Georgetown College
Georgetown, Kentucky · Private Nonprofit · 91.1% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 47/100 · Below Average Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Georgetown College in Kentucky earns a 47/100 ROI score and a Below Average Value tier. The data tells an interesting story: this is a small Kentucky Baptist-affiliated liberal arts college that aggressively discounts its $42,840 sticker tuition down to a $14,095 net price - nearly $29,000 off list. Average earnings six years after entry are $32,500, climbing to a median $52,074 by year ten - decent mid-career growth. The implied payback period is 11.5 years. Median federal debt is $25,200, producing a 0.775 debt-to-earnings ratio (the school's weakest sub-score). The earnings premium of 30.3% is solid (67/100). Completion is 48.9%, weak. Repayment performance is 73% three-year, with 5- and 7-year improving to 76% and 83%, suggesting graduates ultimately make good on their loans. The honest read: Georgetown's heavy aid-discounting brings the institution into competitive range with public regionals on cost, while the small-college experience and Baptist-affiliated community provide differentiated value. The dominant problem is debt-to-earnings - $25K debt against $32K starting earnings is tight. Pre-health and biology students get the best outcomes.
Georgetown College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $42,840/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $42,840/yr |
| Average net price | $14,095/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $56,380 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $52,074 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $32,500 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,200 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $267 |
| Estimated payback period | 11.5 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 48.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,097 |
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: $42,840/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $14,095/year, or roughly $56,380 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 $9,777/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $20,207/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $25,200, which works out to about $267 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($32,500) and comes to 0.78, 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 | $9,777 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $7,834 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $9,797 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $16,577 |
| $110,001+ | $20,207 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $9,777 net price - a steep discount from the $14,095 average and a meaningful access-mission commitment. Note bracket inversion: the $30K-$48K bracket pays $7,834, LESS than the lowest-income bracket. This is unusual and Pell-eligible families should ask the financial aid office why. Across four years, low-income families face $39,108 net cost, manageable with Pell-grant support and modest borrowing.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income brackets pay $7,834 ($30K-$48K), $9,797 ($48K-$75K), and $16,577 ($75K-$110K). The $30K-$48K bracket is the value sweet spot due to the inversion noted above. Middle-income families generally pay $30K-$66K four-year net.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $20,207. Over four years that's $80,828 net for high-income families. Given $52,074 ten-year median earnings, the math is workable for pre-health-track students.
Earnings by Major
Top 4 most popular majors at Georgetown College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | $55,295 | D |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $58,526 | D |
| Biology | $68,191 | B |
| Communication and Media Studies | $51,395 | 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.
Biology
Biology is Georgetown's strongest tracked outcome. Graduates earn $68,191 four years out (1-year not reported, likely because most are pursuing graduate or professional school). Median debt is $27,000 with a 0.396 debt-to-earnings ratio - B grade. With 18 graduates per cohort the program is meaningful. The strong 4-year earnings figure suggests successful pre-med or pre-health pipelines; for students with serious medical or dental school ambitions this is Georgetown's clearest financial bright spot.
Psychology
Psychology graduates earn $33,921 one year out and $55,295 four years out, with $27,000 median debt and a 0.796 debt-to-earnings ratio (D grade). 26 graduates per cohort makes this one of Georgetown's larger programs. Mid-career earnings are reasonable, but year-one financial strain against the debt load is real. Students intending psychology graduate school should plan accordingly; bachelor's-only psychology economics are weak nationally.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology graduates earn $37,620 one year out and $58,526 four years out, with $27,000 median debt and a 0.718 debt-to-earnings ratio (D grade). 19 graduates per cohort. Many students intend physical therapy, occupational therapy, or PA grad school, and the financial story improves substantially with the next credential. As a terminal bachelor's the math is mediocre.
Communication and Media Studies
Communication graduates earn $35,442 one year out and $51,395 four years out, with $26,750 median debt and a 0.755 debt-to-earnings ratio (D grade). 12 graduates per cohort. Year-one earnings are weak relative to debt; mid-career trajectory is reasonable. The communication-and-media field is structurally challenging for liberal-arts graduates everywhere; Georgetown's outcomes mirror national patterns.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 68.0% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 73.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 75.7% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 82.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Georgetown 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 | 91.1% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 460-570 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 500-590 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 20-25 |
| Enrollment | 1,097 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 35.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,502 |
Georgetown admits 91% of applicants, with SAT mid-ranges of 460-570 math and 500-590 reading and an ACT composite mid-range of 20-25. Prepared, motivated students complete at materially higher rates than the headline figure suggests.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown College (this school) | 47 | $14,095 | $52,074 |
| Ouachita Baptist University | 47 | $22,409 | $51,673 |
| Covenant College | 47 | $26,265 | $50,412 |
| Maranatha Baptist University | 47 | $26,005 | $45,593 |
| Gordon College | 46 | $24,883 | $52,119 |
| Lubbock Christian University | 46 | $24,456 | $53,787 |
Who Thrives Here
Georgetown enrolls 1,097 students with a 35.3% Pell rate - a moderately access-mission profile, serving heavily Kentucky and surrounding-state Christian-affiliated students. The fit profile is clearest for pre-health/biology students (B grade), athletes drawn by NAIA participation, and students specifically seeking a Baptist-affiliated small-campus experience. Generic liberal-arts and humanities students should weigh whether Kentucky's strong public regionals offer better value at lower net cost.
The Verdict: Proceed With Caution
The money case for Georgetown College is mixed, and worth a hard look before you commit. At $14,095 per year after aid, the typical graduate earns $52,074 ten years after entry, which means it takes about 11.5 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years. Whether it's worth it comes down to your major and your aid package.
What to keep an eye on: its 48.9% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.78 (median across the schools we score: 0.61).
Median debt of $25,200 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $32,500 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.78. 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.
Georgetown College: Common Questions
Is Georgetown College worth it?
In our view, the money case is mixed and worth a hard look before you commit. Georgetown College scores 47/100 on our ROI scale. At $14,095 a year after aid the typical graduate earns $52,074 ten years after entry, so it takes about 11.5 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does Georgetown 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 $14,095 a year, or roughly $56,380 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 Georgetown College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $52,074 ten years after enrolling, roughly $10,274 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 Georgetown 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 11.5 years for Georgetown College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Georgetown College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,200, against average earnings of $32,500 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.78. 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 Georgetown College?
The six-year graduation rate is 48.9%. 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.