Mary Baldwin University
Staunton, Virginia · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 25/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Mary Baldwin University earns an overall ROI score of 25 (Below Benchmark). The Staunton, VA private nonprofit - historically a women's college, now coed - charges $34,152 tuition with an average net price of just $12,756. Four-year cost is $51,024, which is genuinely competitive. Earnings hit $30,800 six years out and $44,427 at 10 years, with $26,586 median debt and debt-to-earnings of 0.863. Payback is 20.3 years. Repayment is 64.4% three-year, climbing slowly to 69% by year seven. Completion is 39.3% - the weakest piece of the profile and the primary drag on the institutional score. The low effective price keeps the financial damage modest, but the high attrition rate means most enrolled students do not capture even those modest gains. The strongest program is Business Administration (C grade); Social Work pulls a D grade and is one of the larger majors. Mary Baldwin's small scale (1,090 enrolled) and heavy Pell concentration (55.3%) mean it serves a need-heavy student body where completion support is critical.
How Mary Baldwin 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 Score25/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate39.3% - 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 period20.3 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Mary Baldwin University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $34,152/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $34,152/yr |
| Average net price | $12,756/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $51,024 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $44,427 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $30,800 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,586 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $282 |
| Estimated payback period | 20.3 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 39.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,090 |
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: $34,152/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $12,756/year, or roughly $51,024 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 $12,717/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $14,806/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $26,586, which works out to about $282 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($30,800) and comes to 0.86, 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 | $12,717 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $9,527 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $11,537 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $14,801 |
| $110,001+ | $14,806 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30K pay $12,717 net per year. Four-year cost is about $51K. Pell-eligible students get strong institutional discount and the absolute cost is manageable. The risk concentration is completion, not pricing.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 30-48K bracket pays $9,527 - the lowest of any bracket. The 48-75K bracket pays $11,537 and 75-110K pays $14,801.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families over $110K pay $14,806 - nearly identical to the 75-110K bracket. The aid structure is unusually flat at the top. Four-year cost is $59K, still well below sticker.
Earnings by Major
Top 7 most popular majors at Mary Baldwin University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $58,459 | C |
| Social Work | $46,971 | D |
| Political Science and Government | $47,117 | - |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $50,117 | C |
| Psychology | $45,703 | - |
| Registered Nursing | $97,279 | - |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $58,714 | - |
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 earns a C with 43 graduates. First-year earnings of $44,920 climb to $58,459 at four years against $31,000 median debt - a 0.69 debt-to-earnings ratio. This is the strongest reportable financial track at Mary Baldwin.
Social Work
Social Work earns a D with 33 graduates - the second-largest reportable program. First-year earnings of $37,537 against $33,375 median debt produces a 0.889 ratio. Debt is unusually heavy for this discipline at Mary Baldwin, exceeding the institutional median. Four-year earnings of $46,971 do not recover the position.
Political Science and Government
Political Science graduates 27 students per cycle with $47,117 median four-year earnings. Earnings, debt, and ROI grade are partially suppressed. This is a popular liberal arts track at Mary Baldwin that historically feeds Washington DC-area policy and government work. Without graduate-school plans the undergraduate financial case is moderate.
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Liberal Arts and Sciences earns a C with 26 graduates. First-year earnings of $40,887 against $27,089 debt produces a 0.663 ratio. This is the general liberal arts track and one of the better-performing programs by debt-to-earnings. Suggests Mary Baldwin's small-college pedagogy translates reasonably well to broad-skills employment.
Psychology
Psychology graduates 21 students per cycle with $45,703 median four-year earnings. First-year earnings, debt, and ROI grade are suppressed. Like most psychology undergraduate programs, the financial case depends heavily on graduate study plans.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 56.4% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 64.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 59.7% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 69.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Mary Baldwin University’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 | 1,090 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 55.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,926 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data, nor are SAT or ACT mid-ranges. Mary Baldwin historically operates as a moderately selective private with test-optional policy.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Baldwin University (this school) | 25 | $12,756 | $44,427 |
| Salem College | 26 | $18,277 | $44,640 |
| Columbia College | 25 | $22,715 | $45,378 |
| Wesleyan College | 24 | $12,724 | $44,317 |
| Midway University | 24 | $29,579 | $44,246 |
| Hollins University | 21 | $20,896 | $40,075 |
Who Thrives Here
Mary Baldwin fits Virginia and mid-Atlantic students drawn to small-college experience, historically including a focus on women's leadership and innovative programs like the early college Program for the Exceptionally Gifted. Pell rate is 55.3% - a high-need population. Enrollment is 1,090. The fit case rests on community and pedagogical experience rather than financial-ROI metrics. Students should pursue maximum outside scholarship support before enrolling.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Mary Baldwin University scores 25/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $12,756 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $44,427 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 20.3 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 39.3% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.86 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 64.4% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $26,586 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $30,800 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.86. 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.
Mary Baldwin University: Common Questions
Is Mary Baldwin University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Mary Baldwin University scores 25/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $12,756 a year after aid against $44,427 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 20.3 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Mary Baldwin 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 $12,756 a year, or roughly $51,024 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 Mary Baldwin University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $44,427 ten years after enrolling, roughly $2,627 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 Mary Baldwin 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 20.3 years for Mary Baldwin University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Mary Baldwin University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,586, against average earnings of $30,800 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.86. 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 Mary Baldwin University?
The six-year graduation rate is 39.3%. 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.