Livingstone College
Salisbury, North Carolina · Private Nonprofit · 59.3% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 4/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Livingstone College, an AME Zion HBCU in Salisbury, North Carolina, posts a Below Benchmark ROI score of just 4/100. Every dimension of the data is difficult: completion is 28.2%, repayment is just 25.6% (three in four borrowers are not making progress on principal seven years out), and the debt-to-earnings ratio is 1.461, meaning typical graduates owe nearly $1.50 in debt for every dollar of early-career income. The earnings premium is negative at -4.5%. The payback period of 999 years flags that earnings essentially never recoup the cost. Tuition is $18,296 with a $13,479 net price, putting four-year cost at $53,916 - relatively affordable in absolute terms, but the median debt of $31,125 is high relative to $21,300 six-year earnings and $32,600 ten-year earnings. The Scorecard figures to weigh are completion, earnings, and the loan repayment rate. The mission - serving low-income Black students in the AME Zion tradition - is real, but the financial outcomes are not currently delivering on that mission.
How Livingstone 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 Score4/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.46 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- 6-year graduation rate28.2% - 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.
Livingstone College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $18,296/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $18,296/yr |
| Average net price | $13,479/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $53,916 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $32,600 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $21,300 |
| Median debt at graduation | $31,125 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $330 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 28.2% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 924 |
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: $18,296/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $13,479/year, or roughly $53,916 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 $13,860/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $16,018/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $31,125, which works out to about $330 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($21,300) and comes to 1.46, 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 | $13,860 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $14,056 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $11,028 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $14,558 |
| $110,001+ | $16,018 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $13,860 per year net - reasonable in absolute terms, but the institutional outcomes mean that even this manageable price produces a weak payback. Four-year cost is $55,440. The $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $14,056. For Pell-eligible students, NC's community-college-to-public-university transfer pathway is generally a stronger financial bet.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $11,028 - lower than the bottom bracket, an inversion worth flagging. The $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $14,558. The inverted aid structure suggests small-cohort statistical noise rather than a deliberate aid policy.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $16,018 per year - still below sticker but minimally discounted. Four-year cost is $64,072. Given the institutional outcomes, the financial case at any income tier is mostly mission-driven, not return-driven.
Earnings by Major
Top 7 most popular majors at Livingstone College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $40,328 | F |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $41,765 | F |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $35,015 | F |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $41,458 | - |
| Biology | $40,017 | D |
| Social Work | $46,945 | - |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $38,155 | 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 (21 grads) earns $25,757 first-year and $40,328 at four years, with $33,000 median debt and a 1.281 debt-to-earnings ratio - an F ROI grade. Borrowing meaningfully more than annual earnings creates a structural payback problem. The largest reported program by graduate count, but the financial profile is severely strained.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal justice (14 grads) earns $27,405 at year one and $35,015 at year four, with $35,375 debt and a 1.291 debt-to-earnings ratio - an F ROI grade. Criminal justice salaries are generally low at the entry level and the debt load is high.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology (21 grads) earns just $21,427 first-year and $41,765 at four years, with $35,000 debt and a 1.633 debt-to-earnings ratio - an F ROI grade. The four-year recovery is meaningful but debt at 1.6x annual earnings is structurally hard. Kinesiology generally requires graduate study (PT, OT) for meaningful earnings; the undergrad-only path is weak.
Biology
Biology (8 grads) reports $40,017 in four-year median earnings, $34,594 debt, and a 0.864 debt-to-earnings ratio - a D ROI grade, the best in Livingstone's reported program mix. Many biology graduates pursue health-professions graduate programs; the strong-on-paper four-year earnings may reflect the start of post-graduate career trajectories.
Computer and Information Sciences
Computer sciences (10 grads) reports $41,458 in four-year median earnings with debt data not reported. A potential bright spot worth strengthening.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 16.1% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 25.6% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 17.5% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 22.6% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Livingstone 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
| Acceptance rate | 59.3% |
| Enrollment | 924 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 82.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,732 |
Livingstone admits 59.25% of applicants. The moderate selectivity paired with a 28% completion rate suggests both academic-preparation and financial-pressure attrition; many enrolled students likely face significant resource constraints that interact with academic challenge.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Livingstone College (this school) | 4 | $13,479 | $32,600 |
| Alabama State University | 5 | $20,435 | $34,502 |
| Shaw University | 4 | $16,512 | $34,409 |
| Central State University | 4 | $13,096 | $33,267 |
| Benedict College | 4 | $18,250 | $31,902 |
| Jarvis Christian University | 4 | $9,825 | $32,992 |
Who Thrives Here
Livingstone enrolls 924 students with an 82.1% Pell rate, reflecting a deeply low-income student body. The school fits Black students from the AME Zion tradition who specifically want a small-HBCU experience and have limited alternatives.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Livingstone College scores 4/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $13,479 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $32,600 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 28.2% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.46 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 25.6% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $31,125 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $21,300 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.46. 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.
Livingstone College: Common Questions
Is Livingstone College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Livingstone College scores 4/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $13,479 a year after aid against $32,600 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 Livingstone 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 $13,479 a year, or roughly $53,916 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 Livingstone College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $32,600 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 Livingstone 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 Livingstone College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Livingstone College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $31,125, against average earnings of $21,300 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.46. 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 Livingstone College?
The six-year graduation rate is 28.2%. 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.