Ferrum College
Ferrum, Virginia · Private Nonprofit · 89.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 17/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Ferrum College in rural southwest Virginia posts a 17 ROI score, firmly in the Below Benchmark tier. Ferrum is a small Methodist-affiliated private college with $28,520 sticker tuition and a $20,082 net price after institutional aid. Four-year total cost is $80,328. The numbers driving the score are: a 31.9 percent completion rate, $44,296 ten-year median earnings against $28,100 average earnings at six years, an 11.6 percent earnings premium, and a 23.7-year payback period. Median debt is $27,000 with a 0.961 debt-to-earnings ratio (sub-score 6), meaning debt nearly equals annual earnings for the median graduate. Repayment is weak at 62 percent at three years dropping to 56 percent at five. The combination of low completion, modest earnings, and high debt pulls the score down under our methodology.
How Ferrum 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 Score17/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate31.9% - 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 period23.7 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Ferrum College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $28,520/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $28,520/yr |
| Average net price | $20,082/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $80,328 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $44,296 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $28,100 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 23.7 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 31.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 699 |
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: $28,520/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $20,082/year, or roughly $80,328 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 $16,940/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $24,346/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 ($28,100) and comes to 0.96, 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 | $16,940 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $16,493 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $19,967 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $22,505 |
| $110,001+ | $24,346 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Notable inversion: families under $30,000 pay $16,940, but the $30,001 to $48,000 bracket pays less at $16,493. That is a mild small-sample anomaly worth flagging. Four-year cost for low-income students is approximately $68,000, against $44,296 median earnings ten years out. Combined with the 31.9 percent completion rate, the expected outcome for low-income students is the worst combination: debt without a degree.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families pay $16,493 (the $30,001 to $48,000 tier) to $19,967 (the $48,001 to $75,000 tier). Total four-year cost lands around $66,000 to $80,000. The progression is otherwise normal but the numbers do not make financial sense given Ferrum's earnings outcomes.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $24,346, with the $75,001 to $110,000 bracket at $22,505. The curve is normal but the high tier still represents roughly $97,000 over four years. There is essentially no financial case for higher-income students to choose Ferrum unless the family is fully paying out of pocket for the specific residential experience or program.
Earnings by Major
Top 7 most popular majors at Ferrum College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher Education, Subject-Specific | $42,664 | F |
| Natural Resources Conservation | $49,527 | - |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $33,795 | D |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $60,235 | D |
| Psychology | $37,841 | - |
| Accounting | $60,070 | - |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | $42,229 | C |
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.
Teacher Education, Subject-Specific
Teacher Education is the largest cohort at 25 graduates with F grade. First-year earnings of just $29,100 against $31,000 in median debt produce a 1.065 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning debt exceeds annual earnings. Year-four earnings of $42,664 show only modest progression, reflecting Virginia teacher pay scales.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration produces 11 graduates with D grade. First-year earnings of $33,795 against $27,000 in median debt yield a 0.799 debt-to-earnings ratio. Year-four earnings are not reported.
Natural Resources Conservation
Natural Resources Conservation produces 11 graduates. ROI grade and debt are not reported, but year-four median earnings of $49,527 suggest a real career pathway exists for graduates. The program plays to Ferrum's rural Appalachian setting and the school's traditional strength in natural resources. This is the closest thing to a defensible program here for students with a clear conservation, forestry, or wildlife management interest.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice shows 8 graduates with D grade. First-year earnings of $42,080 climb to $60,235 by year four, but median debt is $29,500, the highest in the program list, yielding a 0.701 debt-to-earnings ratio. Career paths into Virginia state and federal law enforcement are real but the heavy debt load relative to entry-level pay makes graduates' early years difficult.
Accounting
Accounting produces just 4 graduates per year. Year-four median earnings of $60,070 suggest decent post-graduation outcomes for the small cohort that completes. ROI grade and debt are not reported. The tiny program size means this is a niche option rather than a feature program; students seriously targeting Accounting should evaluate larger Virginia options with stronger CPA preparation pipelines.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 56.0% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 61.9% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 56.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 60.9% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Ferrum 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 | 89.0% |
| Enrollment | 699 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 54.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,763 |
Ferrum admits 89 percent of applicants. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported, indicating a test-optional posture. The 89 percent admit rate paired with a 31.9 percent completion rate is the central warning: the school admits broadly but fewer than one in three students finish. Prepared students should evaluate carefully whether the small-college support infrastructure will actually help them complete, because the historical data says it largely does not.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Ferrum's score is 17, dragged primarily by the 31.9 percent completion rate.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ferrum College (this school) | 17 | $20,082 | $44,296 |
| Averett University | 37 | $22,925 | $51,516 |
| Bluefield University | 32 | $25,573 | $48,896 |
| Herzing University-Minneapolis | 16 | $16,670 | $36,909 |
| St. Andrews University | 16 | $32,513 | $45,606 |
| Villa Maria College | 15 | $13,494 | $38,857 |
Who Thrives Here
Ferrum fits a narrow profile: a southwest Virginia or rural Appalachian student drawn to the small-college environment and ideally targeting the school's Natural Resources Conservation pathway (an area of regional strength), with substantial family aid or scholarship support. Pell rate is 54.3 percent, meaning a majority of students are from low-income households. Enrollment is just 699. The combination of low completion and high debt-to-earnings means the realistic recommendation for most prospective students is to look at Virginia community-college options first and consider Ferrum only if there is a specific program fit and clear financing path.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Ferrum College scores 17/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $20,082 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $44,296 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 23.7 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 31.9% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.96 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 61.9% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $27,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $28,100 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.96. 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.
Ferrum College: Common Questions
Is Ferrum College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Ferrum College scores 17/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $20,082 a year after aid against $44,296 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 23.7 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Ferrum 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 $20,082 a year, or roughly $80,328 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 Ferrum College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $44,296 ten years after enrolling, roughly $2,496 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 Ferrum 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 23.7 years for Ferrum College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Ferrum College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $28,100 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.96. 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 Ferrum College?
The six-year graduation rate is 31.9%. 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.