Bluefield University
Bluefield, Virginia · Private Nonprofit · 59.3% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 32/100 · Below Benchmark
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 Below Benchmark tier. The completion rate is 17.8 percent. 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.
How Bluefield 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 Score32/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate17.8% - 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 period17.4 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 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 |
| Average 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, which covers tuition and fees only. 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.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $21,855, which works out to about $232 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($39,400) and comes to 0.56, 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 | $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 means the school's 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 outcomes at this income tier are weaker.
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.
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 are $41,595. 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 | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 66.0% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 70.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 58.7% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 66.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Bluefield 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 | 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 means the school admits broadly, so 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.
| 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: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Bluefield University scores 32/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $25,573 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $48,896 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 17.4 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 17.8% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 70.4% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $21,855 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $39,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.56, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Bluefield University: Common Questions
Is Bluefield University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Bluefield University scores 32/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $25,573 a year after aid against $48,896 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 17.4 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Bluefield 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 $25,573 a year, or roughly $102,292 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 Bluefield University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $48,896 ten years after enrolling, roughly $7,096 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 Bluefield 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 17.4 years for Bluefield University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Bluefield University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $21,855, against average earnings of $39,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.56. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Bluefield University?
The six-year graduation rate is 17.8%. 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.