Bennett College
Greensboro, North Carolina · Private Nonprofit · 50.7% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 6/100 · Poor Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Bennett College earns an ROI score of 6 out of 100 - one of the weakest profiles in the dataset and a frank Poor Value tier rating. The headline numbers are alarming: a 25% completion rate (three of every four entering students do not finish), $23,200 median earnings six years out (climbing only to $36,654 by year ten), $28,130 in median debt against those earnings for a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.213, and a paybackPeriodYears value of 153.1 - which functionally means earnings never recoup the cost of attendance under standard assumptions. In-state tuition is $19,140; net price runs $28,299 (higher than tuition because room, board, and fees push total cost up while institutional aid is thin), producing a four-year total cost of $113,196. The repayment rate of 37% means more borrowers are not reducing principal than are. Bennett is a historic women's HBCU with a tiny enrollment of 178, and its mission and cultural value are real - but the financial-outcome math here is brutal and prospective students deserve to see it clearly before signing loan paperwork.
The data raises concerns about Bennett College
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score6/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.21 - Advisors recommend total student debt stay below one year of salary (ratio under 1.0).
- 6-year graduation rate25.0% - Well below the 60% national average. Non-completion is the fastest route to negative ROI.
- Payback period>50 years - Graduates earn at or near the level of high school completers - the cost may not recoup within a working career.
Bennett College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $19,140/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $19,140/yr |
| Average net price | $28,299/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $113,196 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $36,654 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $23,200 |
| Median debt at graduation | $28,130 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $298 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 25.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 178 |
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: $19,140/year. Here's the part that matters - almost nobody pays that. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $28,299/year, or roughly $113,196 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 $27,576/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $20,527/year.
Most students borrow to get here. The median graduate leaves owing $28,130 in federal loans, which works out to about $298 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Hold that up against the $36,654 the typical graduate earns ten years out: the debt-to-earnings ratio comes to 1.21, which is high - the rule of thumb is that total debt should not top your first-year salary, and this is over that line.
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 | $27,576 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $28,109 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $31,569 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $34,862 |
| $110,001+ | $20,527 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay a net price of $27,576 - nearly the sticker tuition figure. Bennett's institutional-aid pool is thin, so even students bringing the full $7,395 Pell grant face roughly $20,000 of unmet need annually. Four-year out-of-pocket exposure of $110,000+ against $23,200 median earnings is a structural mismatch that loan repayment cannot bridge.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $31,569 net - higher than the published tuition of $19,140 once room, board, and fees are added. The $75,001-$110,000 bracket climbs further to $34,862. Middle-income families face the worst absolute net prices here. Four-year cost approaches $140,000; against $36,654 median 10-year earnings the debt math simply does not close.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay only $20,527 net - which makes this an inverted bracket. High-income families pay LESS than middle and low-income families at Bennett, which is highly unusual. This likely reflects a small, possibly merit-driven aid pool that benefits academically-prepared students whose families filed FAFSA but did not qualify for need-based aid. The data point is worth flagging to the college and to prospective families.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 26.1% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 37.4% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 36.2% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 38.9% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Bennett College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2023).
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 | 50.7% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 410-480 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 410-580 |
| Enrollment | 178 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 72.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,566 |
Admission rate is 50.66%. SAT mid-50% bands sit at 410-480 Math and 410-580 Reading; ACT data is not reported. These are well below national medians, reflecting an open-access mission rather than a selective profile. The 25% completion rate correlates with that academic-prep distribution - entering students often arrive with significant remediation needs, and Bennett's small endowment limits academic-support staffing.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Bennett's peer set includes Barton College, Belmont Abbey College, Barclay College, Martin University, and Crowley's Ridge College. All are small private-nonprofits, but Belmont Abbey and Barton typically post substantially higher completion rates (50-60%+ range) and stronger earnings outcomes. Barclay and Crowley's Ridge are faith-based programs with their own ROI weaknesses. Martin University, an HBCU-adjacent institution in Indianapolis, runs a similar low-completion, low-earnings profile. Within this peer set Bennett sits at the bottom on completion, earnings, and debt-to-earnings.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bennett College (this school) | 6 | $28,299 | $36,654 |
| Stillman College | 6 | $15,258 | $35,421 |
| Saint Augustine's University | 6 | $24,313 | $35,730 |
| Alabama State University | 5 | $20,435 | $34,502 |
| Mississippi Valley State University | 5 | $9,686 | $31,919 |
| Harris-Stowe State University | 5 | $9,922 | $31,088 |
Who Thrives Here
Bennett serves a specific student: Black women seeking a single-sex HBCU experience with deep cultural and historical resonance. Pell grant rate is 72.82% - one of the highest in the country, signaling overwhelmingly low-income enrollment of just 178 students. The college's mission value is genuine for students who specifically want this environment. But the financial-outcome data shows that even mission-aligned students face long odds on completion and earnings. Prospective students should price-shop against North Carolina A&T, NC Central, or Spelman, where similar mission with materially better outcomes is available.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
We'll be straight with you: the numbers at Bennett College are a real concern. With a net cost of $28,299 per year and the typical graduate earning only $36,654 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds >50 years. For most students, the financial return does not justify the cost - go in with your eyes open.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 25.0% graduation rate, high debt relative to what graduates earn, concerning loan repayment rates, a long payback period.
Be careful with the debt here. A median $28,130 owed against $36,654 in earnings is heavy, and the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.77 is past the level advisors flag. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
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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.