McPherson College
McPherson, Kansas · Private Nonprofit · 76.8% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 36/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
McPherson College earns a CampusROI score of 36 out of 100, placing it in the Below Benchmark tier. This Church of the Brethren liberal-arts college in central Kansas charges a high private-school sticker of $37,310 in tuition but discounts heavily; net price after aid is $26,441 per year, with four-year cost still landing at $105,764. The earnings premium of 16.2% over high-school-only workers is modest, the payback period is 14.4 years. Average earnings six years after entry are $37,900 and reach a median $52,084 by year ten. The bright spot is the repayment rate of 82.7% (sub-score 78), which is above average and suggests graduates do find stable employment and make payments. The drag is the 33.9% completion rate, which lands a sub-score of 14. McPherson is best known for its Automotive Restoration Technology program, a niche specialty that draws a national audience but represents a small slice of total enrollment. For students in the right programs (engineering tech, automotive restoration), the school can deliver real value; for students in general liberal-arts tracks, the math is harder.
How McPherson 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 Score36/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate33.9% - 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.
McPherson College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $37,310/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $37,310/yr |
| Average net price | $26,441/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $105,764 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $52,084 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $37,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,242 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $268 |
| Estimated payback period | 14.4 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 33.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 872 |
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: $37,310/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $26,441/year, or roughly $105,764 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 $22,587/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $31,043/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $25,242, which works out to about $268 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($37,900) and comes to 0.67, 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 | $22,587 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $20,939 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $28,655 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $28,737 |
| $110,001+ | $31,043 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 face an average net price of $22,587 per year, totaling roughly $90,300 across four years. With ten-year median earnings of $52,084, this is a stretch even with strong Pell stacking.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30,001 to $48,000 bracket actually pays slightly less at $20,939 per year, the lowest-cost bracket on the page, suggesting institutional aid is targeted at lower-middle-income students. The $48,001 to $75,000 bracket then jumps to $28,655 and the $75,001 to $110,000 bracket holds at $28,737. Four-year totals for the upper-middle brackets approach $115,000.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $31,043 per year, near full sticker. Four-year cost approaches $124,200. At this price tier, McPherson's value proposition is concentrated entirely in specialty programs (Auto Restoration).
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at McPherson College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | $52,781 | C |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $48,331 | - |
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.
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians
Mechanical Engineering Tech graduates 32 students per cohort, the largest reported program at McPherson. Year-one earnings of $42,278 climb to $52,781 by year four. With $27,000 in median debt, the 0.64 debt-to-earnings ratio earns a C ROI grade. This program is the financial backbone of the school's reported data and reflects a real labor-market premium for technically credentialed graduates. Many students in this track are tied to the automotive-restoration ecosystem and take roles in restoration shops, classic-car auctions, and museum settings.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology graduates 17 students per cohort. Without the debt and one-year data, the ROI grade is unreported. Students choosing this track should expect to pair it with PT, OT, or athletic-training graduate programs to convert the credential into durable earnings; a stand-alone undergraduate kinesiology degree typically does not deliver labor-market returns at private-school prices.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 79.2% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 82.7% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 71.5% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 75.1% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How McPherson 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 | 76.8% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 490-580 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 470-620 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 18-23 |
| Enrollment | 872 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 37.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,375 |
McPherson admits 76.8% of applicants, making it broadly accessible to prepared Kansas applicants. Reported SAT mid-ranges run 490 to 580 in math and 470 to 620 in reading; ACT composite is 18 to 23.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| McPherson College (this school) | 36 | $26,441 | $52,084 |
| Baker University | 65 | $25,301 | $63,855 |
| Benedictine College | 45 | $27,891 | $53,175 |
| Peirce College | 38 | $12,148 | $50,660 |
| Malone University | 37 | $20,948 | $48,909 |
| Ottawa University-Surprise | 36 | $33,393 | $55,552 |
Who Thrives Here
McPherson serves about 872 students with a 37.9% Pell rate. The fit case is most concentrated for students drawn specifically to the Automotive Restoration program (a national draw) or the Mechanical Engineering Technology track, both of which produce reasonable financial outcomes. Students looking for general liberal-arts study or the Brethren denominational identity can find fit, though the cost-versus-earnings math is tight.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, McPherson College scores 36/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $26,441 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $52,084 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 14.4 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 it has going for it: high loan repayment success. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 33.9% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $25,242 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $37,900 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67. 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.
McPherson College: Common Questions
Is McPherson College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. McPherson College scores 36/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $26,441 a year after aid against $52,084 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 14.4 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does McPherson 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 $26,441 a year, or roughly $105,764 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 McPherson College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $52,084 ten years after enrolling, roughly $10,284 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 McPherson 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 14.4 years for McPherson College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do McPherson College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,242, against average earnings of $37,900 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67. 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 McPherson College?
The six-year graduation rate is 33.9%. 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.