Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Tifton, Georgia · Public · 75.7% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 20/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College is a public regional in Tifton, Georgia with a 20 overall ROI score, placing it in the Below Benchmark tier despite an in-state sticker tuition of just $3,268. The tension at the institutional level is that the school's low cost ($6,842 net price, $27,368 four-year total) is undermined by weak earnings and weak completion. Median earnings ten years out are $34,996 and six-year earnings $29,100, which generates an earnings premium of essentially zero against the high-school baseline, driving the 999-year payback flag (meaning earnings never recoup cost in the model). Completion sits at 36.2 percent. Median debt is $16,750 with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.576. Repayment rates are weak too, with only 44 percent making progress at five years. The headline misses an important detail: ABAC's program-level data shows several solid pathways including Nursing (B+), Forestry (C+), and Agricultural Business (C+). The institutional score reflects students who do not graduate or who finish in low-paying tracks; the right program at ABAC remains a defensible value.
How Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score20/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate36.1% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $3,268/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $10,588/yr |
| Average net price | $6,842/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $27,368 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $34,996 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $29,100 |
| Median debt at graduation | $16,750 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $178 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 36.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 3,208 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $3,268/year ($10,588/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $6,842/year, or roughly $27,368 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $4,323/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $11,026/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $16,750, which works out to about $178 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($29,100) and comes to 0.58, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $4,323 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $4,299 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $6,824 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $10,489 |
| $110,001+ | $11,026 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $4,323 in net price, the strongest value in the matrix. With a $48,000 four-year cost ceiling for a Pell-eligible student who completes in four years, the math works on paper even at $34,996 median earnings. The completion rate is 36.2 percent: a low-income student who drops out with $16,750 in debt and no degree is the worst-case outcome here.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families pay $4,299 (the $30,001 to $48,000 bracket) and $6,824 (the $48,001 to $75,000 bracket). The same caveat about completion applies, but the absolute debt risk is contained.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $75,000 pay $10,489 in the $75,001 to $110,000 bracket and $11,026 above $110,000. The progression is normal (not inverted), reflecting reduced need-based aid.
Earnings by Major
Top 9 most popular majors at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields, Other | $54,179 | C+ |
| Agricultural Business and Management | $47,519 | C+ |
| Registered Nursing | $98,328 | B+ |
| Teacher Education, Subject-Specific | $50,429 | C+ |
| Biology | $46,194 | D |
| Forestry | $57,678 | C+ |
| Business Administration and Management | $48,677 | C |
| Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services | $52,757 | C |
| Business Information Systems | $56,001 | - |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Registered Nursing
Nursing is the clearest win at ABAC: 45 graduates per year, B+ ROI grade, first-year median earnings of $76,557 climbing to $98,328 by year four, and $26,298 in median debt. The 0.344 debt-to-earnings ratio is healthy. This is a high-demand credential in rural Georgia and across the Southeast, and ABAC's low in-state cost makes the program a strong nursing-school value.
Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields, Other
The largest cohort at ABAC with 70 graduates, earning C+ ROI. Median first-year earnings of $42,107 rise to $54,179 by year four against $23,042 in debt. The 0.547 debt-to-earnings ratio is workable. Career paths run into farm operations, ag retail, livestock and crop management, and pre-vet pathways. ABAC's location and ag focus make this a coherent fit.
Agricultural Business and Management
Ag Business produces 59 graduates with a C+ grade. First-year earnings of $47,519 against $21,500 in median debt give a 0.452 debt-to-earnings ratio, the second-best in the program list. Strong pathway into ag commodity trading, farm management, ag lending, and family-business succession roles. The combination of vocational training and reasonable debt makes this one of the more defensible bets at ABAC.
Forestry
Forestry posts 35 graduates with a C+ grade. First-year earnings of $40,065 grow to $57,678 by year four with $20,282 in debt and a 0.506 debt-to-earnings ratio. The Southeast has substantial forest-products industry demand. Public-sector pathways into USFS, Georgia DNR, and timber-company technical roles support stable, if not exceptional, earnings progression.
Teacher Education, Subject-Specific
Teacher Ed shows 41 graduates with C+ ROI, $50,429 first-year earnings, and $26,250 in median debt. The 0.521 debt-to-earnings ratio reflects Georgia's modest teacher pay scales. Pathway is clear: Georgia public-school teaching positions.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 52.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 63.1% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 44.3% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 48.6% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 75.7% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 420-520 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 440-560 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 17-22 |
| Enrollment | 3,208 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 34.7% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,551 |
The SAT mid-range is roughly 420 to 520 math and 440 to 560 reading, and ACT mid-range is 17 to 22. A prepared student scoring above the 75th percentile here will find the work approachable; the 36.2 percent completion rate is more about retention than admissions difficulty.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (this school) | 20 | $6,842 | $34,996 |
| College of Coastal Georgia | 22 | $15,261 | $39,318 |
| Lander University | 22 | $15,363 | $42,396 |
| Cameron University | 20 | $10,912 | $40,118 |
| University of Guam | 20 | $8,598 | $35,946 |
| Albany State University | 14 | $11,898 | $40,674 |
Head-to-Head ROI Comparisons
See Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College side by side with similar schools on ROI, cost, earnings, and debt.
Who Thrives Here
ABAC fits a Georgia student aiming for a hands-on agriculture, forestry, nursing, or teacher-education credential at the lowest possible price. Pell rate is 34.7 percent, signaling a meaningful low-income cohort. Enrollment of 3,208 makes it a midsize public. Strong fits are students with clear vocational direction, particularly into Nursing (B+ ROI), Forestry (C+), or Agricultural Business (C+). Poor fits are students drifting into general majors like Biology (D), where the earnings curve does not justify even ABAC's modest debt load.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College scores 20/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $6,842 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $34,996 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 36.1% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 63.1% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $16,750 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $29,100 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.58, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College: Common Questions
Is Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College scores 20/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $6,842 a year after aid against $34,996 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $6,842 a year, or roughly $27,368 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $34,996 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at more than 50 years for Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $16,750, against average earnings of $29,100 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.58. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College?
The six-year graduation rate is 36.1%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.