Belmont Abbey College
Belmont, North Carolina · Private Nonprofit · 74.7% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 24/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Belmont Abbey College, a small Catholic Benedictine liberal arts college outside Charlotte, North Carolina, scores 24 on overall ROI (Below Benchmark tier). Tuition is $19,500 and net price is $24,639, so typical students pay more than sticker once room, board, and fees enter the equation. Four-year cost runs $98,556. Average earnings six years out are $34,600, climbing to a median $47,937 by year ten - a slow trajectory at this price point that produces an 18.4-year payback period. Median debt of $26,000 and a 0.75 debt-to-earnings ratio reflect the gap between cost and outcomes. The 47% completion rate is mediocre, and the 53% three-year repayment rate is genuinely concerning - nearly half of borrowers are not paying down principal three years out, a serious distress signal. Belmont Abbey's strongest tracks are Accounting and Business Administration; non-business liberal arts programs cluster in D-grade territory. The Catholic identity, small-college community, and Charlotte-metro location are the non-financial value drivers prospective students are buying.
How Belmont Abbey 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 period18.4 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Belmont Abbey College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $19,500/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $19,500/yr |
| Average net price | $24,639/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $98,556 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $47,937 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $34,600 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $276 |
| Estimated payback period | 18.4 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 46.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,276 |
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: $19,500/year, 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 $24,639/year, or roughly $98,556 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 $20,610/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $27,059/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $26,000, which works out to about $276 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($34,600) and comes to 0.75, 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 | $20,610 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $18,868 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $21,195 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $24,798 |
| $110,001+ | $27,059 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $20,610 net, and the $30,001-$48,000 bracket actually pays slightly less at $18,868 - a small bracket inversion. With Pell, North Carolina aid, and Belmont Abbey grants, four-year cost is roughly $75,000-$83,000. Heavy lift for low-income families given the school's earnings outcomes.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $21,195 and $75,001-$110,000 pays $24,798. Across the middle range, four-year cost is roughly $85,000-$99,000.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,001 pay $27,059 - effectively full-pay at roughly $108,000 over four years. At this price, the only clear case for Belmont Abbey is Catholic mission fit and Division II athletic recruitment.
Earnings by Major
Top 7 most popular majors at Belmont Abbey College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $70,655 | C |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $45,008 | D |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $60,199 | D |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $60,235 | D |
| Accounting | $74,698 | C+ |
| Teacher Education | $46,372 | C |
| Education, General | $44,460 | 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.
Accounting
Accounting is Belmont Abbey's standout: $55,224 first-year and $74,698 four-year median earnings against $25,982 median debt produce a 0.47 debt-to-earnings ratio and a C+ ROI grade - the strongest on campus. 9 graduates per cohort feed Charlotte-metro public-accounting and corporate-finance roles. For accounting-focused students, this is the financial bright spot at the school.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration is the largest program at 69 graduates, with $45,039 first-year and $70,655 four-year median earnings against $27,000 median debt (0.60 debt-to-earnings) - C ROI grade. The four-year earnings number is genuinely strong, suggesting graduates who reach mid-career do well in Charlotte's financial services and corporate sectors.
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Liberal Arts and Sciences earns a D ROI: $46,654 first-year median is decent, but $33,291 median debt produces a 0.71 debt-to-earnings ratio at a Catholic liberal arts school where this is a defining program. 30 graduates per cohort.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology earns a D ROI: $27,739 first-year against $25,250 median debt produce a 0.91 debt-to-earnings ratio. 31 graduates per cohort - one of the larger programs, likely tied to athletic-program enrollment. Like most kinesiology bachelor's programs, real ROI requires graduate study (PT, OT, athletic training). Students should plan for grad school or pivot to a more directly-employable adjacent track.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 49.2% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 52.9% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 47.7% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 56.1% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Belmont Abbey 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 | 74.7% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 470-590 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 490-610 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 18-26 |
| Enrollment | 1,276 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 24.2% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,019 |
Belmont Abbey admits 75% of applicants. The 47% completion rate is below what the academic preparation profile would predict.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belmont Abbey College (this school) | 24 | $24,639 | $47,937 |
| Atlantic University | 26 | $6,425 | $25,272 |
| Mary Baldwin University | 25 | $12,756 | $44,427 |
| Barton College | 24 | $23,626 | $47,913 |
| Lindsey Wilson College | 23 | $15,070 | $41,129 |
| Bennett College | 6 | $28,299 | $36,654 |
Who Thrives Here
With 1,276 students and a 24% Pell rate, Belmont Abbey serves a moderately middle-income, predominantly Catholic, athletically-active student population in the Charlotte metro. Strongest financial tracks are Accounting (C+ ROI grade, 9 graduates) and Business Administration (C, 69 graduates - the largest program). Education, kinesiology, and criminal justice tracks all post D grades and warrant careful financial planning.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Belmont Abbey College scores 24/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $24,639 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $47,937 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 18.4 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 46.7% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.75 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 52.9% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $26,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $34,600 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.75. 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.
Belmont Abbey College: Common Questions
Is Belmont Abbey College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Belmont Abbey College scores 24/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $24,639 a year after aid against $47,937 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 18.4 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Belmont Abbey 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 $24,639 a year, or roughly $98,556 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 Belmont Abbey College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $47,937 ten years after enrolling, roughly $6,137 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 Belmont Abbey 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 18.4 years for Belmont Abbey College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Belmont Abbey College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,000, against average earnings of $34,600 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.75. 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 Belmont Abbey College?
The six-year graduation rate is 46.7%. 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.