Guilford College
Greensboro, North Carolina · Private Nonprofit · 80.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 25/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina earns a 25 ROI score, placing it in the Below Benchmark tier. Guilford is a small Quaker liberal arts college with $41,362 sticker tuition and a $22,270 average net price after institutional aid. Total four-year cost runs $89,080 on average. The numbers driving the low score: a 45.8 percent completion rate; median ten-year earnings of $47,590 producing a modest 14.1 percent earnings premium; an 18.2-year payback period; and a 0.795 debt-to-earnings ratio on $26,000 in median borrowing. Repayment shows 62 percent making progress at three years. The program mix tilts heavily toward liberal-arts disciplines that pay modestly, with Psychology (32 graduates, F grade) as the largest cohort. Business and CS show promise but small cohorts. The Quaker mission and intentional small-college experience are real; the financial side is the 18.2-year payback period.
How Guilford 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 Score25/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period18.2 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Guilford College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $41,362/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $41,362/yr |
| Average net price | $22,270/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $89,080 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $47,590 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $32,700 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $276 |
| Estimated payback period | 18.2 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 45.8% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,001 |
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: $41,362/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $22,270/year, or roughly $89,080 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 $18,367/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $49,368/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $26,000, which works out to about $276 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($32,700) and comes to 0.80, 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 | $18,367 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $22,825 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $34,680 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $49,275 |
| $110,001+ | $49,368 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $18,367, the lowest tier. Over four years, low-income students commit to approximately $73,000. The aid structure is meaningfully need-tested for the bottom bracket, and combined with values alignment, this is the best Guilford fit. The risk is the 45.8 percent completion rate: a low-income student who does not finish carries $26,000 in median debt without a degree.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Sharp price jumps signal an aid cliff. Middle-income families pay $22,825 (the $30,001 to $48,000 tier) but the next bracket up ($48,001 to $75,000) jumps to $34,680, and the bracket above that ($75,001 to $110,000) leaps to $49,275, which exceeds the $41,362 sticker tuition. That implies the published $49,275 figure is for total cost-of-attendance (including room and board), and that institutional aid disappears in the upper-middle bracket. Middle-income families need to look hard at this cliff.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $49,368, essentially full cost-of-attendance. That confirms the aid structure is essentially need-based with little merit aid above the upper-middle threshold. Four-year cost for high-income families is approximately $197,000, against ten-year earnings of $47,590. Strong values fit and ability to pay are the only defenses at this income tier.
Earnings by Major
Top 9 most popular majors at Guilford College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | $49,921 | F |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $46,651 | D |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $54,209 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $60,858 | C |
| Health/Medical Preparatory Programs | $46,011 | C |
| Biology | $30,486 | C |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $65,823 | - |
| Accounting | $67,698 | C |
| English Language and Literature | $49,064 | - |
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.
Psychology
Psychology is the largest cohort at 32 graduates with an F grade. First-year median earnings of just $27,740 against $29,460 in median debt produce a 1.062 debt-to-earnings ratio, the worst in Guilford's program list and meaning debt exceeds annual earnings. Year-four earnings of $49,921 show progression but the entry-level squeeze is severe. Students should only commit to this with a clear graduate-school plan.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology produces 27 graduates with D grade. First-year earnings of $28,802 against $27,000 debt yield a 0.937 debt-to-earnings ratio. Year-four earnings of $46,651 show some lift, suggesting many graduates move into PT school, athletic training, or strength-coaching roles. As a terminal bachelor's the math is uncomfortable; with a clear graduate-school pipeline it can work.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration shows 19 graduates with C grade. First-year earnings of $46,497 grow to $60,858 by year four, with $27,000 in median debt and a 0.581 debt-to-earnings ratio. This is among the more defensible programs at Guilford, particularly for students who can secure substantial aid. The earnings progression suggests the program does prepare students for meaningful business roles.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice produces 20 graduates with D grade. First-year earnings of $31,799 against $27,290 debt give a 0.858 debt-to-earnings ratio. Career paths into local and state law enforcement typically offer stable pensions but modest pay.
Accounting
Accounting earns C with just 5 graduates per year. First-year earnings of $44,566 grow to $67,698 by year four, with $27,000 in debt and a 0.606 debt-to-earnings ratio. The CPA pathway lifts earnings substantially after licensure. Small cohort makes the program less of a feature program but the financial outcomes for those who complete are among the best at Guilford.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 56.4% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 61.8% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 58.4% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 60.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Guilford 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 | 80.0% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 570-610 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 550-650 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 18-24 |
| Enrollment | 1,001 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 43.7% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,005 |
Guilford admits 80 percent of applicants. SAT mid-range is 570 to 610 math and 550 to 650 reading; ACT mid-range is 18 to 24. The SAT mid-ranges are actually fairly strong, suggesting Guilford's admit pool tilts toward solidly prepared students even with the broad 80 percent admit rate. Strong students may find the academic environment engaging but should evaluate whether the net price aligns with their financial situation.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guilford College (this school) | 25 | $22,270 | $47,590 |
| Mary Baldwin University | 25 | $12,756 | $44,427 |
| Be'er Yaakov Talmudic Seminary | 25 | $4,543 | $17,360 |
| Barton College | 24 | $23,626 | $47,913 |
| Belmont Abbey College | 24 | $24,639 | $47,937 |
| Edward Waters University | 15 | $13,649 | $34,782 |
Who Thrives Here
Guilford fits a student who specifically values Quaker pedagogy (small classes, social-justice orientation, consensus decision-making) and can secure substantial aid bringing the net price down to the $18,000 to $23,000 range. Pell rate is 43.7 percent. Enrollment is 1,001, small and intimate. The school works best for students in Business Administration, the small CS cohort, or pre-health tracks with graduate-school plans. Poor fits are students attracted by the values alignment but committing to Psychology, English, or general humanities without graduate plans; the 32 Psychology grads-per-year cohort with an F grade is the cautionary case.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Guilford College scores 25/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $22,270 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $47,590 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 18.2 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 45.8% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.80 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 61.8% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $26,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $32,700 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.80. 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.
Guilford College: Common Questions
Is Guilford College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Guilford College scores 25/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $22,270 a year after aid against $47,590 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 18.2 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Guilford 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 $22,270 a year, or roughly $89,080 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 Guilford College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $47,590 ten years after enrolling, roughly $5,790 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 Guilford 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 18.2 years for Guilford College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Guilford College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,000, against average earnings of $32,700 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.80. 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 Guilford College?
The six-year graduation rate is 45.8%. 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.