Jarvis Christian University
Hawkins, Texas · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 4/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Jarvis Christian University earns a 4 ROI score and the Below Benchmark tier rating. The fundamentals are deeply concerning: average earnings six years out are just $22,800, climbing to a median $32,992 by year ten - producing a negative -5.1 percent earnings premium relative to high-school-only earners. The model flags a 999-year payback period, meaning earnings never recoup costs. Sticker tuition is a relatively modest $11,720 with net price of $9,825, keeping four-year cost at $39,300 - but the 1.184 debt-to-earnings ratio (median debt of $27,000 against earnings of $22,800) means typical graduates owe more than they make in a year. The 15.2 percent completion rate is the most damning data point: fewer than one in six students graduate. The 35.5 percent five-year repayment rate is similarly poor. Jarvis is a Historically Black, faith-affiliated school whose mission has substantial cultural value but whose current Scorecard outcomes are weak, and prospective students should weigh them carefully.
How Jarvis 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 Score4/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.18 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- 6-year graduation rate15.2% - 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.
Jarvis Christian University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $11,720/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $11,720/yr |
| Average net price | $9,825/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $39,300 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $32,992 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $22,800 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 15.2% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 577 |
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: $11,720/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $9,825/year, or roughly $39,300 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 $11,606/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $14,877/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $27,000, which works out to about $286 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($22,800) and comes to 1.18, 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 | $11,606 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $6,276 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $5,364 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $5,540 |
| $110,001+ | $14,877 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Lowest-income families pay $11,606 net annually - notably higher than the $30,001-$48,000 bracket ($6,276) and substantially higher than $48,001-$75,000 ($5,364). This is a sharply inverted bracket structure, suggesting institutional aid is concentrated in middle-income tiers rather than at the lowest income band. Pell-eligible families face the highest net cost on campus, which is a financial-aid policy worth flagging.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income brackets pay $6,276 ($30K-$48K), $5,364 ($48K-$75K), and $5,540 ($75K-$110K) - remarkably low net prices, well below what most public regionals charge. The financial-aid math here clearly favors middle-income families. However, the school's chronic completion and earnings problems mean even at low net cost, the cost-to-outcome math remains weak unless a student persists to graduation.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Higher-income families pay $14,877 net annually - a sharp jump above middle-income tiers and roughly $60,000 over four years. Combined with median 10-year earnings of $32,992 and the 999-year payback flag, the financial recommendation for full-pay families is exceptionally cautious.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at Jarvis Christian University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $36,576 | F |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $48,225 | F |
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.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration is Jarvis Christian's largest program with 26 graduates, posting first-year earnings of $34,996 climbing to $48,225 by year four. Median debt of $39,249 against those earnings produces a 1.122 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F ROI grade. Students should aggressively minimize borrowing and target career pathways into Texas regional employers.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology graduates 34 students with first-year earnings of $25,621 climbing to $36,576 by year four. Median debt of $27,000 yields a 1.054 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F ROI grade. Most strong career paths in kinesiology require graduate study (PT, OT, athletic training); without that pathway, the bachelor's struggles to recoup the cost. Students should plan their full education trajectory rather than treating the bachelor's as terminal.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 23.6% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 35.5% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 26.8% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 33.6% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Jarvis 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
| Enrollment | 577 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 58.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,267 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data for Jarvis Christian, consistent with an open-enrollment policy where most applicants are accepted. SAT and ACT data are also unreported. The 15.2 percent completion rate - the dominant operational data point - signals severe structural retention challenges that prospective students need to understand clearly before enrolling. Most enrollees do not finish their degree.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Jarvis Christian's ROI score is 4.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jarvis Christian University (this school) | 4 | $9,825 | $32,992 |
| Alabama State University | 5 | $20,435 | $34,502 |
| Livingstone College | 4 | $13,479 | $32,600 |
| Shaw University | 4 | $16,512 | $34,409 |
| Central State University | 4 | $13,096 | $33,267 |
| Benedict College | 4 | $18,250 | $31,902 |
Who Thrives Here
Jarvis Christian fits students with a deep cultural or denominational connection to the school and an explicit understanding of the steep retention and earnings risks. Enrollment is small at 577 undergraduates, and Pell rate runs 58.8 percent, indicating a heavily working-class and Pell-eligible student body. Students should walk in with a clear academic plan and a financial backup strategy, since most enrollees historically have not completed their degree.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Jarvis Christian University scores 4/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $9,825 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $32,992 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 15.2% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.18 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 35.5% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $27,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $22,800 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.18. 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.
Jarvis Christian University: Common Questions
Is Jarvis Christian University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Jarvis Christian University scores 4/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $9,825 a year after aid against $32,992 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 Jarvis 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 $9,825 a year, or roughly $39,300 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 Jarvis Christian University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $32,992 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 Jarvis 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 more than 50 years for Jarvis Christian University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Jarvis Christian University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $22,800 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.18. 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 Jarvis Christian University?
The six-year graduation rate is 15.2%. 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.