Central Baptist College
Conway, Arkansas · Private Nonprofit · 63.5% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 40/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Central Baptist College in Conway, AR posts an overall ROI score of 40 (Below Benchmark). Net price of $12,287 against a $21,330 sticker is restrained. The 0.651 debt-to-earnings ratio against $22,250 in median debt is also relatively manageable. The 77.0% three-year repayment rate is a strong signal - borrowers are actively paying down principal, which correlates with completion among the cohort that does finish. The 16-year payback period is long. The drag is the 34.1% six-year completion rate: roughly two-thirds of starters do not finish, and that risk is the single biggest factor preventing CBC from clearing into the Fair Value tier. Pell rate at 39.8% and enrollment of just 484 paint the picture of a small, modestly-priced faith-affiliated school where outcomes hinge entirely on persistence.
How Central Baptist 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 Score40/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate34.1% - 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 period16 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Central Baptist College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $21,330/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $21,330/yr |
| Average net price | $12,287/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $49,148 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $46,789 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $34,200 |
| Median debt at graduation | $22,250 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $236 |
| Estimated payback period | 16 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 34.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 484 |
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: $21,330/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $12,287/year, or roughly $49,148 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 $11,750/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $11,408/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $22,250, which works out to about $236 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($34,200) and comes to 0.65, 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 | $11,750 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $12,659 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $12,067 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $14,382 |
| $110,001+ | $11,408 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning $0-30,000 pay $11,750 net - close to the headline figure. At this income level, that is roughly 39% of household income. The math is workable for low-income students who complete; the completion risk is what dominates the expected-value calculation.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
$30,001-48,000 pays $12,659, $48,001-75,000 pays $12,067 - a slight inversion (middle band pays slightly more than the band above it), likely a sample-size artifact at CBC's small enrollment. $75,001-110,000 jumps to $14,382, the highest in the schedule. Middle-income families should not be deterred.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $11,408 - the lowest of any income bracket, an inverted-bracket pattern likely reflecting heavy merit-aid stacking for high-income families with academically strong students. CBC is using merit aid to recruit upper-income students, which is unusual generosity. For high-income full-pay families this is one of the rare cases where the price is genuinely competitive.
Earnings by Major
Top 3 most popular majors at Central Baptist College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $45,441 | - |
| Bible/Biblical Studies | $43,057 | - |
| Business, General | $53,451 | D |
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.
Business, General
Business graduates 11 students with $53,451 in first-year earnings - the strongest single-year earnings figure in CBC's small program portfolio. Median debt of $46,694 against year-one earnings produces a 0.874 ratio (D grade), which is the disconnect: earnings are decent but debt is unusually high for CBC's overall debt profile, possibly reflecting selection effects in the small sample. The four-year earnings figure is suppressed.
Bible/Biblical Studies
Biblical Studies produces 14 graduates with $36,109 first-year earnings and $43,057 by year four. Median debt is suppressed (null), so we cannot compute a formal ROI grade. Earnings reflect ministry, chaplaincy, religious-nonprofit, and seminary-bound work - modest but stable. Students drawn to vocational ministry should weigh the qualitative call against the modest financial trajectory; many graduates pursue MDiv programs that change the picture.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology is the largest reported program (19 graduates) but has only a four-year earnings figure ($45,441) and no debt or one-year earnings reported. The four-year figure is a healthy mid-career number, suggesting many graduates pursue PT, OT, athletic-training, or teaching credentials that drive earnings. Treat this as a pre-professional credential rather than a terminal degree.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 73.3% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 77.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 60.4% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 60.2% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Central Baptist 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 | 63.5% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 410-568 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 473-553 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 17-23 |
| Enrollment | 484 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 39.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,523 |
CBC admits 63.5% of applicants.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Baptist College (this school) | 40 | $12,287 | $46,789 |
| Eastern Nazarene College | 40 | $25,381 | $54,727 |
| Oklahoma Christian University | 40 | $21,872 | $49,203 |
| East Texas Baptist University | 40 | $23,911 | $52,788 |
| Appalachian Bible College | 40 | $11,579 | $37,467 |
| Hobe Sound Bible College | 30 | $12,074 | $39,863 |
Who Thrives Here
The 39.8% Pell rate indicates a mostly middle-income student body. The school fits students who want a small Christian environment, a faith-rooted curriculum (Biblical Studies is a real pipeline here), and a low all-in cost. Students who need rigorous academic infrastructure to push through to completion should evaluate retention services carefully - the 34.1% completion rate is the binding constraint.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Central Baptist College scores 40/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $12,287 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $46,789 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 16 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: its 34.1% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.65 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $22,250 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $34,200 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.65. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Central Baptist College: Common Questions
Is Central Baptist College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Central Baptist College scores 40/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $12,287 a year after aid against $46,789 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 16 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Central Baptist 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 $12,287 a year, or roughly $49,148 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 Central Baptist College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $46,789 ten years after enrolling, roughly $4,989 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 Central Baptist 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 16 years for Central Baptist College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Central Baptist College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $22,250, against average earnings of $34,200 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.65. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Central Baptist College?
The six-year graduation rate is 34.1%. 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.