Lindsey Wilson College
Columbia, Kentucky · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 23/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Lindsey Wilson College earns an overall ROI score of 23, in the Below Benchmark tier. The college is a small Methodist-affiliated private in rural south-central Kentucky, and the data reflect both meaningful tuition discounting and weak post-graduation outcomes. Sticker tuition is $27,808 but net price is $15,070 - significant discounting (45% off list) - putting four-year cost at $60,280. Median debt at graduation is just $16,784, modest in absolute terms. The problem is on the earnings side: six-year average earnings are $25,700, median ten-year earnings climb only to $41,129, and the Scorecard payback period is 32.7 years. The earnings premium is just 10.2% over typical high-school graduates - very small. The 0.653 debt-to-earnings ratio is high. Repayment behavior is concerning: only 53.4% of borrowers reduce principal three years out and that figure drops to 45.5% by year five. The labor market in south-central Kentucky and the Appalachian fringe is structurally weak, which constrains earnings outcomes. The college's value proposition rests on its mission and small-college community rather than on financial returns.
How Lindsey Wilson 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 Score23/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period32.7 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Lindsey Wilson College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $27,808/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $27,808/yr |
| Average net price | $15,070/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $60,280 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $41,129 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $25,700 |
| Median debt at graduation | $16,784 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $178 |
| Estimated payback period | 32.7 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 44.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,585 |
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: $27,808/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $15,070/year, or roughly $60,280 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 $14,745/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $18,182/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $16,784, which works out to about $178 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($25,700) and comes to 0.65, 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 | $14,745 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $10,966 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $16,066 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $17,208 |
| $110,001+ | $18,182 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $14,745 per year, but the $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays substantially less at $10,966 - an inverted bracket worth flagging, possibly reflecting Kentucky state-grant interactions that disadvantage the very lowest-income families. Four-year cost ranges from $44,000-$59,000 at the bottom of the income distribution, manageable but heavy relative to average graduate earnings of $25,700.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$110,000) pay $16,066 to $17,208 per year. Four-year cost is $64,000-$69,000 in this bracket. The math works passably for nursing graduates and is difficult for human services and communication majors.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households over $110,000 pay $18,182 per year - approximately $73,000 across four years.
Earnings by Major
Top 9 most popular majors at Lindsey Wilson College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Human Services, General | $42,004 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $59,415 | D |
| Psychology | $39,969 | - |
| Communication and Media Studies | $39,686 | F |
| Teacher Education | $34,691 | - |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $40,618 | D |
| Biology | $52,009 | - |
| Registered Nursing | $69,656 | B+ |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | $37,436 | - |
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.
Human Services, General
Human services is by far the largest program at 138 graduates yearly. Median first-year earnings of $29,318 and four-year earnings of $42,004 against $22,774 of debt produce a 0.777 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D grade. The volume here is significant: a substantial share of Lindsey Wilson graduates exit through this program, and the bachelor's-only ROI is weak. Career outcomes feed into Kentucky social services, community-mental-health agencies, and nonprofits - all stable but low-wage.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business administration produces 56 graduates yearly with $35,986 first-year and $59,415 four-year earnings on $26,551 of debt. The 0.738 ratio earns a D grade. The four-year earnings figure suggests reasonable career-path growth, but the high debt level and low first-year wages create serviceability problems early in graduates' careers.
Registered Nursing
Nursing is the standout ROI program with just 11 graduates yearly but $66,800 first-year and $69,656 four-year earnings on $23,000 of debt - a 0.344 ratio and B+ grade. The small cohort limits the program's overall campus impact, but for students who match into nursing the financial outcomes are genuinely strong. Career outcomes feed into central Kentucky hospital systems and regional healthcare networks.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal justice graduates 20 students yearly with $29,512 first-year and $40,618 four-year earnings on $21,500 of debt - a 0.729 ratio and D grade. Career outcomes feed into Kentucky corrections, probation, and local law enforcement. The earnings figures track entry-level rural law enforcement wages closely; advancement and overtime drive most long-run earnings growth.
Communication and Media Studies
Communication and media studies has 21 graduates yearly with $25,549 first-year earnings on $26,769 of debt - a 1.048 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F grade. This is the worst-performing program on campus. Four-year earnings recover to only $39,686, which still does not service the debt comfortably. Students should not enter this major at this debt level without a graduate-school plan or specific career pipeline.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 45.5% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 53.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 45.5% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 51.9% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Lindsey Wilson 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 | 1,585 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 52.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,512 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data, and SAT/ACT mid-ranges are also missing. The institution serves a working and first-generation Kentucky population and operates on a permissive admission posture.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lindsey Wilson College (this school) | 23 | $15,070 | $41,129 |
| Asbury University | 29 | $21,401 | $42,368 |
| Missouri Baptist University | 25 | $27,006 | $46,660 |
| Marymount Manhattan College | 24 | $36,861 | $49,131 |
| Nelson University | 23 | $21,662 | $46,238 |
| Alice Lloyd College | 18 | $18,600 | $40,573 |
Who Thrives Here
Lindsey Wilson fits Kentucky students from rural and Appalachian communities seeking a small (1,585 enrollment) Methodist-affiliated college close to home. Pell rate is 52.4%, very high, indicating a heavily working and first-generation student body. The college's largest program by graduates is Human Services, General (138 graduates), which feeds into social-services and counseling careers locally. Outcomes are strongest for nursing graduates ($66,800 first-year). Students should arrive with realistic expectations about the regional labor market and consider whether community-college transfer paths might serve them better.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Lindsey Wilson College scores 23/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $15,070 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $41,129 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 32.7 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 44.1% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.65 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 53.4% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $16,784 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $25,700 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.65. 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.
Lindsey Wilson College: Common Questions
Is Lindsey Wilson College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Lindsey Wilson College scores 23/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $15,070 a year after aid against $41,129 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 32.7 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Lindsey Wilson 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 $15,070 a year, or roughly $60,280 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 Lindsey Wilson College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $41,129 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 Lindsey Wilson 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 about 32.7 years for Lindsey Wilson College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Lindsey Wilson College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $16,784, against average earnings of $25,700 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.65. 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 Lindsey Wilson College?
The six-year graduation rate is 44.1%. 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.