Gordon College
Wenham, Massachusetts · Private Nonprofit · 69.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 46/100 · Below Average Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts posts a 46 ROI score, sitting in the Below Average Value tier. Gordon is a small Christian liberal arts college on the North Shore with $30,700 sticker tuition and a $24,883 net price after institutional aid. Four-year total cost is $99,532. The score's strong points are completion (68.5 percent, well above average) and repayment (an excellent 88 percent making progress at three years rising to 90 percent at seven). The weak points are earnings premium (17.2 percent) and debt-to-earnings (0.723 on $26,250 in median debt). Median earnings ten years out are $52,119 against $36,300 at six years. Payback period is 14 years. The program-level data shows Finance (year-four earnings of $83,184) and Business Administration (year-four of $73,576) as the strong cases, while Psychology, Biology, English, and Sociology cluster in D and F grades. The school does what good Christian liberal arts colleges do (high completion, strong repayment, values community) but earnings outcomes outside business are constrained.
Gordon College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $30,700/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $30,700/yr |
| Average net price | $24,883/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $99,532 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $52,119 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $36,300 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,250 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $278 |
| Estimated payback period | 14 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 68.5% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,278 |
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: $30,700/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $24,883/year, or roughly $99,532 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 $21,829/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $27,138/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $26,250, which works out to about $278 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($36,300) and comes to 0.72, 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 | $21,829 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $18,900 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $21,004 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $24,380 |
| $110,001+ | $27,138 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Notable inversion: families under $30,000 pay $21,829, but the $30,001 to $48,000 bracket pays less at $18,900. That is a small-sample anomaly worth flagging. Four-year cost for low-income students is approximately $87,000, against $52,119 median earnings ten years out. Combined with values fit and high completion, the math is tolerable for committed students; the inversion suggests the school's aid model has small irregularities in the lowest bracket.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families pay $18,900 (the $30,001 to $48,000 tier) to $21,004 (the $48,001 to $75,000 tier). Total four-year cost lands around $76,000 to $84,000. This is Gordon's value sweet spot: meaningful institutional aid keeps the price tag manageable, and the strong completion rate plus repayment outcomes support the spend for committed Christian-college students.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $27,138, with the $75,001 to $110,000 bracket at $24,380. The progression is normal. Four-year cost for the top bracket is approximately $108,000; the strongest program earnings are in Finance and Business.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Gordon College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | $35,529 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $73,576 | C |
| Communication and Media Studies | $46,723 | C |
| Teacher Education | $48,928 | C |
| Finance and Financial Management | $83,184 | - |
| International Relations | $37,684 | D |
| English Language and Literature | $47,495 | D |
| Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries | $52,173 | - |
| Linguistic and Comparative Language Studies | $53,475 | - |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | $51,479 | - |
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 the largest cohort at 36 graduates with D grade. First-year earnings of $35,529 against $26,000 in median debt produce a 0.732 debt-to-earnings ratio. Year-four earnings are not reported. The earnings figure suggests many graduates remain at the bachelor's level rather than entering professional or graduate programs; for pre-medical, pre-dental, or PhD-bound students, the trajectory changes meaningfully with the eventual credential.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration produces 25 graduates with C grade. First-year earnings of $39,920 grow to a healthy $73,576 by year four, with $24,250 in median debt and a 0.607 debt-to-earnings ratio. The year-four earnings figure reflects placement into Boston-area finance and corporate roles. This is among the most defensible programs at Gordon, with earnings strong enough to support the debt load.
Communication and Media Studies
Communication produces 24 graduates with C grade. Year-four median earnings of $46,723 against $26,500 in median debt yield a 0.567 debt-to-earnings ratio. Career paths into nonprofit communications, religious media, corporate PR, and Boston-area marketing roles are real but modest in pay. The Christian-college context can support clearer pathways into faith-based communications work.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education shows 15 graduates with C grade. First-year earnings of $43,989 grow to $48,928 by year four, with $26,975 in debt and a 0.613 debt-to-earnings ratio. The credential is portable across MA public and private school systems.
Finance and Financial Management
Finance produces 13 graduates. Year-four median earnings of $83,184 are exceptional for a small Christian liberal arts college, reflecting placement into Boston-area asset management, banking, and corporate-finance roles. Debt and ROI grade are not reported, but at this earnings level the program is one of the strongest financial cases at Gordon despite the small cohort size.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 86.6% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 88.2% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 88.2% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 90.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Gordon 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 | 69.2% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 550-660 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 580-695 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 25-31 |
| Enrollment | 1,278 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 20.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,927 |
Gordon admits 69.2 percent of applicants. SAT mid-range is 550 to 660 math and 580 to 695 reading; ACT mid-range is 25 to 31. These are strong mid-ranges, comfortably above national medians. The 68.5 percent completion rate is excellent and reflects the school's small-college support infrastructure plus the mission alignment of admitted students. Prepared students scoring in the upper mid-range should expect admission and have a high probability of completing.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Gordon's repayment rate is 88 percent.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gordon College (this school) | 46 | $24,883 | $52,119 |
| Ouachita Baptist University | 47 | $22,409 | $51,673 |
| Georgetown College | 47 | $14,095 | $52,074 |
| Maranatha Baptist University | 47 | $26,005 | $45,593 |
| Lubbock Christian University | 46 | $24,456 | $53,787 |
| Erskine College | 45 | $16,525 | $53,459 |
Who Thrives Here
Gordon fits a student specifically seeking an evangelical Christian liberal arts environment with strong residential life, ideally targeting Business Administration or Finance, and able to secure institutional aid that brings the net price down. Pell rate is just 20.8 percent, indicating a higher-income student body. Enrollment is 1,278, small and intentional. The school's high completion and repayment rates suggest students who arrive finish and stay current on debt, which is the right baseline for a values-purchase decision. Poor fits are students drawn to Gordon's atmosphere but committing to weaker-earning humanities tracks (Psychology, English, Biology terminal bachelor's) without graduate plans.
The Verdict: Proceed With Caution
The money case for Gordon College is mixed, and worth a hard look before you commit. At $24,883 per year after aid, the typical graduate earns $52,119 ten years after entry, which means it takes about 14 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 it has going for it: its 68.5% graduation rate, high loan repayment success. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.72 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $26,250 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $36,300 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.72. 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.
Gordon College: Common Questions
Is Gordon College worth it?
In our view, the money case is mixed and worth a hard look before you commit. Gordon College scores 46/100 on our ROI scale. At $24,883 a year after aid the typical graduate earns $52,119 ten years after entry, so it takes about 14 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does Gordon 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 $24,883 a year, or roughly $99,532 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 Gordon College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $52,119 ten years after enrolling, roughly $10,319 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 Gordon 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 14 years for Gordon College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Gordon College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,250, against average earnings of $36,300 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.72. 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 Gordon College?
The six-year graduation rate is 68.5%, 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.