Kentucky Christian University
Grayson, Kentucky · Private Nonprofit · 60.9% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 19/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Kentucky Christian University in Grayson posts a 19 ROI score and falls into the Below Benchmark tier. It is a small (429 enrollment) faith-based private with $26,625 sticker tuition and a $24,038 net price that barely moves across income brackets, meaning institutional aid does almost nothing to discount the school for any family. Four-year total cost reaches $96,152. Median earnings ten years out are $42,375 (six-year mark: $29,900), generating a modest 7.7 percent earnings premium. The 32-year payback period reflects graduates carrying $22,250 in median debt with a 0.744 debt-to-earnings ratio. Completion is 36.7 percent, weak. Repayment is mediocre with 70 percent making progress at three years. The school is structurally designed for ministry preparation, but its secular outcomes do not justify the price tag for students who are not specifically pursuing Christian-college values alignment plus a high-ROI program like Nursing.
How Kentucky 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 Score19/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate36.7% - 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 period32 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Kentucky Christian University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $26,625/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $26,625/yr |
| Average net price | $24,038/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $96,152 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $42,375 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $29,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $22,250 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $236 |
| Estimated payback period | 32 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 36.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 429 |
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: $26,625/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $24,038/year, or roughly $96,152 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 $23,241/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $24,116/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $22,250, which works out to about $236 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($29,900) and comes to 0.74, 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 | $23,241 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $24,618 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $24,031 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $24,420 |
| $110,001+ | $24,116 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $23,241 net, only modestly cheaper than the $24,038 average. That is the pattern of a Christian private whose lowest-income students see almost no real discount. Total four-year cost approaches $93,000 against $42,375 median earnings ten years out. With a 36.7 percent completion rate, the expected outcome for low-income students is troubling.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Notable inversion: the $30,001 to $48,000 bracket pays $24,618, more than both the lowest-income bracket and the $48,001 to $75,000 bracket ($24,031). This is a small-sample anomaly worth flagging. Functionally, all middle-income brackets land around $24,000 net price, meaning aid does not vary meaningfully by income. The school is priced almost flat across the board.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $24,116, indistinguishable from middle-income families. The progression is essentially flat, which means high-income families get no penalty (and the school does no real need-testing). For higher-income students with values alignment and out-of-pocket capacity, the program-level outcomes outside Nursing remain weak.
Earnings by Major
Top 3 most popular majors at Kentucky Christian University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $44,584 | D |
| Registered Nursing | $96,766 | B |
| Bible/Biblical Studies | $44,862 | C |
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.
Registered Nursing
Nursing is the one financially defensible program at KCU, earning a B grade with $76,970 first-year median earnings climbing to $96,766 by year four, against $27,750 in median debt and a 0.361 debt-to-earnings ratio. Only 10 graduates per year, so the program is small and selective. The combination of regional RN demand in eastern Kentucky and southern Ohio and the program's strong earnings outcomes makes this the rare clear win at the institution.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration is the largest cohort at 25 graduates, earning a D grade. First-year median earnings of $32,389 against $26,000 in median debt produce a 0.803 debt-to-earnings ratio. Year-four earnings reach $44,584, showing modest progression but still below the threshold for comfortable debt service.
Bible/Biblical Studies
Biblical Studies produces just 3 graduates with a C grade. Year-four median earnings of $44,862 against $28,750 in median debt yield a 0.641 debt-to-earnings ratio. The earnings figure is higher than expected for a Biblical Studies degree, likely because graduates take ministry positions plus secondary employment. The program serves its mission, but financially the debt load is heavy relative to typical ministerial compensation.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 57.5% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 70.5% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 61.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 63.3% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Kentucky 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 | 60.9% |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 18-24 |
| Enrollment | 429 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 43.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $4,770 |
KCU admits 60.9 percent of applicants. SAT mid-ranges are not reported. ACT mid-range is 18 to 24, a typical accessible profile. The 60 percent admit rate paired with a 36.7 percent completion rate means the school admits broadly but fewer than 4 in 10 students finish. Prepared students should weigh whether they will be the ones who complete; the support infrastructure at a sub-500-enrollment college is necessarily limited.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Christian University (this school) | 19 | $24,038 | $42,375 |
| Columbia International University | 21 | $26,036 | $38,951 |
| Davis & Elkins College | 21 | $18,273 | $43,411 |
| Trinity Bible College and Graduate School | 18 | $19,359 | $35,604 |
| Dallas Christian College | 18 | $22,960 | $43,503 |
| Toccoa Falls College | 16 | $21,642 | $36,630 |
Who Thrives Here
KCU fits a specific student: a young adult committed to ministry, biblical studies, or Christian-college nursing within a conservative Christian Restoration Movement context. Pell rate is 43.1 percent. Enrollment is 429, so the community is small and tightly bonded. The financial math fits only students who plan to enter the Nursing program and finish, or students whose family is paying out of pocket because the values fit matters more than ROI. For everyone else, the 36.7 percent completion rate and the flat-price aid structure make this a financial stretch with low odds of finishing.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Kentucky Christian University scores 19/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $24,038 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $42,375 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 32 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 36.7% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.74 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 70.5% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $22,250 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $29,900 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.74. 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.
Kentucky Christian University: Common Questions
Is Kentucky Christian University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Kentucky Christian University scores 19/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $24,038 a year after aid against $42,375 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 32 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Kentucky 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 $24,038 a year, or roughly $96,152 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 Kentucky Christian University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $42,375 ten years after enrolling, roughly $575 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 Kentucky 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 32 years for Kentucky Christian University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Kentucky Christian University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $22,250, against average earnings of $29,900 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.74. 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 Kentucky Christian University?
The six-year graduation rate is 36.7%. 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.
NewsletterCollege decisions are better with data.
From CampusROI, when there is something worth acting on.
Rankings & Links
Guides & Tools
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.