What Does it Cost to Attend Scripps College?

College tuition costs more and more every year, and for the increasingly competitive job market, a college education is nearly essential. The numbers may be daunting, though: just from 2016 to 2017, tuition at private four-year institutions rose by 3.6%, and the price is expected to increase each year.

A degree from Scripps College, a member of the Claremont Colleges consortium, is an excellent way to launch your student into the world. Scripps is, however, a private institution, and you may be at a loss as to how your family might pay for an education there. We’ve compiled this comprehensive post just for that, so keep reading to learn more.

Scripps College’s List Price

You might have already gone to Scripps College’s tuition page on their website. And that’s a good place to start for estimating the cost of attendance. However, the truth is that the tuition you see listed on the university’s website is a really general number—we call it the list price—and it can be misleading. Don’t be dissuaded! The cost of attending college is highly variable, and the good news is most students attending Scripps won’t pay this list price. The number you should look for instead is net cost. This is the number that families actually pay out of their pocket, and it is the list price minus any financial aid or merit scholarships awarded.

For Scripps College, the list price was $68,464 in the 2016-2017 school year. This price remains the same for both in-state and out-of-state students, since it’s a private institution. This price includes room and board.

This amounts to $273,856 over four years. It may be shocking, but don’t fret just yet. Remember that this is only the list price, which most families will not pay. Those who do pay this full price are families who have an annual household income of over $175,000. Even for these families, if the student receives merit aid from the institution, they may not even pay the list price. Not all colleges offer merit aid, but Scripps does.

Cost of Attendance with Financial Aid at Scripps College

Scripps College ensures that it will meet 100% of a student’s institutionally determined financial need. For the 2016-2017 school year, the average net cost of attendance was $59,548 for both in-state and out-of-state students.

Cost of Scripps College Based on Family Income 

The amount of need-based financial aid a student receives is based on each family’s total income, so this number is highly variable. The average costs after financial aid for a Scripps student based on household income are below:

*These numbers do not reflect any Pell Grants that families may receive. Families with an income of $0-30k often receive Federal Pell Grants, which reduce the amount of financial aid that individual institutions need to award. This is why there is a higher tuition rate for families with $0-30k vs. those with $30k-48k.

Merit Aid Net Price at Scripps College

In general, financial aid comes in two kinds: need-based aid and merit-based aid. The financial aid we’ve been talking about until now has been need-based aid, in which the amount of financial support given to a student is based on the family’s financial need, measured by income.

In contrast, merit aid is granted based on what the university deems to be exceptional performance and potential, usually academic performance and school/community involvement. It often comes in the form of a scholarship.

At Scripps College, 6.5% of students without financial need receive merit aid. The average amount awarded is $1,093. Out of a pool of over 1000 CollegeVine analyzed for merit aid generosity, Scripps ranks 754th.

For Scripps students who don’t demonstrate financial need, the average net price was $67,371.

Student Loans and Debts at Scripps College

Unlike scholarships or grants, loans need to be repaid, often with interest. At Scripps, 55% of students take out loans, with an average amount of $2,741 across their college career.  

For more information on Scripps College’s financial aid options, visit their office of financial aid.

Student Outcomes

Investing in college is a big decision, so it’s useful to get an idea of how graduates are doing down the line, especially if you have loans to pay back. 84% of Scripps students graduate within 6 years, and the average salary ten years after graduation is $54,100.

Local Area Cost Considerations

Living costs of the local area are important to factor into college cost calculations, especially if your student plans to live off-campus or cook for themselves.

The sunny city of Claremont in California has an overall cost of living index of 158, which means it’s 58% more expensive to live in Claremont than in the rest of the U.S. in general. Housing in Claremont is relatively expensive, around 2.6 times more expensive than the national average. The good news is that 96% of students at Scripps live on campus, in its 11 residence halls and several houses, each with its own style.

For students looking to work off-campus jobs, the employment scene is encouraging. As of 2018, the minimum wage in California is $11.00 per hour, and is expected to increase to $15.00 by 2022. In 2018, the average hourly wage in Claremont was an impressive $41.37.

Other Ways to Save on College  

The ways to save on college don’t end at institutional or federal financial aid and loans! Students may qualify for the prestigious National Merit Scholarship program without even knowing it. When you take the PSAT, you are automatically considered for qualification, and the program awards $2,500 to finalists. Read more about the National Merit Scholarship program here.

Curious about your chances of acceptance to your dream school? Our free chancing engine takes into account your GPA, test scores, extracurriculars, and other data to predict your odds of acceptance at over 500 colleges across the U.S. We’ll also let you know how you stack up against other applicants and how you can improve your profile. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today to get started!