Allegheny Wesleyan College
Salem, Ohio · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 29/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Allegheny Wesleyan College scores 29 (Below Benchmark) on the CampusROI scale, with two of five sub-scores imputed due to missing Scorecard data. The institution is a very small Wesleyan Methodist Bible college enrolling 46 students in Salem, Ohio. The structural problems are severe: a 65.8-year payback period (sub-score 11 - near the floor of the national distribution), a 46.2% completion rate, and an earnings premium of only 11.5% above the high school comparison benchmark. Scorecard does not report 6-year earnings; 10-year earnings are $37,453. Debt data is entirely absent from Scorecard - median debt, monthly payment, debt-to-earnings ratio, and all repayment rate figures are null. The debt-to-earnings and repayment rate sub-scores are therefore imputed at 50 (neutral), not based on actual borrower data. Tuition is $6,800 - very low relative to most private institutions - and net price averages $5,355. The 50% Pell grant rate indicates half of enrolled students come from low-income backgrounds. No program-level Scorecard data is available. Prospective students should understand that AWC is a religious vocation-focused institution.
How Allegheny Wesleyan 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 Score29/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 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.
Allegheny Wesleyan College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $6,800/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $6,800/yr |
| Average net price | $5,355/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $21,420 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $37,453 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | N/A |
| Median debt at graduation | N/A |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | N/A |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 46.2% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 46 |
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: $6,800/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $5,355/year, or roughly $21,420 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 $4,614/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
The Department of Education does not report a median debt figure for this school, usually because too few students borrow federal loans for the figure to be published. Our ROI score gives this measure a neutral middle value rather than treating it as zero debt.
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 | $4,614 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $5,517 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $6,767 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The 0-30000 income bracket pays $4,614 per year at AWC. The very low cost reflects the institution's minimal operating scale rather than a robust aid program. At $4,614 annually, the absolute dollar outlay is small, but the 65.8-year payback period and missing debt data mean the financial return cannot be assessed. Scorecard does not report repayment rates, so the borrower experience for low-income graduates is unknown.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 30001-48000 bracket pays $5,517 and the 48001-75000 bracket pays $6,767. Even at these modest prices, the 65.8-year payback period and a 10-year earnings figure of $37,453 indicate that the credential does not generate a meaningful earnings premium over time. Scorecard does not report net price data for the 75001-110000 or 110001-plus income brackets, limiting the analysis for middle-to-upper income families.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Scorecard does not report net price figures for the 75001-110000 or 110001-plus income brackets at Allegheny Wesleyan College. Given the institutional profile and very low tuition of $6,800, families in higher income brackets likely pay closer to full price with limited aid. The absence of data, combined with the institution's micro-scale and religious focus, makes standard ROI analysis for high-income families largely inapplicable.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | N/A | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | N/A | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | N/A | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | N/A | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Allegheny Wesleyan College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Enrollment | 46 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 50.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $2,210 |
Scorecard does not report an admission rate for Allegheny Wesleyan College, nor standardized test score ranges. With 46 enrolled students, the institution is micro-scale and likely admits most applicants who meet its religious community standards. The 46.2% completion rate - meaning roughly half of enrolled students do not graduate - is a meaningful risk factor even at this scale. Students should inquire directly about program structure, graduation requirements, and credential recognition before enrolling.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allegheny Wesleyan College (this school) | 29 | $5,355 | $37,453 |
| Ashland University | 47 | $21,988 | $52,928 |
| American Baptist College | 32 | $9,216 | $41,216 |
| Pacific Islands University | 28 | $9,334 | $20,902 |
| Carolina Christian College | 23 | $22,366 | $40,672 |
| Art Academy of Cincinnati | 9 | $34,253 | $34,368 |
Who Thrives Here
Allegheny Wesleyan College enrolls 46 students in Salem, Ohio and operates as a Wesleyan Methodist Bible college. Scorecard does not report admission rate, standardized test ranges, or 6-year earnings for this institution. Pell grant rate of 50% indicates half of students come from low-income families. AWC is a religious formation institution; its primary mission is ministerial and theological training for Wesleyan Methodist communities. Students choosing AWC are typically doing so for religious rather than financial reasons.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Allegheny Wesleyan College scores 29/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $5,355 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $37,453 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 46.2% graduation rate, a long payback period.
Allegheny Wesleyan College: Common Questions
Is Allegheny Wesleyan College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Allegheny Wesleyan College scores 29/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $5,355 a year after aid against $37,453 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 Allegheny Wesleyan 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 $5,355 a year, or roughly $21,420 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 Allegheny Wesleyan College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $37,453 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 Allegheny Wesleyan 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 Allegheny Wesleyan College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
What is the graduation rate at Allegheny Wesleyan College?
The six-year graduation rate is 46.2%. 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.