Harris-Stowe State University
Saint Louis, Missouri · Public
ROI Score: 5/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Harris-Stowe State University earns a CampusROI score of 5, in the Below Benchmark tier under our methodology. In-state tuition is just $7,008, but the net price of $9,922 actually exceeds tuition, signaling minimal grant aid and meaningful fees. Median debt of $25,930 against $23,800 in early earnings produces a 1.089 debt-to-earnings ratio - debt exceeds annual income. The payback period of 999 years signals that earnings never recoup the cost. Completion sits at just 27.6%, and three-year repayment is 50.7% (subscore 9). With 73.7% of students on Pell grants, Harris-Stowe serves an extraordinarily high-need population. The school is a designated HBCU in St. Louis with a deep historical mission.
How Harris-Stowe State 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 Score5/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.09 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- 6-year graduation rate27.6% - 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 period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
Harris-Stowe State University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $7,008/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $11,640/yr |
| Average net price | $9,922/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $39,688 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $31,088 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $23,800 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,930 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $275 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 27.6% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 960 |
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: $7,008/year ($11,640/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $9,922/year, or roughly $39,688 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 $9,827/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $6,238/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $25,930, which works out to about $275 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($23,800) and comes to 1.09, 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least 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 | $9,827 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $10,963 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $9,814 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $8,563 |
| $110,001+ | $6,238 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning $0-30,000 pay $9,827 per year - about $39,308 over four years. Note the net-price-by-income brackets here show an unusual inversion: the highest income bracket ($110,001+) pays the LOWEST net price ($6,238), while middle-income families ($30,001-48,000) pay the most ($10,963). With $23,800 in early-career earnings and 1.089 debt-to-earnings, low-income students face a math problem the school cannot solve through tuition alone.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-75,000) pay $9,814 per year, totaling about $39,256 over four years. With $31,088 in ten-year median earnings, the earnings premium is negative against high-school-graduate baselines.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $6,238 per year - the lowest of any bracket. This is an unusual pattern that may reflect data thinness in the high-income bracket.
Earnings by Major
Top 7 most popular majors at Harris-Stowe State University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | $48,694 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $31,146 | F |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $49,010 | D |
| Education, General | $40,247 | F |
| Accounting | $50,792 | F |
| Sociology | $28,268 | D |
| Marketing | $53,868 | - |
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 Harris-Stowe's largest program (59 graduates per year), but the financial outcomes are weak. Year-one earnings of $31,993 climbing to $48,694 at year four show typical bio-major trajectories, but median debt of $31,600 produces a 0.988 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D ROI grade. Most bio graduates need graduate-school continuation to reach competitive wages; the early-career data reflects those still in school or in entry-level lab/healthcare-support roles.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business produces 31 graduates per year with year-one earnings of $31,146 against median debt of $33,954 - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.09 and an F ROI grade. Four-year earnings aren't reported, but the early-career picture is stark: business graduates here are taking on more debt than they earn in year one, which produces structural repayment stress that the school's 50.7% three-year repayment rate confirms.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice graduates 29 students per year with year-one earnings of $34,108 - the strongest entry-level wage in the program data - climbing to $49,010 at year four. Median debt of $32,000 yields a 0.938 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D ROI grade. Career paths into St. Louis-area police, corrections, and federal security roles offer stable wages, making this one of the few defensible majors at Harris-Stowe.
Education, General
Education produces 16 graduates per year with year-one earnings of $28,500 and four-year earnings of $40,247. Median debt of $35,478 generates a 1.245 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F ROI grade. Median debt of $35,478 compares with first-year earnings of $28,500.
Accounting
Accounting graduates 12 students per year with year-one earnings of $33,025 climbing to $50,792 at year four. Median debt of $35,584 produces a 1.077 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F ROI grade. Accounting at Harris-Stowe is one of the rare majors where four-year earnings ($50K+) suggest the field's wage potential is reaching graduates; the F grade reflects the heavy debt load rather than weak career outcomes.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 39.9% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 50.7% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 25.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 26.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Harris-Stowe State 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
| Enrollment | 960 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 73.7% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,463 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data, and SAT/ACT mid-ranges are also unreported. Harris-Stowe is an open-access HBCU, which means effectively any applicant with a high school diploma is admitted. The 27.6% completion rate combined with open-access admission means most students who enroll do not complete a degree.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harris-Stowe State University (this school) | 5 | $9,922 | $31,088 |
| Bennett College | 6 | $28,299 | $36,654 |
| Alabama State University | 5 | $20,435 | $34,502 |
| Mississippi Valley State University | 5 | $9,686 | $31,919 |
| Langston University | 5 | $11,504 | $33,261 |
| Wiley University | 5 | $7,092 | $33,159 |
Head-to-Head ROI Comparisons
See Harris-Stowe State University side by side with similar schools on ROI, cost, earnings, and debt.
Who Thrives Here
Harris-Stowe primarily serves Black students from the St. Louis metropolitan area, with 960 total students and a 73.7% Pell rate. The historical-mission importance for African-American students in Missouri is significant. Strong-fit students are those with deep ties to St. Louis and the HBCU community who can self-finance most of the cost or who target the specific programs (criminal justice, biology, business) where wage outcomes are at least workable. For most applicants, the open-access admission is combined with a 27.6% completion rate.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Harris-Stowe State University scores 5/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $9,922 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $31,088 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 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 27.6% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.09 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 50.7% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $25,930 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $23,800 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.09. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Harris-Stowe State University: Common Questions
Is Harris-Stowe State University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Harris-Stowe State University scores 5/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $9,922 a year after aid against $31,088 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Harris-Stowe State 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 $9,922 a year, or roughly $39,688 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 Harris-Stowe State University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $31,088 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off Harris-Stowe State 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 more than 50 years for Harris-Stowe State University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Harris-Stowe State University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,930, against average earnings of $23,800 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.09. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so how much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Harris-Stowe State University?
The six-year graduation rate is 27.6%. 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.