Edward Waters University
Jacksonville, Florida · Private Nonprofit · 85.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 15/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Edward Waters University scores 15 (Below Benchmark). Average 6-year earnings of $22,700 and a payback period recorded as 999 (no calculable payback) reflect a situation where graduates do not earn enough above the non-college baseline to generate a recoverable return on investment within a measurable horizon. The 28.2% completion rate means fewer than three in ten entering students graduate. The 1-year repayment rate is 9.3%. Median debt is not reported in the Scorecard, so our debt-to-earnings measure gets a neutral middle score of 50 rather than counting the gap as a positive. These outcomes describe an institution serving Jacksonville's most economically vulnerable students with very limited success at producing credential attainment.
How Edward Waters 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.
- 6-year graduation rate28.2% - 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.
Edward Waters University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $16,366/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $16,366/yr |
| Average net price | $13,649/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $54,596 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $34,782 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $22,700 |
| Median debt at graduation | N/A |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | N/A |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 28.2% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,087 |
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: $16,366/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $13,649/year, or roughly $54,596 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 $12,380/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $20,865/year.
The Department of Education does not report a median debt figure for this school, usually because too few students borrow federal loans for the figure to be published. Our ROI score gives this measure a neutral middle value rather than treating it as zero debt.
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 | $12,380 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $12,113 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $9,743 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $21,661 |
| $110,001+ | $20,865 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Low-income families (0-$30,000) pay $12,380 per year at Edward Waters University - $49,520 over four years, assuming full four-year completion. Against $22,700 average 6-year earnings and a 28.2% completion rate, most students in this bracket will not complete and will carry debt without a degree. The school's 75.5% Pell grant rate means the federal government subsidizes the majority of student costs here; those Pell dollars are producing poor outcome returns.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $9,743 per year - lower than the lowest-income bracket, an unusual inversion likely reflecting specific aid or scholarship program thresholds. The $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $21,661 per year. The step-down for the $48k-$75k bracket is notable and may reflect institutional merit aid programs. Against $22,700 average earnings and a 28.2% completion rate, even lower net price tiers face very poor expected returns.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Higher-income families ($110,000+) pay $20,865 per year - $83,460 over four years. At this net price, attending EWU for non-HBCU-specific reasons makes no financial sense given the completion and earnings data. High-income families choosing EWU would be doing so for community, identity, or mission reasons that the Scorecard data does not capture - and should enter that decision with full awareness of the institutional outcome profile.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 9.3% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 26.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 19.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 29.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Edward Waters 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 | 85.0% |
| Enrollment | 1,087 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 75.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,800 |
EWU's 84.9% admission rate and absence of test score data describe open-access enrollment. The school's HBCU mission prioritizes access for students who face significant barriers to higher education. Admission is not the challenge here - completion and post-graduation outcomes are. Prospective students should ask directly about retention support, financial aid renewal policies, and career placement resources before enrolling.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Waters University (this school) | 15 | $13,649 | $34,782 |
| Winston-Salem State University | 27 | $13,479 | $45,344 |
| Prairie View A & M University | 27 | $13,570 | $45,411 |
| Tuskegee University | 26 | $35,013 | $49,641 |
| Elizabeth City State University | 23 | $6,364 | $40,026 |
| Paine College | 14 | $16,670 | $33,338 |
Who Thrives Here
Edward Waters University admits 84.9% of applicants and does not report test score data. Enrollment of 1,087 includes a 75.5% Pell grant rate, indicating that EWU primarily serves students who are federally defined as low-income. However, the Scorecard data is unambiguous: the school is not producing graduation or earnings outcomes that justify the financial risk for most enrolled students. The 28.2% completion rate means most students who enroll will not graduate, and the 9.3% 1-year repayment rate means most who borrow will face years of financial difficulty.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Edward Waters University scores 15/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $13,649 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $34,782 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 28.2% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 26.4% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Edward Waters University: Common Questions
Is Edward Waters University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Edward Waters University scores 15/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $13,649 a year after aid against $34,782 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 Edward Waters 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 $13,649 a year, or roughly $54,596 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 Edward Waters University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $34,782 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 Edward Waters 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 more than 50 years for Edward Waters University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
What is the graduation rate at Edward Waters University?
The six-year graduation rate is 28.2%. 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.