Benedict College
Columbia, South Carolina · Private Nonprofit · 95.7% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 4/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Benedict College scores 4/100, and falls in the Below Benchmark tier under our methodology. The numbers are stark: a 24.3% completion rate, median ten-year earnings of $31,902 that produce a negative earnings premium of -4.2%, and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.526 - meaning typical graduates owe more than 1.5 times their first-year earnings. The 999-year payback flag indicates earnings never recoup the cost of attendance against typical wages. Only 24.3% of borrowers are progressing on loans three years after entry. Tuition is $17,440 and the average net price is $18,250 (net price exceeds tuition, signaling limited institutional aid). Four-year total cost runs $73,000 against $32,500 median debt. This is an HBCU with a meaningful mission, but the financial data, as of 2024-2025, is uncomfortable: graduates earn less than non-graduates, carry heavy debt, and struggle to repay. The community matters and the cultural value is real, but the economic case is genuinely broken at this institution.
How Benedict 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 Score4/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.53 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- 6-year graduation rate24.3% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- 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.
Benedict College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $17,440/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $17,440/yr |
| Average net price | $18,250/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $73,000 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $31,902 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $21,300 |
| Median debt at graduation | $32,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $345 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 24.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,536 |
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: $17,440/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 $18,250/year, or roughly $73,000 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 $17,177/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $20,328/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $32,500, which works out to about $345 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($21,300) and comes to 1.53, 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least 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 | $17,177 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $18,686 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $19,295 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $20,250 |
| $110,001+ | $20,328 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $17,177 per year, or roughly $69,000 over four years. With 62.3% of students Pell-eligible, this is the modal income bracket. The price is barely lower than higher-income brackets, indicating institutional aid is thin. Federal Pell + Direct Loans will not bridge the gap without parental contribution or work earnings.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Households in the $48,001-$75,000 range pay $19,295 annually, slightly higher than the lowest bracket. Over four years that's $77,000 against $31,902 median ten-year earnings. The math doesn't work.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $20,328 - only modestly higher than lower brackets, suggesting a relatively flat net price structure with little merit aid differentiation. Choosing Benedict at this income level is a values choice, not a financial one.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Benedict College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | $36,966 | F |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $41,811 | F |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $39,337 | F |
| Communication and Media Studies | $37,638 | - |
| Psychology | $27,620 | - |
| Social Work | $30,295 | F |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $33,120 | - |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $34,129 | F |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $41,158 | F |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | $41,372 | F |
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.
Biology
Biology is Benedict's largest program (53 graduates). $22,805 first-year earnings rising only to $36,966 by year four against $35,031 median debt yields a 1.536 ratio and F grade. Biology majors typically need graduate or professional school to earn meaningfully; without that pathway, the bachelor's alone produces a hard financial situation. Pre-med-track students who reach medical school have a different trajectory.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business administration produces 38 graduates with $28,419 first-year earnings rising to $41,811 by year four. The $34,000 median debt against modest earnings yields a 1.196 ratio and F grade. Business majors at higher-ROI schools typically clear $50K+ first-year; the gap reflects both regional labor market and institutional brand. Aggressive internship pursuit during enrollment is essential.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal justice produces 28 graduates with $23,838 first-year earnings rising to $39,337 by year four. The $40,750 median debt against modest earnings produces a 1.709 ratio and F grade. Public-sector career paths qualify for PSLF, which is essential to making the math survivable for graduates. Plan IDR + PSLF from day one of repayment.
Social Work
Social work produces 12 graduates with $30,295 first-year earnings and $39,200 median debt - a 1.294 ratio and F grade. Like criminal justice, social work qualifies for PSLF in most public and nonprofit settings, which is essential to the real ROI.
Psychology
Psychology produces 20 graduates with $27,620 first-year earnings. Median debt and ratio are not reported (likely incomplete reporting), but the earnings level alone signals weak ROI for a terminal bachelor's. Psychology requires graduate school to convert into real earnings power - and graduate school adds debt on top of an already strained bachelor's investment.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 15.2% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 24.3% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 17.2% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 21.7% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Benedict 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 | 95.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,536 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 62.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,890 |
Benedict admits 95.7% of applicants - effectively open admission. No SAT or ACT mid-ranges are reported. The 95% admit rate combined with the 24.3% completion rate is the central tension: three-quarters of entering students never finish. The admissions filter doesn't predict graduation. This is a school where the hard part begins at orientation, not the application.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benedict College (this school) | 4 | $18,250 | $31,902 |
| Alabama State University | 5 | $20,435 | $34,502 |
| Livingstone College | 4 | $13,479 | $32,600 |
| Shaw University | 4 | $16,512 | $34,409 |
| Central State University | 4 | $13,096 | $33,267 |
| Jarvis Christian University | 4 | $9,825 | $32,992 |
Who Thrives Here
Benedict fits students drawn to the HBCU community experience and a faith-rooted mission with a deeply working-class student body (62.3% Pell rate). Enrollment is 1,536. The cultural and community value is real; the financial value is not. Students should pursue Benedict only with eyes fully open and a clear plan for cost containment (maximum federal aid, no private loans, no co-signed debt).
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Benedict College scores 4/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $18,250 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $31,902 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 24.3% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.53 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 24.3% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $32,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $21,300 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.53. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Benedict College: Common Questions
Is Benedict College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Benedict College scores 4/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $18,250 a year after aid against $31,902 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 Benedict 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 $18,250 a year, or roughly $73,000 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 Benedict College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $31,902 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 Benedict 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 Benedict College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Benedict College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $32,500, against average earnings of $21,300 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.53. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so how much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Benedict College?
The six-year graduation rate is 24.3%. 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.