Skip to content
CollegeRanker
Moody Bible Institute logo

Moody Bible Institute

Private nonprofit Chicago, IL · Urban · Great Lakes · 87% data
A Diversity C+ Earnings C+ Graduation
Graduation Rate
62% C+
About half of students who start complete their degree
Earnings (10yr)
$45,399 C+
Roughly in line with national averages
Net Price
$22,221 D+
30% more than the typical college
Acceptance Rate
83% C-
Accessible to most qualified applicants
Earnings +11% vs avg
Graduation +9% vs avg
Net Price 30% vs avg
Mobility Top 43%

Bottom line: A C overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 11.8× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $11.8 over 20 years.

11.8× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $11.8 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $956,372.

What The Data Says

  1. A C overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.

  2. Every $1 invested returns $11.8 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Moody Bible Institute Matters

Moody Bible Institute is a private special-focus institution in Chicago, IL 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 Special-Focus Institution
Carnegie Class
Special Focus
Enrollment
1,510
Setting
Urban
Designations
42

Why students choose Moody Bible Institute

Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach

CollegeRanker Report Card

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

C
Top 48% overall
C+
Earnings
$45,399 median
C-
Value
2.0× net price
D+
Affordability
$22,221/yr net
C+
Graduation
62% graduate
C+
Social Mobility
1.6% climb Q1→Q5
C-
Selectivity
83% admit rate
A
Diversity
0.77 index

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

How we grade →

Overview

Moody Bible Institute has an acceptance rate of 83%, making it accessible for many students seeking a faith-based education in Chicago. With an enrollment of 1,510, it fosters a tight-knit community where students can thrive both academically and spiritually.

Graduates of Moody Bible Institute earn a median salary of $45,399 ten years after enrollment. While specific mobility data is not available, the school's emphasis on vocational training in ministry and related fields suggests a strong alignment between education and career outcomes for its graduates. The environment supports students who are passionate about their faith and seeking to make a difference in their communities.

The net price for attending Moody Bible Institute is approximately $22,221, with median student debt at $18,149. About 36% of students receive Pell Grants, which indicates a commitment to supporting those with financial need. Students who excel here often have a clear vision for their future in ministry or Christian service, and they appreciate the blend of academic rigor and spiritual growth the institution emphasizes.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Moody Bible Institute 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 Moody Bible Institute? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Moody Bible Institute, located in Chicago, Illinois, admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 83%. The graduation rate is roughly 62%.

Acceptance Rate
83%
Retention Rate
84%
Full-Time Faculty
35%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$9,213
Student–Faculty Ratio
16:1
Diversity Index
0.77
First-Gen Students
28%
Applicants
324
Admitted
305

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 Moody Bible Institute? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Moody Bible Institute is $15,786, 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 $22,221. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $21,293 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $18,149 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$15,786
Out-of-State
$15,786
Avg Net Price
$22,221
Median Debt
$18,149
Pell Grant Rate
36%
Federal Loan Rate
42%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$21,293
Family Income $30K–$48K
$23,057
Family Income $48K–$75K
$20,599
Family Income $110K+
$22,897

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 Moody Bible Institute — 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 Moody Bible Institute Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Moody Bible Institute earn a median of $45,399, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

6 Years After Entry
$40,210
8 Years
$41,968
10 Years
$45,399
Debt-to-Earnings
0.4x

Earnings Trajectory

$40,210 6yr $41,968 8yr $45,399 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (204)
49%
100% (204)
49%
100% (204)
49%
100% (204)
49%

How Moody Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation62%Earnings 10yr$45KNet Price$22KRetention84%Median Debt$18KPell Grant Rate36%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$21K$0-30K$23K$30-48K$21K$48-75K$23K$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%7.7%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%20.7%MOBILITY1.60%

College ROI Calculator

Is Moody Bible Institute Worth It?

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

Yes — for most students, Moody Bible Institute delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $22,221/year ($88,884 total). Graduates earn $45,399 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,045,256 in total earnings — a net gain of $956,372 (11.8× your investment). The median debt is $18,149, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 62% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$88,884
Projected 20yr Earnings
$1,045,256
Net Return
$956,372
ROI Multiple
11.8×
Cost Per Year
$22,221
Median Debt
$18,149
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
62%

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 Moody Bible Institute Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Moody Bible Institute 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 1.60%, well above the typical college. About 7.7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 20.7% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $78,900, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
1.60%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
20.7%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
7.7%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$107,197
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Moody Bible Institute? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Moody Bible Institute. Its economic connectedness score is 1.72, 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 8% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.72
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.01
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
8.2%
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
$5,090,166
Investment Income
$-30,542,965

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into Moody Bible Institute? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Moody Bible Institute, located in Chicago, Illinois, admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 83%. The graduation rate is roughly 62%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Moody Bible Institute? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Moody Bible Institute is $15,786, 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 $22,221. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $21,293 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $18,149 in federal student loans.

Is Moody Bible Institute Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Moody Bible Institute earn a median of $45,399, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

Does Moody Bible Institute Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Moody Bible Institute 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 1.60%, well above the typical college. About 7.7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 20.7% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $78,900, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is Moody Bible Institute? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Moody Bible Institute. Its economic connectedness score is 1.72, 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 8% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Similar Schools

Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Moody Bible Institute.

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.

Free · 21 pages · 5,745 institutions · 100% federal data, no surveys