Lane College
Jackson, Tennessee · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 3/100 · Poor Value
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 Poor Value tier. Every subscore is in single digits. Median 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 catastrophe: 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: this is the highest-risk borrowing decision on the CampusROI dataset.
The data raises concerns about Lane College
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score3/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.42 - Advisors recommend total student debt stay below one year of salary (ratio under 1.0).
- 6-year graduation rate18.4% - Well below the 60% national average. Non-completion is the fastest route to negative ROI.
- Payback period>50 years - Graduates earn at or near the level of high school completers - the cost may not recoup 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 |
| Median 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. Here's the part that matters - almost nobody pays that. 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.
Most students borrow to get here. The median graduate leaves owing $30,500 in federal loans, which works out to about $323 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Hold that up against the $31,670 the typical graduate earns ten years out: the debt-to-earnings ratio comes to 1.42, which is high - the rule of thumb is that total debt should not top your first-year salary, and this is over that line.
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 and compare against a state public option in Tennessee.
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 against $40,472 of median debt is the worst program in the dataset. 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. First-year earnings of $24,128 are below Tennessee's typical starting teacher salary, suggesting many graduates are not placed in full-time teaching roles immediately. 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. Most Biology majors at HBCUs need to continue to graduate or professional school to achieve real returns; at Lane's completion rate, that pipeline is unusually narrow.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 11.1% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 18.4% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 16.0% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 19.4% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Lane College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2023).
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.
Lane's peer set is dominated by small, low-resource private HBCUs: American Baptist College, Baptist Health Sciences University, Wiley University, Stillman College, and Shaw University. Stillman and Shaw are the closest comparisons in mission and size, and both also post Poor Value ROI scores with completion rates in the low-30s percent. Lane sits at the bottom of even that peer group on completion. Students considering Lane should run side-by-side comparisons; in most cases Tennessee State or a community-college-to-four-year path produces materially better outcomes.
| 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: The Numbers Don't Add Up
We'll be straight with you: the numbers at Lane College are a real concern. With a net cost of $10,904 per year and the typical graduate earning only $31,670 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds >50 years. For most students, the financial return does not justify the cost - go in with your eyes open.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 18.4% graduation rate, high debt relative to what graduates earn, concerning loan repayment rates, a long payback period.
Be careful with the debt here. A median $30,500 owed against $31,670 in earnings is heavy, and the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.96 is past the level advisors flag. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
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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.