Hobe Sound Bible College
Hobe Sound, Florida · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 30/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Hobe Sound Bible College scores a 30 ROI in the Below Benchmark tier, though the underlying drivers are unusual and worth reading carefully. Tuition is $9,068, but net price after aid is actually $12,074, meaning the average student pays more than sticker once room, board, and other costs are folded in. That's a sign of very limited institutional aid. Total four-year cost runs $48,296. Median earnings ten years out are just $39,863, the earnings-premium score is 19/100, and the payback period balloons to 38.7 years. Median debt is not reported, likely because most students leave with no federal debt, since the institution attracts a self-funded or family-funded ministry-track student body; our debt measure gives it a neutral middle score of 50. Completion sits at 50%. The honest takeaway: this is a mission-driven Bible college where the economic ROI math doesn't work in conventional terms, but most students are not optimizing for income. Earnings will likely never recoup cost on the conventional payback metric.
How Hobe Sound Bible 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 Score30/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period38.7 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Hobe Sound Bible College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $9,068/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $9,068/yr |
| Average net price | $12,074/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $48,296 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $39,863 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $21,100 |
| Median debt at graduation | N/A |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | N/A |
| Estimated payback period | 38.7 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 50.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 112 |
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: $9,068/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 $12,074/year, or roughly $48,296 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 $12,148/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 | $12,148 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $11,554 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $11,554 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $14,176 |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $12,148 per year - interestingly, more than the $11,554 paid by families in the $30,001-$48,000 and $48,001-$75,000 brackets. Over four years, low-income families spend roughly $49,000 against a $39,863 ten-year earnings median.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30,001-$48,000 and $48,001-$75,000 brackets both pay $11,554 - flat across two income tiers, which is unusual and reflects the limited aid structure. Net prices in the $11,000-$12,000 range against modest ministry-track earnings produce poor conventional ROI, though families choosing this school typically aren't running that calculation.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $14,176, and the $110,001-plus bracket has no reported figure. The discount fade-off is sharp - high-income families pay essentially full freight. At sticker prices that exceed earnings, this only makes financial sense for families committed to the mission outcome.
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 | 68.2% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 75.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Hobe Sound Bible College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Enrollment | 112 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 50.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $3,395 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data for Hobe Sound Bible College, and no SAT/ACT mid-ranges are published. Bible colleges of this size typically operate as open-admissions with a faith-statement requirement and pastor-recommendation process rather than academic gatekeeping. Selectivity is essentially a mission-fit filter, not an academic one, and that profile correlates with the modest 50% completion rate.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hobe Sound Bible College (this school) | 30 | $12,074 | $39,863 |
| Central Baptist College | 40 | $12,287 | $46,789 |
| Eastern Nazarene College | 40 | $25,381 | $54,727 |
| Oklahoma Christian University | 40 | $21,872 | $49,203 |
| East Texas Baptist University | 40 | $23,911 | $52,788 |
| Appalachian Bible College | 40 | $11,579 | $37,467 |
Who Thrives Here
Hobe Sound Bible College is not the school for students optimizing for earnings; it's the school for students whose career calling is sub-$50K ministry work and who value the doctrinal alignment of the institution above conventional ROI metrics. Outcomes look strong only on completion and on avoiding debt.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Hobe Sound Bible College scores 30/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $12,074 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $39,863 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 38.7 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 50.0% graduation rate, a long payback period.
Hobe Sound Bible College: Common Questions
Is Hobe Sound Bible College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Hobe Sound Bible College scores 30/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $12,074 a year after aid against $39,863 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 38.7 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Hobe Sound Bible 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 $12,074 a year, or roughly $48,296 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 Hobe Sound Bible College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $39,863 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 Hobe Sound Bible 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 38.7 years for Hobe Sound Bible College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
What is the graduation rate at Hobe Sound Bible College?
The six-year graduation rate is 50.0%. 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.