251 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $5,297 above the Missouri median net price. Versus rural campuses, net price runs $449 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 Fontbonne University’s published tuition substantially overstates typical undergraduate cost: average net price is about 37% lower after grants and scholarships.

School guide

Fontbonne University: research record

Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Fontbonne University—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.

Research findings

Interpretation

The combination of completion and 10-year earnings is a multidimensional outcomes signal; it does not measure educational quality by itself.

Financial profile

Annual tuition

$28,976

Avg. net price

$18,251

Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $115,904. See cost investigation.

Student outcomes

$44,150Median earnings (6 years after entry)

Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.

Admissions landscape

  • Broad access — most applicants are admitted.
  • Yield: 16% of admitted students enrolled.
  • Midpoint ACT: 22

See Admissions for the full funnel.

Is Fontbonne University a good school?

Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.

Fontbonne University is a good school for those looking for strong completion alongside solid mid-career earnings.

EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.

Earnings outcomes
Campus snapshot

More from the data

Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Fontbonne University.

Campus

Location

Saint Louis, MO

City / state

ZIP
63105-3098
NCES locale
Rural fringe

Compared with Rural campuses nationally, net price is 2% below the median for Rural campuses ($18,700 median).

Control

Institution type

Private Non-profit

Control

Region
Plains
Carnegie
Master's Colleges and Universities: Small Programs

Size

Enrollment

207

Total enrollment

Full-time share
82%

Student aid

Debt & aid

$25,000

Median federal loan debt

Pell grant share
51.54%
Cost detail

Total Cost, Aid & Default

Total Cost of Attendance

$73,004Estimated 4-year total cost
$18,251Average annual net price (after aid)
$115,9044-year tuition

Costs include tuition and fees. Room & board, books, and other expenses are additional where not shown.

Tuition vs average net price after aid for Fontbonne University.

Financial Aid by Income Level

51.54% Undergraduates receiving aid through grants
64.77% Undergraduates receiving aid through loans

Financial aid distribution by income level.

Student Loan Default Rate

0.00% 3-year cohort default rate (College Scorecard)

The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Fontbonne University was 0.00%.

Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.

Multi-year tracker

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 Fontbonne University in that year.

Reporting years in the table below: 20132023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).

Year In-state tuition & fees Out-of-state tuition & fees Average net price
2013$22,684$22,684$13,953
2014$22,770$22,770$16,717
2015$23,790$23,790$15,615
2016$24,610$24,610$25,125
2017$25,460$25,460$22,163
2018$26,340$26,340$21,406
2019$27,260$27,260$15,961
2020$27,790$27,790$15,359
2021$28,200$28,200$18,111
2022$28,696$28,696$19,174
2023$28,976$28,976$18,251

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.

Access

How difficult is it to get in?

Acceptance Rate

95.03%Acceptance rate
1,067Total applicants
1,014Students admitted
160First-time students enrolled
15.78%Yield (enrolled ÷ admitted)

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

22ACT midpoint

Scores for enrollees who submitted tests (College Scorecard).

Academic Requirements

GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.

Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.

Student body

Enrollment & Student Demographics

Fontbonne University reported total enrollment of about 207 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 50% male and 50% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (70.5%), Black or African American (18.8%), and Two or More Races (5.3%). About 51.54% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 32.2% of students are first-generation college students.

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

82.1% Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Fontbonne University in 2024 is 207 students.

Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.

Retention Rate over Time

N/A%
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

70.5%White or Caucasian
9Reported race/ethnicity groups

Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.

  • White or Caucasian70.5%
  • Black or African American18.8%
  • Two or More Races5.3%
  • Asian1.9%
  • Hispanic or Latino1.0%
  • Non-Resident Alien1.0%
  • Race/ethnicity unknown1.0%
  • American Indian or Alaska Native0.5%
  • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander0.0%

College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).

Outcomes

Do students complete their programs?

Time to Complete

29.51% 100% Completion Time

39.89% 150% Completion Time

In 2024, 29.51% of students graduating from Fontbonne University completed their program within 100% "normal time".

Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.

Completions by Sex (Top Programs)

  • Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist: 5% male / 95% female
  • Business Administration and Management, General: 50% male / 50% female
  • Psychology, General: 31% male / 69% female

IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).

Completions by Race & Ethnicity

150White or Caucasian
7Reported groups

Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.

  • White or Caucasian150
  • Black or African American56
  • Two or More Races11
  • Hispanic or Latino7
  • Asian2
  • American Indian or Alaska Native0
  • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander0

Summed across program completion records in our extract.

Outcomes & academic profile

Fontbonne University graduates earn a median of $48,825 ten years after entry

Source College ScorecardMethod Earnings + debt + net price modelsUpdated 2026 extractCoverage Institution-wideConfidence Federal extract

Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Fontbonne University.

Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $48,825. Median federal loan debt: $25,000. Average net price used in cost models: $18,251.

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 Fontbonne University graduates report median earnings of $48,825 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.

Return on Investment

569%Modeled return on investment
$25,000Median student debt
$48,825Median annual earnings (10 years)
51.20%Debt-to-earnings ratio
5.1 yearsEstimated payback period

Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Fontbonne University.

Top Programs by Completions

Largest 10 programs by IPEDS completions (40 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).

  1. Social Work 8

IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Fontbonne University.

Employment Outcomes

$48,825Median earnings (10 years after entry)
$44,150Median earnings (6 years after entry)
$48,035Median earnings (8 years after entry)
94.13%Working & not enrolled (8-year cohort share)

Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Fontbonne University graduates.

How financially powerful is this institution?

Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Fontbonne University—endowment assets (fiscal year 2023), instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.

Institutional endowment

$10.6M

End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023

Start of year: $14.1M

Year change: -$3.6M

  • Missouri median 0.30× the median ($35.2M)
  • Plains median 0.44× the median ($24.1M)
  • U.S. median 0.40× the median ($26.4M)

Per FTE: $12,599

  • Missouri median 0.83× the median ($15,167)
  • Plains median 0.84× the median ($15,020)
  • U.S. median near the median ($12,100)

Instructional Resources

  • Full-time faculty share: 46.1%
    • Missouri median 19.2 pp below median (65.3%)
    • Plains median 18.6 pp below median (64.7%)
    • U.S. median 11.9 pp below median (58.0%)
  • Average faculty salary (monthly): $7,765
    • Missouri median 1.1× the median ($6,803)
    • Plains median 1.1× the median ($7,194)
    • U.S. median near the median ($7,615)
  • Instructional expenditure per FTE: $9,931
    • Missouri median 1.3× the median ($7,371)
    • Plains median 1.2× the median ($8,150)
    • 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.

Fontbonne University at a glance

Institution snapshot

Fontbonne University

Saint Louis, MO 63105-3098 · Private Non-profit · Plains

Fontbonne University is a private non-profit institution in Saint Louis, MO, classified as Master's Colleges and Universities: Small Programs.

Tuition$28,976
Avg. net price$18,251
Enrollment207
Acceptance rate95.03%
Completion (150%)39.89%
Average ACT22
Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
Speech-Language Pathology/PathologistBusiness Administration and Management, GeneralPsychology, General
Largest enrollment groups
White or Caucasian70.5%
Black or African American18.8%
Two or More Races5.3%
Nearby

Schools near Fontbonne University

Other campuses in Saint Louis, MO when available, plus nearby institutions in Missouri.

Peers

Similar schools

Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade D) within Missouri, then by similar ownership and admissions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Fontbonne University located?

Fontbonne University is located in Saint Louis, MO.

What is Fontbonne University's acceptance rate?

The acceptance rate at Fontbonne University is 95.0% among first-time degree-seeking students reporting admissions data. IPEDS reports 1,067 applicants and 1,014 admits in the latest admissions cycle in our extract.

What is Fontbonne University's tuition?

Fontbonne University tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $28,976 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $18,251 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.

How much does Fontbonne University cost?

Reported tuition is $28,976 and average net price is $18,251 in the latest College Scorecard data.

Why is Fontbonne University's net price so much lower than tuition?

At Fontbonne University, published tuition is $28,976 while average net price is $18,251—about 37% 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 Fontbonne University's return on investment in EDsmart Data?

EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($18,251), completion (39.9% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($48,825). 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 Fontbonne University?

Fontbonne University reports total enrollment of about 207 students, White (70.5%), Black or African American (18.8%) in federal College Scorecard data.

How many first-generation students attend Fontbonne University?

About 32.2% of students at Fontbonne University are first-generation college students.

What test scores do students need for Fontbonne University?

Among enrolled students who submitted scores, Fontbonne University reports midpoint ACT about 22.

What do graduates of Fontbonne University earn?

Median earnings are $44,150 six years after entry and $48,825 ten years after entry.

What is the graduation rate at Fontbonne University?

The 150%-time completion rate is 39.9% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.

How much debt do Fontbonne University students have?

Median federal loan debt among completers is $25,000.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

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.