Gallaudet University
Washington, District of Columbia · Private Nonprofit · 58.1% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 27/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Gallaudet University earns an overall ROI score of 27/100, placing it in the Below Benchmark band on CampusROI's framework. Tuition runs $19,654 with an average net price of $15,845 after aid. Average earnings six years after entry land at $25,400, climbing to a median of roughly $43,101 by year ten, producing a payback period of about 25.1 years. Median federal debt of $18,000 works out to a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71, which is tight. Completion is the headline weakness at 47.3% of degree-seeking students finishing within 150% of normal time. The component scores break down as earnings premium 23/100, completion 33/100, payback 20/100, debt-to-earnings 27/100, repayment 45/100. The lowest sub-score is payback period at 20/100, which is the main weight pulling the overall number down; the strongest sub-score is loan repayment rate at 45/100. Data points here come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (2024-2025 vintage), and Scorecard earnings carry a 6-10 year reporting lag, so the figures describe recent graduating cohorts rather than this year's incoming class.
How Gallaudet 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 Score27/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period25.1 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Gallaudet University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $19,654/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $19,654/yr |
| Average net price | $15,845/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $63,380 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $43,101 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $25,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $18,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $191 |
| Estimated payback period | 25.1 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 47.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 812 |
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: $19,654/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $15,845/year, or roughly $63,380 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 $14,129/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $18,318/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $18,000, which works out to about $191 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($25,400) and comes to 0.71, 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 | $14,129 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $15,238 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $14,236 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $18,830 |
| $110,001+ | $18,318 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay an average net price of $14,129 per year here. With expected earnings around $43,101 a decade out, that's a tight number - Pell, state grants, and any institutional aid are doing real work to make it accessible, but families should still model debt carefully across four years.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) face a net price of about $14,236 per year. These households typically get less Pell support and partial institutional aid, so the tuition bill is more directly felt. Whether the math works depends on the major: programs with stronger early earnings can absorb this cost; lower-paying majors will produce a longer payback period. Note: the income-bracket data shows inversions where the 30-48k bracket pays more than the 48-75k bracket and the 75-110k bracket pays more than the 110k+ bracket - that's unusual and likely reflects small-sample noise or aid policy quirks; treat the brackets as approximate.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families in the $110,000+ bracket pay an average of $18,318 per year.
Earnings by Major
Top 7 most popular majors at Gallaudet University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | $31,541 | D |
| Psychology | $20,185 | C |
| American Sign Language | $70,859 | D |
| Communication and Media Studies | $25,747 | D |
| Social Work | $31,903 | D |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $38,090 | - |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $29,003 | D |
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.
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies (CIP 0502) graduates 30 students per year. Reported median first-year earnings of $31,541. Median program debt is $28,125 against a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.89, which is heavy. CampusROI assigns this program an ROI grade of D.
Psychology
Psychology (CIP 4201) graduates 21 students per year. Reported median first-year earnings of $20,185. Median program debt is $14,097 against a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.70, which is tight. CampusROI assigns this program an ROI grade of C. Psychology bachelor's-level outcomes are weak unless paired with graduate study; the debt-to-earnings ratio here reflects that reality.
American Sign Language
American Sign Language (CIP 1616) graduates 18 students per year. Reported median first-year earnings of $37,235 and four-year earnings of $70,859. Median program debt is $30,500 against a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.82, which is heavy. CampusROI assigns this program an ROI grade of D.
Communication and Media Studies
Communication and Media Studies (CIP 0901) graduates 16 students per year. Reported median first-year earnings of $25,747. Median program debt is $25,000 against a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.97, which is heavy. CampusROI assigns this program an ROI grade of D. Communications outcomes are hugely dispersed; the median understates the tail risk for graduates who don't land a structured first job.
Social Work
Social Work (CIP 4407) graduates 13 students per year. Reported median first-year earnings of $31,903. Median program debt is $23,017 against a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.72, which is tight. CampusROI assigns this program an ROI grade of D.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 61.3% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 71.7% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 58.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 68.2% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Gallaudet 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 | 58.1% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 400-520 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 380-502 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 14-17 |
| Enrollment | 812 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 57.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $10,939 |
The school admits roughly 58.1% of applicants, putting it in the moderately selective category (SAT Math 25th-75th of 400-520; SAT Reading 25th-75th of 380-502; ACT Composite 25th-75th of 14-17). For prepared students with solid high school records the admit decision is unlikely to be the binding constraint here.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Gallaudet University sits at ROI 27 with 25.1yr payback.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gallaudet University (this school) | 27 | $15,845 | $43,101 |
| The Catholic University of America | 77 | $29,561 | $73,250 |
| American University | 74 | $41,943 | $77,370 |
| University of the Ozarks | 30 | $17,360 | $44,384 |
| Mary Baldwin University | 25 | $12,756 | $44,427 |
| Be'er Yaakov Talmudic Seminary | 25 | $4,543 | $17,360 |
Who Thrives Here
This is a Mid-Atlantic institution with a small enrollment of 812 undergraduates and a Pell Grant rate of 57.9%. Strong fit profile is a focused, locally-rooted student who has a clear major in mind and needs the in-state pricing and small-campus scale to make the math work. Be honest about completion: at this rate, a meaningful share of students who enroll do not finish, and incomplete degrees produce the worst ROI of any path. Median earnings ten years out of $43,101 should be the honest yardstick for whether the price the family will actually pay (see the income-bracket breakdown below) leads to a workable post-graduation budget.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Gallaudet University scores 27/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $15,845 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $43,101 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 25.1 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 47.3% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $18,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $25,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71. 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.
Gallaudet University: Common Questions
Is Gallaudet University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Gallaudet University scores 27/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $15,845 a year after aid against $43,101 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 25.1 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Gallaudet 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 $15,845 a year, or roughly $63,380 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 Gallaudet University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $43,101 ten years after enrolling, roughly $1,301 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 Gallaudet 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 about 25.1 years for Gallaudet University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Gallaudet University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $18,000, against average earnings of $25,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71. 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 Gallaudet University?
The six-year graduation rate is 47.3%. 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.