Barton College
Wilson, North Carolina · Private Nonprofit · 94.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 24/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Barton College earns a ROI score of 24/100, placing it in the Below Benchmark tier. The headline economics: a 45.9% completion rate (under half of entering students finish), median ten-year earnings of $47,913, and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.814 - meaning typical graduates owe roughly 80 cents on every dollar of first-year earnings. Published tuition is $37,250 with a $23,626 average net price after aid, and four-year total cost runs $94,504. The 18.2-year payback period reflects an earnings premium of only 13.7%. Repayment metrics tell the same story: only 63.7% of borrowers are progressing on loans three years after entry. What drags the score most are debt-to-earnings (13/100), repayment rate (24/100), and earnings premium (25/100). Bright spot: the nursing program produces $68,741 first-year earnings against $27,761 median debt, a clear B-grade outlier. Most other majors - business, social work, biology, kinesiology - cluster in the $29-44K first-year range, which is the structural reason the school's overall ROI lags. As of 2024-2025 Scorecard data, Barton is a school where the major choice swings the math dramatically.
How Barton 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 Score24/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period18.2 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Barton College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $37,250/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $37,250/yr |
| Average net price | $23,626/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $94,504 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $47,913 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $31,800 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,877 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $274 |
| Estimated payback period | 18.2 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 45.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 982 |
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: $37,250/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $23,626/year, or roughly $94,504 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 $19,641/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $30,286/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $25,877, which works out to about $274 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($31,800) and comes to 0.81, 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 | $19,641 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $18,497 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $22,510 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $25,308 |
| $110,001+ | $30,286 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $19,641 per year, or roughly $79,000 over four years. The $30,001-$48,000 bracket actually pays slightly less ($18,497), an inverted bracket worth noting. Against $31,800 average early-career earnings, this is heavy but Pell + federal loans bring it within reach for students targeting the high-ROI nursing track.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Households in the $48,001-$75,000 range pay $22,510 annually, close to the school-wide average of $23,626. Over four years that's roughly $90,000 against $47,913 median ten-year earnings - the math is strained.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $30,286 per year, close to the $37,250 sticker, which suggests institutional aid is limited at this income level. Over four years that's $121,000 against modest graduate earnings.
Earnings by Major
Top 6 most popular majors at Barton College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $29,374 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $55,125 | C |
| Registered Nursing | $79,283 | B |
| Biology | $35,783 | D |
| Social Work | $38,312 | D |
| Teacher Education | $41,251 | - |
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 Barton's standout: 33 graduates per year, $68,741 first-year earnings climbing to $79,283 by year four, against $27,761 median debt. Debt-to-earnings of 0.404 yields a B grade. RN licensure plus North Carolina's healthcare labor market create a strong floor. This program alone is the reason Barton can produce defensible ROI outcomes for the right student.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business administration is Barton's largest program by graduates (45/year). First-year earnings of $44,374 rise to $55,125 by year four against $26,983 median debt - a 0.608 ratio and a C grade. Students should be deliberate about internships and post-grad networking to close that gap.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
55 graduates per year - the second-largest program - but $29,374 first-year earnings against $27,000 median debt yields a 0.919 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D grade. This is a major where most graduates need a master's degree or licensure step to reach real earning power. Treat the bachelor's as step one, not the destination.
Biology
18 graduates per year, with $35,783 first-year earnings and $26,990 median debt producing a 0.754 ratio and a D grade. Biology majors at small privates typically need graduate or professional school to convert the degree into real earnings.
Social Work
13 graduates per year, $38,312 first-year earnings, $27,000 median debt, a 0.705 ratio and D grade. Social work careers typically qualify for PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness), which materially improves the real ROI for graduates who plan around it. Mission-driven students should structure repayment around the IDR + PSLF combo from day one.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 58.9% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 63.7% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 59.2% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 65.4% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Barton 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 | 94.2% |
| Enrollment | 982 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 37.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,671 |
Barton admits 94.2% of applicants - effectively open admission. No SAT or ACT mid-ranges are reported, suggesting test-optional or no-testing-required admissions. The 94% admit rate combined with the 45.9% completion rate is the central tension: students who arrive less academically prepared face higher persistence risk. Prospective students should treat enrollment as the easy step and graduation as the real bar.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barton College (this school) | 24 | $23,626 | $47,913 |
| Southern Virginia University | 26 | $22,213 | $50,002 |
| Mary Baldwin University | 25 | $12,756 | $44,427 |
| Shorter University | 24 | $16,646 | $44,604 |
| Belmont Abbey College | 24 | $24,639 | $47,937 |
| Bennett College | 6 | $28,299 | $36,654 |
Who Thrives Here
Barton fits North Carolina-rooted students who want a small private (982 enrolled) close to home. The 37.3% Pell rate signals a meaningfully working-class student body. Outcomes are strongly bimodal: nursing graduates do well; everyone else faces a harder ROI math. Students entering committed to nursing or another professional program with clear licensure can make the price work.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Barton College scores 24/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $23,626 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $47,913 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 18.2 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 45.9% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.81 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 63.7% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $25,877 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $31,800 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.81. 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.
Barton College: Common Questions
Is Barton College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Barton College scores 24/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $23,626 a year after aid against $47,913 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 18.2 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Barton 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 $23,626 a year, or roughly $94,504 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 Barton College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $47,913 ten years after enrolling, roughly $6,113 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 Barton 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 about 18.2 years for Barton College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Barton College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,877, against average earnings of $31,800 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.81. 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 Barton College?
The six-year graduation rate is 45.9%. 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.