Anderson University
Anderson, South Carolina · Private Nonprofit · 54.7% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 24/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Anderson University receives a CampusROI score of 24 (Below Benchmark tier) under our methodology, alongside a 65.7% completion rate. Published tuition is $34,970 and the average net price is $23,544 per year, or $94,176 over four years of attendance (a cost figure, not a debt figure). Median debt at graduation is $26,700 against average earnings of $31,000 six years after entry, a 0.861 debt-to-earnings ratio, and median earnings reach $42,101 ten years after entry. Our model estimates a 33-year payback period. Three years after leaving, 66.7% of borrowers were making progress on repayment. Outcomes vary widely by program and by student, and these institution-level figures describe past cohorts rather than any individual result. Figures are from the 2024-2025 College Scorecard release.
How Anderson 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 Score24/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period33 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Anderson University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $34,970/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $34,970/yr |
| Average net price | $23,544/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $94,176 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $42,101 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $31,000 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,700 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $283 |
| Estimated payback period | 33 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 65.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 3,183 |
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: $34,970/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $23,544/year, or roughly $94,176 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 $17,188/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $27,080/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $26,700, which works out to about $283 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($31,000) and comes to 0.86, 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 | $17,188 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $18,724 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $19,647 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $24,926 |
| $110,001+ | $27,080 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 report an average net price of $17,188 per year, about $68,800 over four years. Institutional and outside aid can change this figure significantly for individual students.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Families earning $30,001-$48,000 report an average net price of $18,724 per year, families earning $48,001-$75,000 report $19,647, and families earning $75,001-$110,000 report $24,926.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning over $110,000 report an average net price of $27,080 per year, about $108,300 over four years.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Anderson University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $76,147 | B |
| Teacher Education | $43,612 | C |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $63,035 | C |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $50,409 | D |
| Marketing | $53,985 | C |
| Teacher Education, Subject-Specific | $46,273 | C |
| Design and Applied Arts | $44,221 | D |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $49,825 | C |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $36,872 | F |
| Special Education and Teaching | $40,264 | - |
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 has 87 graduates in the Scorecard program cohort and a B grade under our methodology. Median earnings are $73,882 in the first year and $76,147 by year four, against median debt of $27,000 (a 0.365 debt-to-earnings ratio).
Teacher Education
Teacher Education has 61 graduates in the Scorecard program cohort and a C grade under our methodology. Median earnings are $40,385 in the first year and $43,612 by year four, against median debt of $27,000 (a 0.669 debt-to-earnings ratio).
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration, Management, and Operations has 57 graduates in the Scorecard program cohort and a C grade under our methodology. Median earnings are $49,754 in the first year and $63,035 by year four, against median debt of $29,375 (a 0.59 debt-to-earnings ratio).
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology and Exercise Science has 48 graduates in the Scorecard program cohort and a D grade under our methodology. Median earnings are $27,340 in the first year and $50,409 by year four, against median debt of $27,000 (a 0.988 debt-to-earnings ratio).
Marketing
Marketing has 31 graduates in the Scorecard program cohort and a C grade under our methodology. Median earnings are $37,066 in the first year and $53,985 by year four, against median debt of $25,250 (a 0.681 debt-to-earnings ratio).
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 60.2% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 66.7% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 64.8% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 69.5% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Anderson 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
| Acceptance rate | 54.7% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 540-630 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 560-650 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 22-29 |
| Enrollment | 3,183 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 20.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,635 |
Anderson University admits 54.7% of applicants. SAT middle-50% ranges are 540-630 math and 560-650 reading; the ACT composite range is 22-29. The completion rate of 65.7% measures the share of first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of normal time.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson University (this school) | 24 | $23,544 | $42,101 |
| Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico | 27 | $17,540 | $47,540 |
| Columbia College | 25 | $22,715 | $45,378 |
| Charleston Southern University | 24 | $21,666 | $45,898 |
| Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies | 24 | $20,473 | $47,327 |
| Allen University | 3 | $10,972 | $30,497 |
Who Thrives Here
Students relying heavily on loans should compare the net price for their income bracket using Anderson University's net price calculator.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Anderson University scores 24/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $23,544 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $42,101 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 33 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, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.86 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 66.7% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $26,700 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $31,000 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.86. 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.
Anderson University: Common Questions
Is Anderson University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Anderson University scores 24/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $23,544 a year after aid against $42,101 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 33 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Anderson 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 $23,544 a year, or roughly $94,176 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 Anderson University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $42,101 ten years after enrolling, roughly $301 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Anderson 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 years for Anderson University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Anderson University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,700, against average earnings of $31,000 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.86. 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 Anderson University?
The six-year graduation rate is 65.7%, at or above the 64% national average for four-year schools (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.