Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary
Ankeny, Iowa · Private Nonprofit · 67.5% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 42/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary (Ankeny, IA) scores 42 (Below Benchmark) driven by a 36.3-year payback period and average 6-year earnings of $32,000. The school's mission is explicitly ministerial: preparing students for pastoral ministry, Christian education, and missionary work. Graduates entering those fields typically accept below-market compensation as a deliberate choice. Net price of $16,282 and median debt of $12,971 are relatively modest, which tempers the financial exposure somewhat, but the ROI framing is limited in applicability here: students choose this school for vocational calling, not financial return.
How Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary 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 Score42/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period36.3 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $20,270/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $20,270/yr |
| Average net price | $16,282/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $65,128 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $40,650 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $32,000 |
| Median debt at graduation | $12,971 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $138 |
| Estimated payback period | 36.3 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 67.5% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 405 |
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: $20,270/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $16,282/year, or roughly $65,128 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 $14,121/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $19,580/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $12,971, which works out to about $138 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($32,000) and comes to 0.41, which in our view is comfortably manageable.
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 | $14,121 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $14,439 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $16,036 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $17,612 |
| $110,001+ | $19,580 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Low-income families (under $30,000) pay $14,121 per year, or about $56,000 over four years. Against average earnings of $32,000 at six years and a 36.3-year payback period, the financial case is weak by standard metrics. Students and families in this bracket should clearly understand that ministry careers will not produce strong earnings trajectories, and the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.405 at median debt of $12,971 reflects the only meaningful financial cushion here: the school is cheap enough that absolute debt is low.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-75,000 bracket pays $16,036 and the $75,001-110,000 bracket pays $17,612 per year. Middle-income families paying this price for a ministry degree are making an investment in vocational formation rather than financial return. The net price is accessible, but the 36.3-year payback calculation should not be misread as a sound financial investment.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning over $110,000 pay $19,580 per year - roughly $78,000 over four years. At this income level and price point, the out-of-pocket cost is manageable, but the same financial logic applies: the school's mission is ministerial rather than wage-focused. High-income families choosing this school for their student are prioritizing ministry formation over financial return.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Bible/Biblical Studies | $21,543 | - |
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.
Bible/Biblical Studies
The only program with Scorecard data is Bible/Biblical Studies (7 graduates), with year-one median earnings of $21,543 and no four-year figure reported. The small cohort and limited data make program-level conclusions unreliable. Ministry occupations - pastor, chaplain, missionary, Christian educator - are the target labor market. Graduates who expect this credential to open high-earning secular careers will be disappointed.
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 | 84.2% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 84.6% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary’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 | 67.5% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 490-580 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 500-610 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 19-26 |
| Enrollment | 405 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 35.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,909 |
At 67.5% acceptance, Faith Baptist is selective enough to screen for mission alignment but not highly selective by academic metrics. Admissions decisions appear to weight faith commitment and ministry preparation alongside academic credentials.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
ROI scoring at this school type requires significant context - a low ROI score does not measure how well the school fulfils its mission.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary (this school) | 42 | $16,282 | $40,650 |
| Briar Cliff University | 46 | $23,907 | $54,475 |
| Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education | 44 | $35,671 | $54,914 |
| College of Biblical Studies-Houston | 43 | $672 | $39,260 |
| Buena Vista University | 39 | $18,846 | $49,156 |
| Rabbinical College Bobover Yeshiva Bnei Zion | 31 | $9,136 | $20,707 |
Who Thrives Here
Faith Baptist admits 67.5% of applicants, with SAT mid-ranges of 490-580 Math and 500-610 Reading, ACT 19-26 composite. At 405 students and a 67.5% completion rate, the school is a small, mission-specific institution. The 35.3% Pell grant rate suggests a modest but meaningful share of lower-income students. This school fits students committed to Baptist ministry and Christian service; it does not fit students seeking broad career preparation or strong earnings outcomes.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary scores 42/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $16,282 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $40,650 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 36.3 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 it has going for it: manageable debt relative to earnings. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a long payback period.
Median debt of $12,971 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $32,000 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.41, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary: Common Questions
Is Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary scores 42/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $16,282 a year after aid against $40,650 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 36.3 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary 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 $16,282 a year, or roughly $65,128 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 Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $40,650 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 Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary?
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 36.3 years for Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $12,971, against average earnings of $32,000 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.41. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary?
The six-year graduation rate is 67.5%, at or above the 64% national average for four-year schools (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.