Criswell College
Dallas, Texas · Private Nonprofit · 100.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 31/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Criswell College is a small Southern Baptist theological institution in Dallas, Texas, scoring 31 (Below Benchmark) on the CampusROI scale. Enrollment is just 132 students. The payback period is 27.7 years, reflecting a combination of modest earnings and a net price of $21,630 that exceeds the in-state tuition of $15,750 after fees. Average 6-year earnings are not reported by Scorecard (listed as null); Scorecard reports median 10-year earnings of $43,185. The debt-to-earnings ratio, repayment rates, and completion-related sub-scores are partly imputed due to data gaps, meaning the score carries more uncertainty than a school with full data. The 50% completion rate and 27.7-year payback are the data points that drive the Below Benchmark designation. The institution has no programs reported in the Scorecard programs array. Criswell is explicitly a ministry-focused institution - its value proposition is theological training and vocational preparation for Baptist ministry, not earnings-based ROI. For students seeking that specific mission context, earnings metrics are a secondary consideration.
How Criswell 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 Score31/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period27.7 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Criswell College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $15,750/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $15,750/yr |
| Average net price | $21,630/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $86,520 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $43,185 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | N/A |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,346 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $269 |
| Estimated payback period | 27.7 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 50.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 132 |
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: $15,750/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 $21,630/year, or roughly $86,520 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 $20,353/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 $25,346, which works out to about $269 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. We do not have the six-year earnings figure needed to work out a debt-to-earnings ratio for this school.
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 | $20,353 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | N/A |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $20,636 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $23,900 |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The 0-30000 bracket pays $20,353 per year at Criswell College. Scorecard does not report income data for the 30001-48000 and 110001-plus brackets. At $20,353 annually against $43,185 10-year earnings, the financial return is very low. Low-income students pursuing ministry training here are making a vocational commitment, not a financial investment. Access to the Dallas Seminary community and Baptist church employment networks may provide non-Scorecard value not reflected in earnings data.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 48001-75000 bracket pays $20,636 and the 75001-110000 bracket pays $23,900. Scorecard does not report data for other middle-income brackets. At $20,000-$24,000 per year, Criswell's cost is moderate, but against 10-year earnings of $43,185, the payback period of 27.7 years reflects the reality of ministry compensation structures, which are often subsidized by housing allowances and non-cash benefits not captured in Scorecard earnings data.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Scorecard does not report the 110001-plus income bracket for Criswell College. Given the institution's size and mission, this bracket likely represents a very small fraction of enrollment. High-income families sending students to Criswell are doing so for denominational and vocational reasons, not financial returns.
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 Criswell College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2012-2024).
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
| Acceptance rate | 100.0% |
| Enrollment | 132 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 42.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,560 |
Criswell College operates open enrollment (100% admission rate). No test score data is available through Scorecard. The 50% completion rate is the most important institutional risk metric - half of enrolled students do not finish. For a 132-student institution, small cohort volatility makes year-to-year data less reliable. Prospective students should request program-specific completion rates and post-graduation ministry placement data directly from the institution.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Criswell College (this school) | 31 | $21,630 | $43,185 |
| Abilene Christian University | 51 | $26,182 | $55,736 |
| Manhattan Christian College | 29 | $24,213 | $48,860 |
| Machzikei Hadath Rabbinical College | 27 | $16,515 | $41,527 |
| Universidad Pentecostal Mizpa | 17 | $6,440 | $21,410 |
| Arlington Baptist University | 14 | $24,906 | $44,644 |
Who Thrives Here
Criswell College admits 100% of applicants. SAT and ACT ranges are not reported by Scorecard. Enrollment is 132 students. Pell grant rate of 42.4% indicates significant financial need. The institution's student body is drawn from Baptist church networks and is committed to ministry vocations. At 132 students, the campus community is very small and the academic environment is intensive in biblical and theological disciplines. Students who are not committed to Baptist ministry as a vocation have very limited alignment with the institutional program.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Criswell College scores 31/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $21,630 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $43,185 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 27.7 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 50.0% graduation rate, a long payback period.
Criswell College: Common Questions
Is Criswell College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Criswell College scores 31/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $21,630 a year after aid against $43,185 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 27.7 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Criswell 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 $21,630 a year, or roughly $86,520 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 Criswell College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $43,185 ten years after enrolling, roughly $1,385 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 Criswell 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 27.7 years for Criswell College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
What is the graduation rate at Criswell College?
The six-year graduation rate is 50.0%. 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.