Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies
Fayette, Missouri · Private Nonprofit · 87.5% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 43/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Central Methodist University's College of Graduate and Extended Studies (CMU-CGES) earns an ROI score of 43 in the Below Benchmark tier. The most striking number is the 0% completion rate (subscore 0). Tuition is just $7,440 (very affordable) but average net price is $14,601, suggesting the indirect costs of attending push the all-in figure higher. Total four-year cost is $58,404. Median 10-year earnings reach $48,991 with a 14.2-year payback period and 0.503 debt-to-earnings ratio. The 65.7% repayment rate (subscore 28) is concerning. The institution serves Missouri working adults pursuing nursing, teacher education, and business credentials, and outcomes for completers (especially in nursing) are meaningfully better than the institutional aggregate suggests.
How Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies 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 Score43/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate0.0% - 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.
Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $7,440/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $7,440/yr |
| Average net price | $14,601/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $58,404 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $48,991 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $35,000 |
| Median debt at graduation | $17,619 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $187 |
| Estimated payback period | 14.2 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 0.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,092 |
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: $7,440/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 $14,601/year, or roughly $58,404 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 $14,601/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $17,619, which works out to about $187 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($35,000) and comes to 0.50, 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 | $14,601 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | N/A |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | N/A |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $14,601 per year, $58,400 over four years. This is the only income bracket with reported data, all other brackets are null in current Scorecard data, likely a reporting suppression issue given the small lowest-income cohort. Pell-eligible adult learners can find affordable pathways here.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Net price by income data is null for all middle-income brackets. Prospective students should run the school's net price calculator directly to estimate their cost. Given the modest $7,440 tuition base, total cost likely scales modestly with income for full-time students, but indirect costs (housing, books, transportation) are the primary cost driver for adult students living off campus.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The $110,001-plus bracket reports null. With low base tuition, full-pay families face a meaningfully lower cost than the institutional $14,601 figure suggests once aid and Missouri-resident pricing are factored. Higher-income adult students should expect a price below the headline number.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher Education | $35,452 | C |
| Registered Nursing | $85,140 | B |
| Business Administration and Management | $51,274 | C |
| Psychology | $42,219 | C |
| Education, Other | $43,653 | - |
| Accounting | $52,836 | C |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $51,637 | D |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $39,671 | D |
| Computer Science | $59,648 | C+ |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $45,805 | 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.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing is one of the largest programs with 112 graduates and earns a B ROI grade. First-year earnings of $73,569 climb to $85,140 by year four, very strong for the field. Median debt of $27,000 against these earnings produces a 0.367 debt-to-earnings ratio, healthy. CMU's nursing pathway is the school's clearest ROI win, particularly given the very low base tuition.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education is by far the largest program with 131 graduates and earns a C ROI grade. First-year earnings of just $32,393 grow modestly to $35,452 by year four, reflecting Missouri's relatively low teacher salaries. Median debt of $20,431 and a 0.631 debt-to-earnings ratio are tight for the field, but PSLF eligibility for public school employment can substantially improve the long-term debt picture.
Business Administration and Management
Business Administration has 35 graduates and earns a C ROI grade. First-year earnings of $39,435 grow to $51,274 by year four, modest. With $22,732 in median debt and a 0.576 debt-to-earnings ratio, the financial picture is workable for completers in the Missouri labor market.
Psychology
Psychology has 27 graduates and earns a C ROI grade. First-year earnings of $36,323 are modest and four-year earnings of just $42,219 against $25,230 in median debt produce a 0.695 debt-to-earnings ratio. As with many psychology programs, viable earnings outcomes typically require graduate or professional school.
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
Human Development and Family Studies has 16 graduates and earns a D ROI grade. First-year earnings of $32,588 and four-year earnings of $39,671 against $23,246 in median debt produce a 0.713 debt-to-earnings ratio. This credential typically feeds into social services, family-support, and educational roles where wages are modest, students should plan for additional certification or graduate work.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 63.0% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 65.7% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 66.4% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 70.3% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies’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 | 87.5% |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 19-25 |
| Enrollment | 2,092 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 31.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,109 |
CMU-CGES admits 87.5% of applicants, an open-admission posture appropriate for an extended-studies college serving working adults. SAT data is not reported. ACT composite mid-50% runs 19-25. The 0% completion rate flag in the data should be read as a methodology mismatch, not a literal completion outcome for the population the school actually serves.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
CMU-CGES's ten-year earnings are $48,991.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies (this school) | 43 | $14,601 | $48,991 |
| Avila University | 51 | $16,053 | $52,773 |
| Bob Jones University | 47 | $16,641 | $44,354 |
| Curry College | 45 | $29,207 | $54,400 |
| Felician University | 40 | $40,045 | $57,602 |
| Mission University | 15 | $21,383 | $38,641 |
Who Thrives Here
With 2,092 students and a 31.9% Pell rate, CMU-CGES serves a working-adult and transfer population in Missouri pursuing professional credentials part-time and online. The school fits adult learners completing degrees while working, particularly in nursing (the largest and strongest program), teacher education, and business. Standard residential ROI framing does not fit well, prospective students should evaluate the school primarily on program fit, schedule flexibility, and tuition, with the recognition that the federal completion-rate metric does not capture this population.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies scores 43/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $14,601 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $48,991 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 14.2 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 0.0% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 65.7% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $17,619 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $35,000 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.50, 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.
Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies: Common Questions
Is Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies scores 43/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $14,601 a year after aid against $48,991 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 14.2 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies 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 $14,601 a year, or roughly $58,404 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 Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $48,991 ten years after enrolling, roughly $7,191 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 Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies?
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 14.2 years for Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $17,619, against average earnings of $35,000 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.50. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
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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.