Is Pace University Worth It?

Pace University gives you a solid financial return if you pick the right major, and a shaky one if you don't. At roughly $31,000 a year net, this is a real cost, but the $70,378 median earnings ten years out clears the price for most graduates. The 61% grad rate is the catch: if you leave without the degree, you carry the cost without the payoff.

Nursing is the clear win here. It pays over $90,000 and comes with the lowest debt of any top program on this list, so you finish owing less and earning more. Electrical engineering technology and computer science follow close behind in the high $80,000s, both firmly ahead of the school median. The two business tracks sit lower: managerial economics and general business/commerce land in the high $60,000s to low $70,000s, which barely clears the median earnings figure and leaves you paying full New York City living costs on a smaller salary. Business is Pace's largest draw, but the earnings are ordinary, not standout.

Your main risk is location. A New York City private school means high sticker cost and high living expenses, and a general business degree in that market doesn't stretch far. If you enroll for business and are unsure you'll finish, the math gets thin fast.

The net price tiers barely move with income. A family under $30,000 still pays around $26,500, while a family over $110,000 pays about $36,000. That's a small discount at the bottom, so if you're a lower-income family, expect to borrow. Pace fits you if you're going into nursing, engineering tech, or computing. If you want a general business degree and are price-sensitive, a cheaper school in the same job market will likely pay off better.