Bluefield University
Bluefield, Virginia · Private Nonprofit · 59.3% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 32/100 · Poor Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Bluefield University is a small private-nonprofit in southwest Virginia with an overall ROI score of 32, landing it in the Poor Value tier. The most damaging input is completion: only 17.8 percent of students finish, which is among the worst rates in the dataset and the single biggest drag on the score. Net price is $25,573 against a $26,770 sticker, meaning institutional aid barely moves the needle for any income bracket, including students from families under $30,000 who still pay $25,807. Total four-year cost is roughly $102,292. Median earnings reach $48,896 ten years out and $39,400 at six years, giving a modest earnings premium of 13.6 percent over a high-school baseline. Median debt is $21,855 with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.555, and the payback period is 17.4 years. Repayment rates hover in the 65 to 70 percent range. The arithmetic only works for students who graduate, and most do not. The Nursing program is the standout exception with B+ ROI, but it produces just 14 graduates per year.
The data raises concerns about Bluefield University
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score32/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate17.8% - Well below the 60% national average. Non-completion is the fastest route to negative ROI.
- Payback period17.4 years - Most 4-year schools we track have payback periods of 4-10 years.
Bluefield University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $26,770/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $26,770/yr |
| Average net price | $25,573/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $102,292 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $48,896 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $39,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $21,855 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $232 |
| Estimated payback period | 17.4 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 17.8% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 614 |
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: $26,770/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 $25,573/year, or roughly $102,292 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 $25,807/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $25,430/year.
Most students borrow to get here. The median graduate leaves owing $21,855 in federal loans, which works out to about $232 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Hold that up against the $48,896 the typical graduate earns ten years out: the debt-to-earnings ratio comes to 0.56, within the range advisors call workable but worth keeping an eye on.
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 | $25,807 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $25,454 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $25,732 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $25,374 |
| $110,001+ | $25,430 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $25,807 in net price, essentially identical to the sticker. That is the inverted-aid red flag: a private school whose lowest-income students see almost no institutional discount. Over four years that approaches $103,000 in costs against $48,896 median earnings at year ten. Unless the student is Nursing-bound and certain to finish, the math is brutal at this income tier.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($30,001 to $75,000) pay $25,454 to $25,732, again indistinguishable from the sticker tuition. With median earnings of $48,896 ten years out and a 17.4-year payback period, middle-income families taking on the typical $21,855 in debt for a graduate, or worse for a non-completer, face years of meaningful financial strain.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $75,000 pay $25,374 to $25,430, the same flat curve. The school's pricing makes high-income families a poor match in pure ROI terms unless they pay cash and treat the degree as a values purchase. With no aid premium tied to income, there is no financial reason for a higher-income family to choose Bluefield over a regional public or a higher-completion private.
Earnings by Major
Top 5 most popular majors at Bluefield University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $63,715 | C+ |
| Human Services, General | $43,789 | D |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $41,595 | F |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $56,811 | C |
| Registered Nursing | $91,278 | B+ |
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 Bluefield's standout, earning a B+ ROI grade. Graduates report median first-year earnings of $70,698 climbing to $91,278 by year four, with $22,442 in median debt and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.317. This is the rare program where the school's high net price is offset by genuinely strong post-graduation income. Only 14 graduates per year, so seats are limited and competitive. For students who can secure a spot and complete, this is the clearest financial case at Bluefield.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration produces 30 graduates per year, the largest cohort. Median first-year earnings of $46,234 grow to $63,715 by year four, with $25,207 in debt and a 0.545 debt-to-earnings ratio. The C+ grade reflects a respectable but not exceptional return: graduates can service the debt, but the margin is thin given the high net price. Best for students with a clear post-graduation plan or family business connection.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice graduates earn a median $41,005 in year one and $56,811 in year four with $24,250 in debt, producing a 0.591 debt-to-earnings ratio and a C grade. Career paths into law enforcement, corrections, and federal agencies typically offer stable pensions but modest starting pay. The debt load is the main concern; students should compare this program against in-state public alternatives that would cut the price meaningfully.
Human Services, General
Human Services posts a D grade with $33,808 first-year median earnings, $43,789 at year four, $25,000 in debt, and a 0.739 debt-to-earnings ratio. The field is mission-driven and meaningful but compensates poorly relative to the borrowing required at Bluefield's price point. Twenty graduates per year. Students drawn to this work should look hard at lower-cost paths to the same career.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology earns an F grade here, with first-year earnings of just $24,450 against $27,000 in median debt and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.104, meaning debt exceeds annual earnings. Year-four earnings of $41,595 still leave the math underwater. Nineteen graduates per year. This is a program to avoid unless it is part of a clear pipeline into a graduate program in physical therapy, athletic training, or a related field that will lift earnings substantially.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 66.0% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 70.4% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 58.7% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 66.0% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Bluefield University’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 | 59.3% |
| Enrollment | 614 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 51.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,619 |
Bluefield admits 59.3 percent of applicants. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported, suggesting the school is test-optional or test-blind for most admits. A 59 percent admit rate paired with a 17.8 percent completion rate is a warning sign: the school admits broadly but retains poorly, meaning prepared students should weigh whether the support infrastructure will help them finish even though they likely will get in.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Bluefield's named peers are Averett University, Bridgewater College, Mount Mary University, Bethany College in Kansas, and Calumet College of Saint Joseph, a group of small faith-affiliated private colleges in similar sticker-price territory. Within this set, Bridgewater typically posts stronger completion and earnings outcomes, while Bethany College of Kansas and Calumet College of Saint Joseph sit in roughly the same low-ROI band as Bluefield. Bluefield's 17.8 percent completion rate is notably worse than most of its peer cohort, which generally completes in the 40 to 60 percent range.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluefield University (this school) | 32 | $25,573 | $48,896 |
| Bridgewater College | 49 | $17,800 | $53,453 |
| Averett University | 37 | $22,925 | $51,516 |
| Mount Mary University | 32 | $20,144 | $48,745 |
| Bethany College | 31 | $27,686 | $49,694 |
| Calumet College of Saint Joseph | 29 | $22,451 | $46,945 |
Who Thrives Here
Bluefield fits a specific student: someone targeting the Nursing program who is confident they will finish, ideally with a Christian-college values match. Pell rate is 51.4 percent, so the school serves many lower-income students, but with net price nearly flat across all income brackets, lower-income students get little real discount. Enrollment is 614, so the environment is small and tight-knit. Students outside Nursing should look hard at the 17.8 percent completion rate and ask what their personal completion odds really are before borrowing.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
We'll be straight with you: the numbers at Bluefield University are a real concern. With a net cost of $25,573 per year and the typical graduate earning only $48,896 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds 17.4 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 17.8% graduation rate, concerning loan repayment rates, a long payback period.
Median debt of $21,855 against $48,896 in earnings is reasonable, though your major matters a lot here. Graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
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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.