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Is Stanbridge University worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Stanbridge, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Heavy lift
Stanbridge lands in the heavy lift band for a typical family. The combination of $45,372 in yearly net price and $20,000 in median debt asks a lot relative to median earnings of $62,144. This does not make the school wrong for every student, but it does mean the price deserves a closer test.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price is doing real work against the score and raises the financing burden quickly.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
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
$45,372
Median earnings 10 years out
$62,144
Median debt at graduation
$20,000
Graduation rate
72%
At Stanbridge, a typical graduate carries about $20,000 in student debt and earns roughly $62,144 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $227 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 $20,344 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.
82% 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
Stanbridge is a private for-profit school in Irvine, CA. In this category, families usually need to look especially hard at debt, repayment room, and whether the long-run earnings picture justifies the price.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Private for-profit 4-year
Los Angeles College of Music
Pasadena, CA
Worth-It Score: 16/100
Median net price: $43,590
Private for-profit 4-year
Academy of Art
San Francisco, CA
Worth-It Score: 15/100
Median net price: $40,613
Private for-profit 4-year
Newschool of Architecture and Design
San Diego, CA
Worth-It Score: 31/100
Median net price: $52,570
Private for-profit 4-year
New York Film Academy
Burbank, CA
Worth-It Score: 33/100
Median net price: $39,011
Private for-profit 4-year
California Aeronautical
Bakersfield, CA
Worth-It Score: 15/100
Median net price: $36,126
Common questions about Stanbridge
The median net price at Stanbridge is $45,372 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.
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 →