Clinton College
Rock Hill, South Carolina · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 8/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Clinton College, a tiny historically Black private institution in Rock Hill, SC, posts an ROI score of 8 - effectively the floor of the scoring system and a clear warning. The numbers are extreme on every dimension. Median 10-year earnings of $30,180 are below a typical high-school baseline - the earnings premium is actually negative (-0.105), meaning attending Clinton College is associated with LOWER earnings than not attending college at all on the available data. The modeled payback period is 999 years - a code value meaning earnings never recoup the cost. Debt-to-earnings sits at 1.57 against median debt of $28,987 - median debt exceeds 1.5 years of typical earnings. Completion is 14.1%. The 5-year repayment rate is 17.5% - the vast majority of borrowers are not actively servicing loans. Net price of $11,458 is moderate against a $11,136 sticker (nearly identical, indicating thin institutional aid), and Pell rate of 76.8% reflects a very high-need student body. Enrollment is just 126 students.
How Clinton 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 Score8/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.57 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- 6-year graduation rate14.1% - 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 period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
Clinton College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $11,136/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $11,136/yr |
| Average net price | $11,458/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $45,832 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $30,180 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $18,500 |
| Median debt at graduation | $28,987 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $307 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 14.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 126 |
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: $11,136/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 $11,458/year, or roughly $45,832 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 $11,105/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 $28,987, 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 ($18,500) and comes to 1.57, 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 | $11,105 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $11,999 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $6,854 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $12,222 |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $11,105 net annually - minimal discounting versus the $11,458 average. Pell carries essentially the full load. Four-year cost runs about $44,000. Even at this modest absolute price point, with median 10-year earnings of $30,180 the math doesn't work - a Pell-eligible student here is essentially borrowing to break even or worse.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Note inverted brackets: families earning $30,001-$48,000 pay $11,999, while the $48,001-$75,000 group pays just $6,854 - LESS than half of what the lowest-income tier pays. This reflects unusual aid stacking patterns and very small reporting cohorts. The $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $12,222. Middle-income four-year totals run $27,000-$49,000. Even at the lowest middle-income net price, the earnings outcomes do not justify the borrowing.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Net price for families above $110,000 is not reported - the cohort is too small. Given the school's dynamics, high-income families would be paying close to sticker.
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 | 17.5% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 17.3% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Clinton 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
| Enrollment | 126 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 76.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,295 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data, nor are SAT or ACT score ranges. The 14.1% completion rate comes from a school of 126 students and has swung between 8% and 100% over the years we track, so it should not be read as a settled rate. Prospective students cannot rely on selectivity signals; honest self-assessment of academic readiness is essential.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton College (this school) | 8 | $11,458 | $30,180 |
| Anderson University | 24 | $23,544 | $42,101 |
| Barclay College | 10 | $29,290 | $36,355 |
| Mid-Atlantic Christian University | 10 | $18,328 | $38,342 |
| Trinity College of Florida | 6 | $20,297 | $32,465 |
| Allen University | 3 | $10,972 | $30,497 |
Who Thrives Here
Clinton College fits a very narrow profile: a Rock Hill or Catawba region student deeply committed to attending an AME Zion-affiliated HBCU, often Pell-eligible (76.8% Pell), often a place-bound student with significant family or work obligations, who is willing to accept the financial-return tradeoffs. With only 126 enrolled students, classes are tiny and the campus experience is intimate. Strong fits are clear-eyed students who view Clinton as a stepping stone - a place to find footing before transferring to a larger institution where outcomes are more favorable.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Clinton College scores 8/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $11,458 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $30,180 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 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 14.1% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.57 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $28,987 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $18,500 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.57. 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.
Clinton College: Common Questions
Is Clinton College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Clinton College scores 8/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $11,458 a year after aid against $30,180 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Clinton 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 $11,458 a year, or roughly $45,832 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 Clinton College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $30,180 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 Clinton 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 more than 50 years for Clinton College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Clinton College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $28,987, against average earnings of $18,500 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.57. 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 Clinton College?
The six-year graduation rate is 14.1%. 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.