Carolina Christian College
Winston Salem, North Carolina · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 23/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Carolina Christian College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina is a tiny faith-affiliated institution (52 enrolled students) that posts a Below Benchmark ROI score of 23/100. The fundamentals are difficult: the 15.4% completion rate is exceptionally low, the 40.5-year payback period flags that earnings barely cover cost over a working lifetime, and the earnings premium over high-school grads is just 6.3%. Tuition is $9,970 per year, but the net price of $22,366 is more than double tuition (likely capturing room, board, and fees against minimal aid), putting four-year cost at $89,464. Median ten-year earnings are $40,672, with six-year earnings not reported (small cohort). Median debt is unreported, suggesting most students do not take federal loans. This is fundamentally a small ministry-training institution where the ROI framework misreads the institutional mission - students attend for Christian ministry preparation, not labor-market positioning. That said, even on mission terms, the 15% completion rate is a serious flag and prospective students and families should examine why so few finish.
How Carolina Christian 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 Score23/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate15.4% - 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 period40.5 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Carolina Christian College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $9,970/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $9,970/yr |
| Average net price | $22,366/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $89,464 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $40,672 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | N/A |
| Median debt at graduation | N/A |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | N/A |
| Estimated payback period | 40.5 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 15.4% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 52 |
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: $9,970/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 $22,366/year, or roughly $89,464 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 N/A/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
The Department of Education does not report a median debt figure for this school, usually because too few students borrow federal loans for the figure to be published. Our ROI score gives this measure a neutral middle value rather than treating it as zero debt.
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 | N/A |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $21,780 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | N/A |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $28,817 |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Net price for families earning under $30,000 is not reported - likely because the cohort is too small to disclose. For Pell-eligible families the Pell grant covers a meaningful share, but absolute cost data is missing.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $21,780 per year. Four-year cost is $87,120. The $48,001-$75,000 bracket is also not reported. The $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $28,817 per year - well above the $9,970 sticker tuition, reflecting room/board and limited aid. Median ten-year earnings are $40,672.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Net price for families above $110,000 is not reported, likely a small-cohort suppression. Income-tier ROI analysis is largely beside the point for this very small ministry institution; the financial framework is the wrong lens.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | N/A | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | N/A | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | N/A | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | N/A | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Carolina Christian College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Enrollment | 52 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 48.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $2,500 |
Carolina Christian College's admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data, and SAT/ACT mid-ranges are also missing. The 15% completion rate, however, is independent of admission practices and signals serious institutional retention challenges.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Christian College (this school) | 23 | $22,366 | $40,672 |
| Pacific Islands University | 28 | $9,334 | $20,902 |
| Barton College | 24 | $23,626 | $47,913 |
| Belmont Abbey College | 24 | $24,639 | $47,937 |
| New Hope Christian College-Eugene | 22 | $21,600 | $31,115 |
| Yeshivah Gedolah Rabbinical College | 18 | $12,587 | $30,667 |
Who Thrives Here
Carolina Christian enrolls just 52 students with a 48.2% Pell rate, indicating a lower-income, predominantly faith-community student body. The fit is highly specific: students from the founding denomination(s) pursuing ministry preparation. For students outside this context evaluating it as a conventional college, this is not a match. The very small scale also limits academic and extracurricular breadth.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Carolina Christian College scores 23/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $22,366 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $40,672 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 40.5 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 15.4% graduation rate, a long payback period.
Carolina Christian College: Common Questions
Is Carolina Christian College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Carolina Christian College scores 23/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $22,366 a year after aid against $40,672 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 40.5 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Carolina Christian 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 $22,366 a year, or roughly $89,464 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 Carolina Christian College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $40,672 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 Carolina Christian 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 40.5 years for Carolina Christian College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
What is the graduation rate at Carolina Christian College?
The six-year graduation rate is 15.4%. 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.
NewsletterCollege decisions are better with data.
From CampusROI, when there is something worth acting on.
Rankings & Links
Guides & Tools
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.