Lane College
Jackson, Tennessee · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 3/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Lane College, a small private HBCU in Jackson, Tennessee, posts the lowest possible practical ROI score: 3/100, in the Below Benchmark tier. Every subscore is in single digits. Average earnings six years after entry are $21,500, actually below the typical high school graduate, producing an earnings premium of -7.6%. Tuition is $11,790 and the average net price is $10,904, totaling $43,616 over four years. Median federal debt is $30,500 against $21,500 in early-career earnings, yielding a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.419. The payback period flags as 999 years, meaning earnings never recoup cost on Scorecard's model. The 18.4% completion rate is the headline figure: more than four of every five students who enroll do not finish, and the same 18.4% three-year repayment rate means most borrowers are not paying principal. Lane plays an HBCU mission role that goes beyond financial ROI, but the federal numbers are unambiguous about the financial return under our methodology.
How Lane 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 Score3/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.42 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- 6-year graduation rate18.4% - 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.
Lane College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $11,790/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $11,790/yr |
| Average net price | $10,904/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $43,616 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $31,670 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $21,500 |
| Median debt at graduation | $30,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $323 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 18.4% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 736 |
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: $11,790/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $10,904/year, or roughly $43,616 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 $10,904/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $30,500, which works out to about $323 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($21,500) and comes to 1.42, 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 | $10,904 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | N/A |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | N/A |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $10,904 net per year. Pell grants cover most of tuition. The cost side is genuinely affordable on paper, but with median 10-year earnings of $31,670 and a 999-year payback flag, even this modest debt load is hard to service. The financial risk is the back end, not the front end.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Scorecard does not report net price for income brackets above $30,000 at Lane, which is unusual and reflects the school's narrow income profile. Middle-income families considering Lane should request a financial aid award letter directly.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Same data gap as the middle-income tier: Scorecard reports no net price figure for $48,000+ households at Lane. The school enrolls almost no high-income students, so the data field is empty. Full-pay families should not expect institutional aid discounting at this scale of institution.
Earnings by Major
Top 5 most popular majors at Lane College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $22,093 | F |
| Sociology | $34,242 | F |
| Teacher Education, Subject-Specific | $40,707 | F |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $45,008 | F |
| Biology | $43,529 | 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 (26 grads) is the largest cohort and earns an F ROI grade. First-year earnings of $22,093 against $35,892 of median debt produce a 1.625 debt-to-earnings ratio. Four-year earnings are not reported. Most graduates land in retail or small-business roles in West Tennessee with wage trajectories that do not support the debt burden.
Sociology
Sociology (21 grads) posts an F ROI grade with a stunning 1.716 debt-to-earnings ratio. First-year earnings of $23,591 compare with $40,472 of median debt. Career paths require graduate study to reach competitive earnings, and few terminal-bachelor's graduates achieve that progression.
Teacher Education, Subject-Specific
Teacher Education (20 grads) earns an F ROI grade. The 1.529 debt-to-earnings ratio reflects that placement gap.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice (18 grads) is Lane's strongest program by earnings: $35,917 in year one and $45,008 by year four. Median debt of $38,680 still pushes the ratio to 1.077 and an F ROI grade. State and local law enforcement hiring is the primary pipeline; this is the only program where graduates have a credible chance to service their loans.
Biology
Biology (11 grads) earns an F ROI grade. Four-year earnings of $43,529 against median debt of $34,280 yield a 1.281 ratio.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 11.1% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 18.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 16.0% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 19.4% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Lane College’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 | 736 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 78.6% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,344 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data, and Lane does not publish SAT or ACT mid-ranges through IPEDS. The school operates as an open-access HBCU with limited admissions filtering. The absence of selectivity data combined with a 78.6% Pell rate signals that Lane functions as a last-chance institution for many enrollees, which correlates directly with the 18.4% completion rate.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lane College (this school) | 3 | $10,904 | $31,670 |
| Livingstone College | 4 | $13,479 | $32,600 |
| Benedict College | 4 | $18,250 | $31,902 |
| Jarvis Christian University | 4 | $9,825 | $32,992 |
| Rust College | 3 | $12,587 | $32,275 |
| Allen University | 3 | $10,972 | $30,497 |
Who Thrives Here
Pell rate of 78.6% and enrollment of just 736 mark Lane as a very small, heavily low-income, mission-driven HBCU. The school fits students seeking a faith-based, historically Black college community in West Tennessee. Median 10-year earnings of $31,670 are not enough to service $30,500 in median debt, and the 18.4% completion rate means borrowing here is, statistically, more likely to leave a student with debt and no degree than with a degree. Students who do not complete face the worst possible loan-burden profile.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Lane College scores 3/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $10,904 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $31,670 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 18.4% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.42 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 18.4% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $30,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $21,500 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.42. 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.
Lane College: Common Questions
Is Lane College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Lane College scores 3/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $10,904 a year after aid against $31,670 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 Lane 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 $10,904 a year, or roughly $43,616 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 Lane College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $31,670 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 Lane 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 more than 50 years for Lane College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Lane College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $30,500, against average earnings of $21,500 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.42. 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 Lane College?
The six-year graduation rate is 18.4%. 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.