Claflin University
Orangeburg, South Carolina · Private Nonprofit · 64.9% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 15/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Claflin University, an HBCU in Orangeburg, South Carolina, posts a 15/100 ROI score in our Below Benchmark tier - driven by weak earnings, heavy borrowing, and exceptionally weak repayment. Earnings of $27,200 six years out and $40,304 by year ten produce only a 7.4% earnings premium over high-school baseline. Median debt of $29,000 against those earnings yields a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.07 - graduates owe more than they earn in a year. The 39.8-year payback period reflects how long the modest earnings premium needs to compound to recoup costs. Most concerning is the three-year repayment rate of 37.0% - fewer than 4 in 10 borrowers are reducing principal three years out, and the seven-year rate of 32.7% suggests the situation does not improve. Net price of $17,800 (almost identical to $18,282 sticker tuition, indicating limited institutional aid) pushes four-year cost to $71,200. With 1,706 students and a 73.5% Pell rate, Claflin is small, working-poor-majority, and mission-driven. Nursing graduates do well; everyone else faces difficult math.
How Claflin 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 Score15/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.07 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- Payback period39.8 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Claflin University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $18,282/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $18,282/yr |
| Average net price | $17,800/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $71,200 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $40,304 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $27,200 |
| Median debt at graduation | $29,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $307 |
| Estimated payback period | 39.8 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 51.6% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,706 |
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: $18,282/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $17,800/year, or roughly $71,200 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 $16,354/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $25,071/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $29,000, which works out to about $307 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($27,200) and comes to 1.07, 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least 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 | $16,354 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $21,118 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $22,279 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $23,502 |
| $110,001+ | $25,071 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $16,354 net - modest reflecting Pell, SC LIFE Scholarship eligibility, and Claflin institutional aid. Across four years that's $65,416 against $27,200 graduate earnings. The math only works for nursing graduates and students with significant outside aid; otherwise the typical $29,000 borrowing produces a difficult repayment trajectory.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30,001 - $48,000 bracket pays $21,118, $48,001 - $75,000 pays $22,279, $75,001 - $110,000 pays $23,502 - a clean monotonic progression with no inversions. Middle-income families pay $84,000-$94,000 over four years against $27,200 early-career earnings; the math is genuinely difficult for any non-nursing track.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $25,071 - about $100,284 across four years, well above the published $71,200 total cost figure, suggesting full-pay families face additional fees. High-income families paying full freight at Claflin are buying the HBCU mission, AME Methodist church connection, and historic-college experience; the financial math doesn't justify the price for a non-nursing major from a pure ROI standpoint.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Claflin University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | $38,625 | F |
| Registered Nursing | $83,436 | B+ |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $41,353 | F |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $37,025 | F |
| Biology | $35,502 | F |
| Communication and Media Studies | $38,161 | F |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $58,021 | D |
| Marketing | $45,502 | - |
| Teacher Education | $46,265 | D |
| Sociology | $39,353 | F |
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 Claflin's standout: 39 graduates with first-year earnings of $76,590 climbing to $83,436 by year four. Median debt of $23,819 yields a 0.31 debt-to-earnings ratio (B+ grade) - the only program at Claflin that delivers genuinely strong financial outcomes.
Psychology
Psychology graduates 51 students annually - Claflin's largest program by graduate count. First-year earnings of $27,280 climb to $38,625 by year four, with $33,000 median debt yielding a 1.21 debt-to-earnings ratio (F grade). The bachelor's-only psych path is structurally weak; students who continue to graduate work in counseling or social work see better long-term outcomes but add additional debt loads. Difficult financial trajectory at this debt level.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice graduates 30 students with first-year earnings of $29,424 climbing to $41,353 by year four. Median debt of $37,009 yields a 1.26 debt-to-earnings ratio (F grade). Pipeline into SC state law enforcement and federal agency roles. The debt load is high relative to earnings; students should target federal positions with student-loan forgiveness paths.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology graduates 30 students with first-year earnings of $22,642 climbing to $37,025 by year four. Median debt of $35,425 yields a 1.57 debt-to-earnings ratio (F grade) - the worst in Claflin's program data. Students typically need PT/OT/PA graduate credentials for the field to pay; in our view the bachelor's-only path is financially weak at this debt level.
Biology
Biology graduates 22 students with first-year earnings of $25,873 climbing to $35,502 by year four. Median debt of $29,650 yields a 1.15 debt-to-earnings ratio (F grade). Many bio graduates plan on med/dental/PA school but face national-level access challenges; without graduate-school continuation, the bachelor's-only path delivers weak market returns relative to the debt load.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 28.2% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 37.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 34.0% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 32.7% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Claflin 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 | 64.9% |
| Enrollment | 1,706 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 73.5% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,329 |
Claflin admits 64.9% of applicants - moderately selective on paper. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported in current Scorecard data, common for smaller HBCUs that emphasize holistic review. Students arriving with strong high-school records can succeed here; the median outcomes reflect the broader challenges of educating an under-resourced population.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claflin University (this school) | 15 | $17,800 | $40,304 |
| Dillard University | 15 | $22,094 | $39,196 |
| Albany State University | 14 | $11,898 | $40,674 |
| Clark Atlanta University | 14 | $37,702 | $42,712 |
| Jackson State University | 14 | $23,836 | $39,060 |
| Fisk University | 14 | $32,020 | $45,454 |
Who Thrives Here
Claflin fits South Carolina-resident students drawn to its UMC-affiliated HBCU mission and Orangeburg cultural setting. With 1,706 students and a 73.5% Pell rate, the campus is small, working-poor-majority, and access-oriented. Students who thrive here typically arrive with a clear major target (nursing is the standout), strong family and church support, and a disciplined plan to keep borrowing under $25,000. Students drifting through general business, sociology, kinesiology, or communications should expect debt-to-earnings ratios above 1.2 and decades-long financial recovery.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Claflin University scores 15/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $17,800 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $40,304 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 39.8 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 51.6% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.07 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 37.0% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $29,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $27,200 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.07. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Claflin University: Common Questions
Is Claflin University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Claflin University scores 15/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $17,800 a year after aid against $40,304 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 39.8 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Claflin 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 $17,800 a year, or roughly $71,200 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 Claflin University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $40,304 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 Claflin 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 39.8 years for Claflin University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Claflin University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $29,000, against average earnings of $27,200 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.07. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so how much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Claflin University?
The six-year graduation rate is 51.6%. 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.