Limestone University
Gaffney, South Carolina · Private Nonprofit · 97.3% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 19/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Limestone University in Gaffney, South Carolina, scores 19 out of 100 on the CampusROI metric, landing in the Below Benchmark tier. Tuition runs $27,800 (in-state and out-of-state alike at this private nonprofit), but institutional aid brings net price down to $19,588 - a meaningful discount that prevents the school from posting the worst tier numbers. Even with that discount, the outcomes are weak: a 35.3% completion rate, $34,900 in average earnings six years after entry, median $44,999 by year 10, a 21.8-year payback period, and a 0.792 debt-to-earnings ratio. The three-year repayment rate of 43.5% is the most concerning sub-score - more than half of borrowers are not reducing principal three years out. Median federal debt is $27,639.
How Limestone 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 rate35.3% - 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 period21.8 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Limestone University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $27,800/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $27,800/yr |
| Average net price | $19,588/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $78,352 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $44,999 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $34,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,639 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $293 |
| Estimated payback period | 21.8 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 35.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,482 |
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: $27,800/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $19,588/year, or roughly $78,352 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 $16,772/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $23,320/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $27,639, which works out to about $293 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($34,900) and comes to 0.79, 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 | $16,772 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $15,920 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $18,607 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $23,314 |
| $110,001+ | $23,320 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning $0-$30,000 pay $16,772 net price. With $44,999 in 10-year median earnings and $27,639 in median debt, the math is workable for students who finish in the marketing or computer/IT programs, less so for the F-grade liberal arts and psychology tracks. Pell and South Carolina state grants meaningfully reduce sticker here.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $15,920 - the cheapest tier on this profile, which is unusual and worth flagging. The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $18,607.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $23,314 and the $110,001+ bracket pays nearly identical $23,320. Full-pay families face a $23,000+ annual sticker after some merit aid. The compressed pricing curve means high-income families are subsidizing relatively little aid for lower-income students.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Limestone University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $57,753 | D |
| Social Work | $42,759 | F |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $50,657 | F |
| Marketing | $71,116 | C |
| Psychology | $46,661 | F |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration | $73,092 | C+ |
| Human Resources Management | $53,352 | D |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $52,309 | F |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $45,133 | D |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $42,807 | 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
By far the largest program with 115 graduates, this BBA earns a D grade. First-year earnings of $47,562 climb to $57,753 by year four against $34,437 in median debt and a 0.724 debt-to-earnings ratio. Many graduates likely place into upstate South Carolina manufacturing, banking, or retail management roles - a real but capped earnings ceiling.
Social Work
Fifty-three graduates earn an F grade. First-year earnings of $33,741 rise modestly to $42,759 by year four, but $41,098 in median debt produces a 1.218 debt-to-earnings ratio. Social work is a credentialed helping profession with structurally low earnings nationally. The MSW pathway gets harder with this much undergrad debt.
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Thirty-three graduates earn an F grade with the worst ratio shown: $33,551 first-year earnings against $43,465 median debt for a 1.295 debt-to-earnings ratio. The four-year earnings of $50,657 indicate moderate progression, but the entry-level gap is too steep.
Marketing
Twenty-eight graduates earn a C grade - the cleanest non-tech outcome here. First-year earnings of $43,169 climb sharply to $71,116 by year four, indicating real career progression. Median debt of $27,000 produces a 0.625 ratio. The four-year earnings number is the strongest progression in the program mix and suggests a subset of marketing graduates are landing into career-track roles rather than entry-level retail.
Computer/Information Technology Administration
Seventeen graduates earn the program's best grade (C+). Four-year earnings of $73,092 against $35,500 median debt produce a 0.486 ratio. Tech jobs reward the credential more than soft skills majors here. For a student who can complete this program at Limestone with the ~$15,000-$19,000 net price most students pay, the math actually works.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 37.2% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 43.5% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 45.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 52.9% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Limestone University’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
| Acceptance rate | 97.3% |
| Enrollment | 1,482 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 43.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,296 |
Limestone admits 97.3% of applicants, meaning admission is essentially open. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported. The very high admit rate combined with a 35.3% completion rate signals the school is not screening for academic preparation upfront, and the resulting student body has wide variation in college-readiness.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limestone University (this school) | 19 | $19,588 | $44,999 |
| Atlantic University | 26 | $6,425 | $25,272 |
| Midway University | 24 | $29,579 | $44,246 |
| Anderson University | 24 | $23,544 | $42,101 |
| Lindsey Wilson College | 23 | $15,070 | $41,129 |
| Allen University | 3 | $10,972 | $30,497 |
Who Thrives Here
Limestone enrolls 1,482 students with a 43% Pell rate, drawing primarily from upstate South Carolina and the Carolinas region. The fit is clearest for students recruited for athletics or who specifically want a small-college experience close to home with discounted private pricing.
The Verdict, Historically: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Limestone University closed in May 2025. The assessment below describes how this school performed while it was operating, and is not a recommendation about where to enroll now.
Under our methodology, Limestone University scores 19/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $19,588 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $44,999 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 21.8 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 35.3% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.79 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 43.5% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $27,639 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $34,900 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.79. 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.
If you borrowed to attend, check closed school discharge first.
Federal student loans can sometimes be discharged in full if your school closed while you were enrolled or shortly after you withdrew. Eligibility depends on your withdrawal date and whether you completed your program or transferred the credits. Refinancing federal loans into a private loan gives up this and every other federal protection permanently, so check discharge before you refinance anything.
Limestone University: Common Questions
Is Limestone University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Limestone University scores 19/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $19,588 a year after aid against $44,999 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 21.8 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Limestone 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 $19,588 a year, or roughly $78,352 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 Limestone University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $44,999 ten years after enrolling, roughly $3,199 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 Limestone 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 21.8 years for Limestone University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Limestone University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,639, against average earnings of $34,900 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.79. 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 Limestone University?
The six-year graduation rate is 35.3%. 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.