Worst ROI: Highest Cost, Lowest Returns

The schools where the price and the payoff don't line up. We're not here to scare you - just to show you the numbers before you sign for them.

50 schools ranked

Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release

#	School	ROI	Net Price	10yr Earnings	Median Debt	Completion	Tier
1	Lane College Jackson, TN	3	$10,904	$31,670	$30,500	18.4%	Poor
2	Allen University Columbia, SC	3	$10,972	$30,497	$34,290	13.3%	Poor
3	Texas College Tyler, TX	4	$10,958	$33,752	$31,000	13.8%	Poor
4	Jarvis Christian University Hawkins, TX	4	$9,825	$32,992	$27,000	15.2%	Poor
5	Benedict College Columbia, SC	4	$18,250	$31,902	$32,500	24.3%	Poor
6	Central State University Wilberforce, OH	4	$13,096	$33,267	$30,739	22.8%	Poor
7	Shaw University Raleigh, NC	4	$16,512	$34,409	$32,500	21.8%	Poor
8	Livingstone College Salisbury, NC	4	$13,479	$32,600	$31,125	28.2%	Poor
9	Miles College Fairfield, AL	4	$14,271	$32,627	$31,217	15.8%	Poor
10	Wiley University Marshall, TX	5	$7,092	$33,159	$24,989	24.2%	Poor
11	Langston University Langston, OK	5	$11,504	$33,261	$26,000	16.8%	Poor
12	Harris-Stowe State University Saint Louis, MO	5	$9,922	$31,088	$25,930	27.6%	Poor
13	Mississippi Valley State University Itta Bena, MS	5	$9,686	$31,919	$28,413	26.8%	Poor
14	Alabama State University Montgomery, AL	5	$20,435	$34,502	$31,000	30.3%	Poor
15	American InterContinental University System Chandler, AZ	6	$15,172	$36,144	$31,000	8.5%	Poor
16	Ashford University San Diego, CA	6	$31,266	$35,404	$31,250	10.7%	Poor
17	Stillman College Tuscaloosa, AL	6	$15,258	$35,421	$29,067	25.0%	Poor
18	South University-Savannah Online Savannah, GA	7	$28,049	$34,421	$26,123	6.9%	Poor
19	American InterContinental University-Atlanta Atlanta, GA	7	$16,482	$36,144	$31,000	20.8%	Poor
20	Salem University Salem, WV	7	$12,303	$34,642	$24,694	19.9%	Poor
21	National American University-Rapid City Rapid City, SD	7	$31,062	$37,325	$29,020	0.0%	Poor
22	Tougaloo College Tougaloo, MS	7	$17,043	$34,724	$30,046	33.1%	Poor
23	Florida Memorial University Miami Gardens, FL	7	$23,238	$36,624	$30,063	31.1%	Poor
24	University of Phoenix-Arizona Phoenix, AZ	8	$13,520	$37,752	$31,553	20.8%	Poor
25	Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez Mayaguez, PR	8	$11,502	$24,908	$15,500	39.9%	Poor
26	Southern University at New Orleans New Orleans, LA	8	$14,810	$34,042	$31,000	13.1%	Poor
27	Strayer University-Global Region Washington, DC	9	$17,833	$40,092	$40,621	14.3%	Poor
28	Strayer University-South Carolina Greenville, SC	9	$17,979	$40,092	$40,621	16.7%	Poor
29	Strayer University-Georgia Chamblee, GA	9	$18,318	$40,092	$40,621	21.4%	Poor
30	Los Angeles Film School Hollywood, CA	9	$30,980	$31,632	$25,250	41.3%	Poor
31	Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Carolina Campus Carolina, PR	9	$7,761	$24,328	$14,500	34.3%	Poor
32	Virginia Union University Richmond, VA	9	$13,235	$38,275	$29,000	34.2%	Poor
33	South Carolina State University Orangeburg, SC	9	$18,097	$38,262	$31,000	36.6%	Poor
34	Baker College Owosso, MI	9	$13,157	$35,833	$25,000	35.8%	Poor
35	Kentucky State University Frankfort, KY	9	$8,040	$36,382	$25,938	31.9%	Poor
36	Fort Valley State University Fort Valley, GA	9	$10,338	$36,666	$31,000	41.1%	Poor
37	Bethune-Cookman University Daytona Beach, FL	9	$12,030	$38,518	$31,000	30.5%	Poor
38	Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO	9	$16,745	$37,180	$29,832	18.8%	Poor
39	Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Cupey Campus San Juan, PR	10	$7,646	$24,490	$14,250	30.9%	Poor
40	Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce Ponce, PR	10	$13,192	$24,908	$15,500	48.6%	Poor
41	Texas Southern University Houston, TX	10	$16,590	$38,924	$29,000	22.2%	Poor
42	Chowan University Murfreesboro, NC	10	$14,086	$38,412	$29,491	29.9%	Poor
43	Lincoln University Jefferson City, MO	10	$19,092	$39,463	$28,875	20.8%	Poor
44	Savannah State University Savannah, GA	10	$8,172	$37,981	$28,000	28.0%	Poor
45	Academy of Art University San Francisco, CA	10	$40,613	$39,008	$31,000	34.3%	Poor
46	Philander Smith University Little Rock, AR	10	$14,224	$38,427	$24,736	30.4%	Poor
47	University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Pine Bluff, AR	10	$12,653	$35,550	$24,202	40.4%	Poor
48	Talladega College Talladega, AL	10	$15,560	$32,229	$28,500	30.9%	Poor
49	Alabama A & M University Normal, AL	10	$17,621	$40,628	$31,000	24.0%	Poor
50	Strayer University-Tennessee Memphis, TN	11	$11,645	$40,092	$40,621	0.0%	Poor

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How We Rank

Rankings are based on our ROI score (0-100), which weights five quantifiable factors: Earnings Premium (30%), Payback Period (25%), Debt-to-Earnings (20%), Completion Rate (15%), and Loan Repayment (10%). All data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. No subjective criteria are used.

Full methodology →

Common Questions

Which school has the worst ROI on this list?

Lane College sits at the bottom at 3/100 on our ROI scale, the lowest among the 50 schools here. We're not flagging these to scare anyone - just to show the numbers, weighing net price against median graduate earnings from U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data, before you sign for them.

Which school on this list has the highest graduate earnings?

Alabama A & M University reports the highest median earnings here, about $40,628 ten years after enrollment. In our view higher earnings alone don't make the best value, since what you pay matters just as much - which is why the ranking weighs cost too.

What is the most affordable school on this list?

Wiley University carries the lowest net price among the ranked schools, about $7,092 a year after grants and scholarships. Net price is what students actually pay, not the published sticker price.

How are these schools ranked?

We score every school 0 to 100 on five quantifiable factors: earnings premium (30%), payback period (25%), debt-to-earnings (20%), completion rate (15%), and loan repayment (10%). All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, with no subjective reputation scoring. Of the 50 schools here, 0 earn an ROI score of 60 or higher.