Heritage Christian University
Florence, Alabama · Private Nonprofit · 90.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 37/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Heritage Christian University in Florence, Alabama posts a 37/100 ROI score in our Below Benchmark tier - though the school's tiny size (75 enrolled students) and ministry-focused mission make standard ROI metrics secondary considerations. Heritage Christian trains students for Churches of Christ ministry, biblical studies, and Christian education vocations. Sticker tuition of $11,982 with a $15,426 net price (which exceeds tuition because of room/board/fees) brings four-year cost to $61,704. Median 10-year earnings of $42,597 are modest, producing a 12.3% earnings premium - predictable for a population pursuing church ministry and small-church staff roles where compensation is structurally limited. Median debt is not reported, debt-to-earnings is imputed at 0.50, and repayment metrics are partial. The 26.6-year payback period is steep but reflects the ministry-vocation reality more than a critique of academic quality. Completion rate of 66.7% is reasonable. With 75 students and a 35.7% Pell rate, Heritage is a niche, mission-focused training institution. Anyone evaluating this school purely on financial ROI is misreading its purpose; the value proposition rests on the Restoration Movement / Churches of Christ ministry-formation experience.
How Heritage Christian 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 Score37/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period26.6 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Heritage Christian University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $11,982/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $11,982/yr |
| Average net price | $15,426/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $61,704 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $42,597 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | N/A |
| Median debt at graduation | N/A |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | N/A |
| Estimated payback period | 26.6 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 66.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 75 |
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: $11,982/year, 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 $15,426/year, or roughly $61,704 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 N/A/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
The Department of Education does not report a median debt figure for this school, usually because too few students borrow federal loans for the figure to be published. Our ROI score gives this measure a neutral middle value rather than treating it as zero debt.
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 | N/A |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $15,833 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $15,020 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The 0-30,000 bracket is unreported. Pell-eligible students should expect an in-pocket cost similar to or modestly below the $15,426 average net price. Across four years that's roughly $60,000 against $42,597 10-year earnings - workable only with significant church-network or family support. Most low-income students at Bible colleges fund education through congregational scholarships and family assistance.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Only the $30,001 - $48,000 bracket ($15,833) and $48,001 - $75,000 bracket ($15,020) are reported, showing a slight inversion (higher income pays modestly less). Both brackets pay close to the average net price. The $75,001 - $110,000 and $110,001-plus brackets are unreported. Use Heritage's net price calculator directly for accurate guidance. Middle-income families pay $60,000-$63,000 over four years for ministry-track education.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
High-income brackets are unreported. With a tuition figure of $11,982 and a net price of $15,426, full-pay families likely face costs near the published averages. High-income families choosing Heritage are doing so for the ministry mission, not financial return; the school's specifically Restoration Movement identity attracts families committed to that tradition.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | N/A | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | N/A | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 58.7% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 48.7% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Heritage Christian 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 | 90.0% |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 18-19 |
| Enrollment | 75 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 35.7% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,562 |
Heritage Christian admits 90.0% of applicants - effectively open access for mission-aligned students. SAT mid-ranges are not reported; ACT mid-range of 18-19 is narrow and indicates a self-selecting student body drawn primarily from Churches of Christ youth programs and Bible-college feeder networks. Students considering Heritage should be clear about its specifically Restoration Movement identity.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heritage Christian University (this school) | 37 | $15,426 | $42,597 |
| VanderCook College of Music | 43 | $19,780 | $47,863 |
| International Baptist College and Seminary | 37 | $14,660 | $39,556 |
| Hobe Sound Bible College | 30 | $12,074 | $39,863 |
| Huntingdon College | 29 | $22,566 | $49,601 |
| Faulkner University | 19 | $22,085 | $43,457 |
Who Thrives Here
Heritage Christian fits students called to Churches of Christ ministry, biblical studies, or Christian education roles - particularly those drawn to the Restoration Movement tradition and the school's small-college environment in north Alabama. With just 75 students and a 35.7% Pell rate, the campus is exceptionally small and tightly defined. Students who fit are typically mission-driven, often planning church planting, small-church ministry, or Christian school teaching. Heritage's value is in the ministry-formation experience.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Heritage Christian University scores 37/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $15,426 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $42,597 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 26.6 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, a long payback period.
Heritage Christian University: Common Questions
Is Heritage Christian University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Heritage Christian University scores 37/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $15,426 a year after aid against $42,597 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 26.6 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Heritage Christian 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 $15,426 a year, or roughly $61,704 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 Heritage Christian University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $42,597 ten years after enrolling, roughly $797 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 Heritage Christian 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 26.6 years for Heritage Christian University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
What is the graduation rate at Heritage Christian University?
The six-year graduation rate is 66.7%, 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.