Lackawanna College
#5 Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Pennsylvania- Graduation Rate
- 37% D
- Lower completion rate than most colleges
- Earnings (10yr)
- $41,000 C
- Roughly in line with national averages
- Net Price
- $19,951 C-
- 16% more than the typical college
- Enrollment
- 1,947
Bottom line: A C overall grade — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges. 12.2× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $12.2 over 20 years. Ranked #5 in Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Pennsylvania.
Every $1 spent returns $12.2 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $893,119.
What The Data Says
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A C overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.
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Graduation of 37% — 35% below the national average.
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Social mobility rate of 2.41% — an engine of upward economic mobility.
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Every $1 invested returns $12.2 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Why Lackawanna College Matters
Lackawanna College is a private college in Scranton, PA and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by an above-average alumni network and a strong record of moving students up the income ladder. The result: durable upward mobility for the students it enrolls.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Private College
- Carnegie Class
- Baccalaureate College
- Enrollment
- 1,947
- Setting
- Urban
- Primary Strengths
- Health Professions, Business & Marketing, Criminal Justice, Humanities
Why students choose Lackawanna College
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
This school does not report a competitive admit rate — most qualified applicants are admitted.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $19,951 a year after grants and scholarships — 16% above the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $41,000 ten years after enrolling — 1% above the typical college, against $18,075 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 2.4% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 19% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.13 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Lackawanna College is an ideal choice for students interested in practical, career-focused programs. With around 1,947 enrolled students, the college emphasizes fields like Health Professions, Business & Marketing, Humanities, Criminal Justice, and Computer Science & IT. This variety ensures that students can find a pathway that aligns with their interests and career goals, making it a solid fit for those eager to enter the workforce quickly and effectively.
After graduation, students can expect to earn an average of $41,000 within ten years. This figure highlights the potential for upward mobility, especially for graduates in high-demand fields like healthcare and technology. The affordability factor is also significant, with a net price of $19,951 after aid, which can make a meaningful difference for those concerned about student debt. About 60% of students receive Pell Grants, indicating that the school supports a diverse range of financial backgrounds.
When it comes to the financial bottom line, the median debt for graduates stands at $18,075. This is relatively manageable compared to many institutions, allowing graduates to focus on their careers without being overwhelmed by financial burdens. Students who tend to thrive here are often those who appreciate a supportive, community-oriented environment and are driven to make the most of their educational opportunities.
Rankings
- #5 Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Pennsylvania
- #29 Best Nursing Colleges in Pennsylvania
- #30 Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Pennsylvania
- #35 Best Online Nursing Programs in Pennsylvania
- #37 Best Online Computer Science Programs in Pennsylvania
- #38 Best Online Business Programs in Pennsylvania
- #38 Best Online Education Programs in Pennsylvania
- #43 Best Business Colleges in Pennsylvania
Can I Get In?
How selective Lackawanna College is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Lackawanna College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Lackawanna College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 37%.
- Retention Rate
- 83%
- Full-Time Faculty
- 100%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $4,440
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 21:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.67
- First-Gen Students
- 47%
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 Lackawanna College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Lackawanna College is $18,400, 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 $19,951. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $18,142 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $18,075 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $18,400
- Out-of-State
- $18,400
- Avg Net Price
- $19,951
- Median Debt
- $18,075
- Pell Grant Rate
- 60%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 72%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $18,142
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $18,288
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $20,224
- Family Income $110K+
- $26,351
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 Lackawanna College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Lackawanna College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Lackawanna College report median earnings of $41,000, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $35,500
- 8 Years
- $38,571
- 10 Years
- $41,000
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.44x
- Earning > $25K
- 48%
Earnings Trajectory
How Lackawanna Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Lackawanna College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Lackawanna College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $19,951/year ($79,804 total). Graduates earn $41,000 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $972,923 in total earnings — a net gain of $893,119 (12.2× your investment). The median debt is $18,075, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 37% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $79,804
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $972,923
- Net Return
- $893,119
- ROI Multiple
- 12.2×
- Cost Per Year
- $19,951
- Median Debt
- $18,075
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 37%
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 Lackawanna College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Lackawanna College 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 2.41%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 20.4% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 11.8% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $55,200, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 2.41%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 11.8%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 20.4%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $74,997
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Endowment
- $8,995,369
- Federal Grants
- $7,772,259
- Investment Income
- $-1,045,809
Top Programs
The fields Lackawanna College 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.
- Health Professions 29% $50,050 early-career
- Business & Marketing 24% $28,132 early-career
- Criminal Justice 19% $29,477 early-career
- Humanities 10%
- Education 7%
- Computer Science & IT 3%
- Culinary & Personal Services 1%
- Construction Trades 1%
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.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Lackawanna College's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CSolutions Architect$138,000 · 12% growthAdaptable 52
- CHR Manager$136,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
- CSales Manager$135,160 · 4% growthAdaptable 64
- B-Software Developer$132,270 · 25% growthVulnerable 40
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Lackawanna College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Lackawanna College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 37%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Lackawanna College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Lackawanna College is $18,400, 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 $19,951. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $18,142 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $18,075 in federal student loans.
Is Lackawanna College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Lackawanna College report median earnings of $41,000, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
Does Lackawanna College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Lackawanna College 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 2.41%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 20.4% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 11.8% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $55,200, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Lackawanna College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs above average at Lackawanna College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.13, 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 6% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Lackawanna College.
- Point UniversityWest Point, GA · Close peer38% grad $38,740 earn 44% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- SUNY MorrisvilleMorrisville, NY · Close peer30% grad $43,295 earn 92% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Henderson State UniversityArkadelphia, AR · Close peer38% grad $43,459 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Johnson C Smith UniversityCharlotte, NC · Close peer34% grad $42,680 earn 45% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Columbia CollegeColumbia, SC · Close peer45% grad $41,338 earn 94% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Campbellsville UniversityCampbellsville, KY · Close peer44% grad $41,583 earn 80% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Lackawanna College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs above average at Lackawanna College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.13, 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 6% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note