Albany State University
Albany, Georgia · Public
ROI Score: 14/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Albany State University scores 14 (Below Benchmark) on the CampusROI scale. The key figures: $27,100 average 6-year earnings, a 33.1-year payback period, a completion rate of 31.1% (fewer than 1 in 3 enrolled students graduates), a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.923, and a repayment rate of 27.6% - meaning nearly 3 in 4 borrowers are not reducing their principal within three years of entering repayment. These are systemic distress signals, not isolated program weaknesses. Albany State is a public HBCU in Albany, Georgia, serving a predominantly low-income population (Pell grant rate 69.3%) at an in-state tuition of $5,656 and net price of $11,898. The low cost does not offset the outcomes: a 31.1% completion rate means most students incur debt without receiving a credential, which is the defining driver of the payback period. Registered Nursing is the institution's one strong program: 106 graduates, $77,491 year-one, $87,799 four-year, debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.417 (ROI grade B). Nearly every other program in the data earns D or F grades, with multiple programs carrying debt-to-earnings ratios above 1.0.
How Albany State University 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 Score14/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate31.1% - 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 period33.1 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Albany State University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $5,656/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $17,008/yr |
| Average net price | $11,898/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $47,592 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $40,674 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $27,100 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,024 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $265 |
| Estimated payback period | 33.1 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 31.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 5,956 |
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: $5,656/year ($17,008/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 $11,898/year, or roughly $47,592 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 $10,693/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $17,324/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $25,024, which works out to about $265 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($27,100) and comes to 0.92, 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 | $10,693 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $11,147 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $13,785 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $16,419 |
| $110,001+ | $17,324 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Students in the 0-30000 income bracket pay $10,693 net price per year at Albany State - approximately $42,772 over four years. The 30001-48000 bracket pays $11,147. These are the lowest net prices available to students at the institution, and in dollar terms they appear modest. But the 31.1% completion rate means that a majority of students who enroll at this price will not complete and will carry debt - often $25,000+ - without the credential. The 27.6% repayment rate confirms this: most borrowers are not reducing principal, likely including many who did not finish.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 48001-75000 bracket pays $13,785 per year; the 75001-110000 bracket pays $16,419. Aid declines predictably across bands. At these net prices, a completed credential in nursing still represents good value; a non-completed enrollment represents a debt burden. The institutional completion data should dominate the decision calculus for families at all income levels.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The 110001-plus bracket pays $17,324 per year - roughly $69,296 all-in. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.923, 33.1-year payback, and 27.6% repayment rate describe an institution where the average financial outcome is poor regardless of family income.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Albany State University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Education, Other | $41,282 | F |
| Registered Nursing | $87,799 | B |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $49,310 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $49,246 | D |
| Biology | $49,440 | F |
| Psychology | $41,153 | F |
| Teacher Education | $51,782 | D |
| Social Work | $49,331 | C |
| Communication and Media Studies | $39,265 | - |
| Marketing | $50,366 | D |
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
Registered Nursing is Albany State's only program with a meaningful positive ROI signal: 106 graduates, $77,491 year-one, $87,799 four-year, debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.417 (ROI grade B). The nursing program is the clearest case for enrollment at this institution - graduates access the Georgia healthcare labor market with a portable credential and competitive starting salaries. The program's B-grade outcome stands in sharp contrast to nearly every other offering.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice is the highest-volume program outside nursing with 93 graduates. Year-one earnings of $31,868 and four-year of $49,310 produce a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.973 (ROI grade D) against $31,000 median debt. The near-1.0 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates owe almost exactly one year's salary in student loans - a financially difficult starting position. Criminal justice completers who access Georgia law enforcement or federal agency roles may improve on the Scorecard median, but the institutional data does not support optimism about the average outcome.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration has 53 graduates with $35,784 year-one and $49,246 four-year earnings. Debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.866 (ROI grade D) against $31,000 median debt. The four-year figure of $49,246 is below what would be needed to service $31,000 in debt comfortably while building savings. Business completers at Albany State face a constrained earnings environment in the southwest Georgia regional economy.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 18.9% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 27.6% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 25.6% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 32.2% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Albany State University’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
| Enrollment | 5,956 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 69.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,257 |
Admission rate and test score data are not reported by the Scorecard for Albany State University. The institution appears to operate with an open or near-open enrollment model. Scorecard data gaps in admission information do not change the completion and repayment picture: the institution's fundamental challenge is retaining and graduating students after enrollment, not screening applicants before.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany State University (this school) | 14 | $11,898 | $40,674 |
| Oakwood University | 14 | $25,669 | $42,488 |
| Clark Atlanta University | 14 | $37,702 | $42,712 |
| Jackson State University | 14 | $23,836 | $39,060 |
| Wilberforce University | 14 | $5,567 | $38,298 |
| Fisk University | 14 | $32,020 | $45,454 |
Head-to-Head ROI Comparisons
See Albany State University side by side with similar schools on ROI, cost, earnings, and debt.
Who Thrives Here
Albany State admits applicants without reporting an admission rate to the Scorecard. The institution enrolls 5,956 undergraduates in Albany, Georgia. The Scorecard does not report SAT or ACT score ranges. The Pell grant rate is 69.3%, reflecting the institution's mission to serve low-income and first-generation students in southwest Georgia. The 31.1% completion rate is the critical fact for prospective students: regardless of program choice, most students who enroll will not finish a degree. This reality disproportionately harms the low-income students Albany State is meant to serve.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Albany State University scores 14/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $11,898 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $40,674 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 33.1 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 31.1% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.92 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 27.6% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $25,024 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $27,100 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.92. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Albany State University: Common Questions
Is Albany State University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Albany State University scores 14/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $11,898 a year after aid against $40,674 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 33.1 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Albany State University 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 $11,898 a year, or roughly $47,592 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 Albany State University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $40,674 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 Albany State University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 33.1 years for Albany State University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Albany State University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,024, against average earnings of $27,100 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.92. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Albany State University?
The six-year graduation rate is 31.1%. 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.
NewsletterCollege decisions are better with data.
From CampusROI, when there is something worth acting on.
Rankings & Links
Guides & Tools
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.