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Is Saint Mary's College of California worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Saint Mary's College of California, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Workable
Saint Mary's College of California lands in the workable band for a typical family. Median debt of $23,691 can be carried by median long-run earnings of $78,812, but the margin is not huge. For context, Saint Mary's College of California's net price runs about 38% above the typical 4-year, private nonprofit school. This is the kind of school where your actual aid offer can move the answer meaningfully.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 1237 similar 4-year, private nonprofit schools
This school
$31,615
/yrAverage school like this
$22,837
/yrThis weighs on your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $8,778 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $35,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data is workable, but not so strong that it erases financing risk.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$30,378
Median earnings 10 years out
$78,812
Median debt at graduation
$23,691
Graduation rate
70%
At Saint Mary's College of California, a typical graduate carries about $23,691 in student debt and earns roughly $78,812 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $269 per month, or 4% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $37,012 more than the typical high school graduate ($41,800) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties undergraduate student-loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
87% of former students here out-earned that benchmark ten years after entry, per College Scorecard.
Context, not a federal determination: the official test will use earnings measured four years after completion and thresholds the Department of Education has not yet published, which may vary by state. Our figure is College Scorecard median earnings ten years after entry. How this works
What this means for your family
Saint Mary's College of California is a private nonprofit four year school in Moraga, CA. Private pricing can swing more dramatically based on aid, so your personalized score matters more here than the national average view alone.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Private nonprofit 4-year
University of San Diego
San Diego, CA
Worth-It Score: 80/100
Median net price: $30,365
Private nonprofit 4-year
California Lutheran
Thousand Oaks, CA
Worth-It Score: 64/100
Median net price: $30,109
Private nonprofit 4-year
University of Redlands
Redlands, CA
Worth-It Score: 66/100
Median net price: $30,031
Private nonprofit 4-year
Menlo
Atherton, CA
Worth-It Score: 59/100
Median net price: $31,100
Private nonprofit 4-year
Biola
La Mirada, CA
Worth-It Score: 50/100
Median net price: $31,495
Common questions about Saint Mary's College of California
The median net price at Saint Mary's College of California is $30,378 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at private colleges options in California? See the most affordable private colleges in California →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →