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College of Our Lady of the Elms

#5 Best Nursing Colleges in Massachusetts
Private nonprofit Chicopee, MA · Suburban · New England · 93% data
B Diversity B Earnings B- Social Mobility
Graduation Rate
66% C+
Solid completion rate — most students graduate
Earnings (10yr)
$51,540 B
Well above the typical college graduate
Net Price
$17,545 C
Close to the national average
Acceptance Rate
85% C-
Accessible to most qualified applicants
Earnings +26% vs avg
Graduation +16% vs avg
Net Price 2% vs avg
Mobility Top 32%

Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 14.0× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $14.0 over 20 years. Ranked #5 in Best Nursing Colleges in Massachusetts.

14.0× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $14.0 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $914,286.

What The Data Says

  1. A C+ overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.

  2. Earnings 26% above the national college median.

  3. Every $1 invested returns $14.0 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why College of Our Lady of the Elms Matters

College of Our Lady of the Elms is a private university in Chicopee, MA and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduate earnings well above the typical college.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Private University
Carnegie Class
Master's University
Enrollment
949
Setting
Suburban
Designations
HSI · 30
Primary Strengths
Health Professions, Computer Science & IT, Business & Marketing, Education

Why students choose College of Our Lady of the Elms

Strong STEM core
A heavy concentration in technical fields
Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Strength in Health Professions
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

C+
Top 38% overall
B
Earnings
$51,540 median
C+
Value
2.9× net price
C
Affordability
$17,545/yr net
C+
Graduation
66% graduate
B-
Social Mobility
1.9% climb Q1→Q5
C-
Selectivity
85% admit rate
B
Diversity
0.70 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

With an enrollment of just under 950 students, the College of Our Lady of the Elms is a cozy yet dynamic choice for those looking to study fields like Health Professions, Computer Science, Education, Business, and Biology. This school has an acceptance rate of 85%, making it accessible to a broad range of students. If you thrive in smaller learning environments and want personal attention from faculty, this could be a great fit for you.

Looking at life after graduation, students earn a median salary of $51,540 ten years down the line. That’s a solid figure, especially for those entering fields like health care and education, where demand is strong. The affordability factor is also significant; with 45% of students receiving Pell Grants, many find that financial support helps ease the burden of tuition and living expenses.

The financial picture becomes clearer when considering the net price after aid, which sits at $17,545. That’s a manageable figure compared to the median debt of $25,000, allowing graduates to focus on their careers rather than overwhelming debt. Those who thrive here tend to be motivated, community-oriented individuals ready to engage deeply with their studies and take advantage of the supportive atmosphere.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective College of Our Lady of the Elms is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into College of Our Lady of the Elms? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

College of Our Lady of the Elms, located in Chicopee, Massachusetts, admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 85%. The graduation rate is roughly 66%.

Acceptance Rate
85%
Retention Rate
76%
Full-Time Faculty
32%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$7,693
Student–Faculty Ratio
10:1
Diversity Index
0.70
First-Gen Students
35%
Applicants
1,177
Admitted
1,070

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend College of Our Lady of the Elms? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at College of Our Lady of the Elms is $43,325, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $17,545. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $8,099 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $25,000 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$43,325
Out-of-State
$43,325
Avg Net Price
$17,545
Median Debt
$25,000
Pell Grant Rate
45%
Federal Loan Rate
71%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$8,099
Family Income $30K–$48K
$22,645
Family Income $48K–$75K
$17,539
Family Income $110K+
$25,491

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at College of Our Lady of the Elms — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is College of Our Lady of the Elms Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of College of Our Lady of the Elms earn a median of $51,540, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

6 Years After Entry
$54,087
8 Years
$53,542
10 Years
$51,540
Debt-to-Earnings
0.49x
Earning > $25K
77%

Earnings Trajectory

$54,087 6yr $53,542 8yr $51,540 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (102)
55%
100% (102)
55%
100% (102)
55%
100% (102)
55%

How College Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation66%Earnings 10yr$52KNet Price$18KRetention76%Median Debt$25KPell Grant Rate45%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$8K$0-30K$23K$30-48K$18K$48-75K$25K$110K+

The Mobility Equation

Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?

ACCESS% from bottom 20%8.7%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%21.7%MOBILITY1.88%

College ROI Calculator

Is College of Our Lady of the Elms Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, College of Our Lady of the Elms delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $17,545/year ($70,180 total). Graduates earn $51,540 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $984,466 in total earnings — a net gain of $914,286 (14.0× your investment). The median debt is $25,000, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 66% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$70,180
Projected 20yr Earnings
$984,466
Net Return
$914,286
ROI Multiple
14.0×
Cost Per Year
$17,545
Median Debt
$25,000
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
66%

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Mobility

Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records

Does College of Our Lady of the Elms Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

College of Our Lady of the Elms is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.88%, well above the typical college. About 8.7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 21.7% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $87,500, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
1.88%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
21.7%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
8.7%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$118,882
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is College of Our Lady of the Elms? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at College of Our Lady of the Elms. Its economic connectedness score is 1.56, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.56
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
0.01
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
5.5%
Support Ratio
1.00
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Federal Grants
$2,102,835
Investment Income
$-2,853,990

Top Programs

The fields College of Our Lady of the Elms awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into College of Our Lady of the Elms? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

College of Our Lady of the Elms, located in Chicopee, Massachusetts, admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 85%. The graduation rate is roughly 66%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend College of Our Lady of the Elms? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at College of Our Lady of the Elms is $43,325, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $17,545. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $8,099 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $25,000 in federal student loans.

Is College of Our Lady of the Elms Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of College of Our Lady of the Elms earn a median of $51,540, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

Does College of Our Lady of the Elms Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

College of Our Lady of the Elms is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.88%, well above the typical college. About 8.7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 21.7% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $87,500, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is College of Our Lady of the Elms? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at College of Our Lady of the Elms. Its economic connectedness score is 1.56, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

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Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to College of Our Lady of the Elms.

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

The 2026 Annual Report

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

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