Belhaven University
Jackson, Mississippi · Private Nonprofit · 49.8% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 29/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Belhaven University, a small Christian liberal arts university in Jackson, Mississippi, scores 29 out of 100 on CampusROI and sits in the Below Benchmark tier. Sticker tuition is $30,250 a year but the net price is $15,676, so total four-year cost is roughly $62,704. The challenge is on the outcomes side: average earnings six years out are just $34,900 and only reach a median $46,440 by year ten. Median debt of $26,333 against those earnings produces a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.755 and a modeled payback period of 17.7 years. The school's mission and Pell rate of 48.7% mean it serves a high-need population, which partly explains the outcomes profile, but the financial picture for borrowers is clearly stressed.
How Belhaven 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 Score29/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period17.7 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Belhaven University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $30,250/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $30,250/yr |
| Average net price | $15,676/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $62,704 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $46,440 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $34,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,333 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $279 |
| Estimated payback period | 17.7 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 48.5% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,471 |
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: $30,250/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $15,676/year, or roughly $62,704 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 $10,551/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $20,928/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $26,333, which works out to about $279 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($34,900) and comes to 0.76, 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 | $10,551 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $12,820 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $16,967 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $19,476 |
| $110,001+ | $20,928 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 face a net price of $10,551 per year, the lowest bracket and a meaningful discount off the $30,250 sticker. Four years totals about $42,200 against ten-year median earnings of $46,440. The math is workable for nursing or business graduates but tight for arts or psychology majors.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income brackets escalate cleanly: $12,820 ($30,001-$48,000) and $16,967 ($48,001-$75,000). The $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $19,476. The progression is consistent with genuine need-based aid layering, which is healthier than schools with flat or inverted brackets. Middle-income families should still expect to take on roughly $50,000 to $70,000 of total cost over four years.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $20,928 a year, or about $83,700 over four years. With ten-year median earnings of $46,440, that math only works for students entering nursing or for families paying cash without borrowing. Full-pay families taking on debt at this price point against these outcomes are accepting real downside risk.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Belhaven University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $62,042 | D |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $48,349 | F |
| Registered Nursing | $79,098 | B |
| Clinical Psychology | $45,213 | F |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $51,594 | F |
| Accounting | $60,247 | C |
| Bible/Biblical Studies | $48,516 | F |
| Dance | $32,324 | F |
| Social Work | $35,263 | - |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $39,109 | - |
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 by far the strongest program at Belhaven. Thirty-nine grad-volume aside, 29 graduates per year earn $69,794 in the first year, rising to $79,098 by year four, against $27,706 in median debt. The 0.397 debt-to-earnings ratio earns a B ROI grade and is the only major on campus where the financial math is unambiguously positive. Mississippi has a structural nursing shortage and Belhaven's BSN pipeline feeds the Jackson-area hospital systems directly.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration is the largest program with 109 graduates. First-year earnings of $51,546 rise to $62,042 by year four, but median debt of $37,624 produces a 0.73 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D ROI grade. The earnings are respectable for Mississippi but the debt load is higher than at the school average, suggesting business majors are borrowing more or receiving less institutional aid. Students should aggressively negotiate aid and consider community-college transfer to compress total debt.
Accounting
Accounting graduates 16 students with $43,016 in first-year earnings rising to $60,247 by year four against $29,000 in median debt, yielding a 0.674 debt-to-earnings ratio and a C ROI grade.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology produces 40 graduates with entry-level earnings of $25,503, rising to $48,349 by year four. Median debt of $26,750 produces a 1.049 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F ROI grade. As is typical for the field, the bachelor's alone has thin labor-market value and only pays back through graduate work in PT, OT, or athletic training. Students need a clear post-graduate plan before enrolling.
Clinical Psychology
Clinical Psychology graduates 23 students with $28,316 in first-year earnings and $45,213 by year four against an unusually high $41,825 in median debt, producing a 1.477 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F ROI grade. Clinical psychology requires a funded PhD or PsyD for the credential to pay off; undergraduates should treat this as a pre-doctoral track only and minimize debt accordingly.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 54.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 56.6% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 55.2% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 56.3% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Belhaven 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 | 49.8% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 520-630 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 490-668 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 19-24 |
| Enrollment | 1,471 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 48.6% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,643 |
Belhaven admits 49.8% of applicants. SAT mid-ranges are 520-630 Math and 490-668 Reading, with ACT Composite 19-24. A 50% admit rate paired with a 48.5% completion rate suggests the school admits a meaningful share of marginal students whose persistence is uncertain.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belhaven University (this school) | 29 | $15,676 | $46,440 |
| Arizona Christian University | 30 | $32,839 | $51,612 |
| Manhattan Christian College | 29 | $24,213 | $48,860 |
| Asbury University | 29 | $21,401 | $42,368 |
| Central Christian College of Kansas | 28 | $11,404 | $44,468 |
| Liberty University | 28 | $29,357 | $44,813 |
Head-to-Head ROI Comparisons
See Belhaven University side by side with similar schools on ROI, cost, earnings, and debt.
Who Thrives Here
The school fits a Mississippi, Louisiana, or Alabama student drawn to its Reformed Christian identity and arts emphasis (dance, theatre, and music are signature programs) who qualifies for substantial institutional and Pell aid and is targeting nursing or business. Students considering arts majors or psychology should walk in with eyes open about the debt-to-earnings profile.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Belhaven University scores 29/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $15,676 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $46,440 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 17.7 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 48.5% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.76 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 56.6% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $26,333 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $34,900 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.76. 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.
Belhaven University: Common Questions
Is Belhaven University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Belhaven University scores 29/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $15,676 a year after aid against $46,440 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 17.7 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Belhaven 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 $15,676 a year, or roughly $62,704 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 Belhaven University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $46,440 ten years after enrolling, roughly $4,640 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 Belhaven 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 17.7 years for Belhaven University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Belhaven University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,333, against average earnings of $34,900 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.76. 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 Belhaven University?
The six-year graduation rate is 48.5%. 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.