Davis & Elkins College
Elkins, West Virginia · Private Nonprofit · 94.3% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 21/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Davis & Elkins College earns a CampusROI score of 21 out of 100 and lands in the Below Benchmark tier. The Presbyterian-affiliated liberal-arts college in the West Virginia mountains charges sticker tuition of $31,820 and discounts heavily; net price after aid is $18,273, with four-year cost at $73,092. The earnings premium over high-school-only workers is 11.5%, the payback period is 25.3 years, and the 0.90 debt-to-earnings ratio against $27,000 in median federal debt produces a sub-score of 9. Average earnings six years out are $30,100 climbing to a median $43,411 by year ten. The 39.3% completion rate is weak. The repayment rate of 71.9% is the only sub-score above 25, suggesting that the borrowers who do graduate make reasonable progress. The school has a notable bright spot: the Registered Nursing program reports four-year median earnings of $105,127. That figure is unusually high for a small WV nursing program and likely reflects graduates moving into specialized hospital roles or relocating to higher-wage markets. For nursing-bound students, the value calculation looks dramatically different from the school-wide aggregate.
How Davis & Elkins 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 Score21/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate39.3% - 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 period25.3 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Davis & Elkins College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $31,820/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $31,820/yr |
| Average net price | $18,273/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $73,092 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $43,411 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $30,100 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 25.3 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 39.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 661 |
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: $31,820/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $18,273/year, or roughly $73,092 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 $15,999/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $22,496/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $27,000, which works out to about $286 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($30,100) and comes to 0.90, 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 | $15,999 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $17,005 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $15,690 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $19,465 |
| $110,001+ | $22,496 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 face an average net price of $15,999 per year, totaling roughly $64,000 across four years. With ten-year median earnings of $43,411, the math is tough for non-nursing tracks. Federal Pell, WV Higher Education Grant, and institutional aid stacking can help.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001 to $75,000 bracket actually pays LESS at $15,690 per year than the lowest-income bracket, an inverted bracket worth flagging. The pattern suggests merit-based discounting concentrated in the middle bracket. The $75,001 to $110,000 bracket steps up to $19,465. Four-year totals are $62,800 to $77,900.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $22,496 per year, with four-year cost approaching $90,000. The aid curve flattens at the top.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at Davis & Elkins College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $58,140 | - |
| Registered Nursing | $105,127 | - |
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 Administration, Management, and Operations
Business is the largest reported program at Davis & Elkins with 22 graduates per cohort. Year-one earnings and debt are not reported, but year-four earnings reach $58,140. Without the debt and one-year data, the ROI grade is unreported.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing graduates 17 students per cohort. Year-one earnings and debt are not reported, but year-four earnings reach $105,127. The figure may reflect graduates relocating to higher-wage markets (Northern VA, MD, PA), specialty roles (CRNA, NP), or simply small-cohort statistical noise. Either way, nursing-bound students at Davis & Elkins should treat this as a directional signal of strong program outcomes.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 62.6% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 71.9% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 58.6% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 60.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Davis & Elkins 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 | 94.3% |
| Enrollment | 661 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 43.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,987 |
Davis & Elkins admits 94.3% of applicants, an essentially open-admissions posture. The combination of near-universal admit rate and the 39.3% completion rate suggests many admitted students arrive without the academic preparation or motivation to finish.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davis & Elkins College (this school) | 21 | $18,273 | $43,411 |
| Charleston Southern University | 24 | $21,666 | $45,898 |
| Truett McConnell University | 23 | $22,227 | $46,700 |
| Columbia International University | 21 | $26,036 | $38,951 |
| Kentucky Christian University | 19 | $24,038 | $42,375 |
| Trinity Bible College and Graduate School | 18 | $19,359 | $35,604 |
Who Thrives Here
Davis & Elkins serves about 661 students with a 43.3% Pell rate. The fit case is most concentrated for students entering the school's nursing program or the equestrian or outdoor-adventure tracks (signature niche programs at the school) who can finance attendance largely through institutional aid. The 39.3% completion rate is a meaningful caution flag for prospective borrowers in general liberal-arts tracks.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Davis & Elkins College scores 21/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $18,273 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $43,411 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 25.3 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 39.3% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.90 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $27,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $30,100 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.90. 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.
Davis & Elkins College: Common Questions
Is Davis & Elkins College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Davis & Elkins College scores 21/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $18,273 a year after aid against $43,411 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 25.3 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Davis & Elkins 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 $18,273 a year, or roughly $73,092 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 Davis & Elkins College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $43,411 ten years after enrolling, roughly $1,611 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 Davis & Elkins 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 25.3 years for Davis & Elkins College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Davis & Elkins College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $30,100 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.90. 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 Davis & Elkins College?
The six-year graduation rate is 39.3%. 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.