Meredith College
Raleigh, North Carolina · Private Nonprofit · 74.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 43/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Meredith College scores 43 (Below Benchmark) on the CampusROI scale. The institution's profile shows a women's college in Raleigh, NC with a 70.1% completion rate (sub-score 78) - a genuine strength - but $22,488 net price against $34,300 average six-year earnings yields a 13.9-year payback period (sub-score 41). Median debt of $25,000 against $34,300 earnings produces a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.729 (sub-score 24) - the worst financial ratio sub-score in the profile. The completion rate is the bright spot: Meredith graduates most of its students. The problem is earnings: $34,300 at six years. The program mix is heavily weighted toward liberal arts, social sciences, and design - disciplines with modest near-term earnings. Human Resources Management (16 graduates, $50,635 year-one) and Business Administration (11 graduates, C+, $48,955 year-one) are the top financial outcomes but represent a small fraction of enrollment. Psychology (39 graduates, D), Design (35 graduates, C), Communication (10 graduates, D), and Marketing (21 graduates, C) are much larger in volume but financially weaker. Notably, no program in Meredith's list reports four-year earnings except Biology and Psychology - the data picture for long-run trajectories is limited. The 10-year median of $51,539 represents meaningful growth from $34,300 at six years, suggesting career development continues strongly beyond the initial years.
How Meredith 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 Score43/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
Meredith College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $45,630/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $45,630/yr |
| Average net price | $22,488/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $89,952 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $51,539 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $34,300 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $265 |
| Estimated payback period | 13.9 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 70.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,188 |
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: $45,630/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $22,488/year, or roughly $89,952 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 $17,207/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $29,117/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $25,000, which works out to about $265 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($34,300) and comes to 0.73, 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 | $17,207 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $19,006 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $18,064 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $23,678 |
| $110,001+ | $29,117 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The 0-30000 income bracket pays $17,207 per year at Meredith. The 30001-48000 bracket pays $19,006. For a $45,630 sticker tuition institution, these are meaningful discounts - but $17-19k annually still produces a four-year cost of $68-76k. Against $34,300 average six-year earnings and a 13.9-year payback, low-income students face genuine financial risk. The 70.1% completion rate helps - most students who enroll do graduate - but the earnings outcomes are the binding constraint.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 48001-75000 bracket actually dips to $18,064 - lower than the lower bracket, which may reflect merit aid overlapping with need-based aid in this income range. The 75001-110000 bracket increases to $23,678. The 13.9-year payback period against $22-24k annual cost requires honest assessment: Meredith's value case is strongest for students in business or biology who build post-graduation earnings above the institutional median.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The 110001-plus bracket pays $29,117 - nearing the upper bound of the net price range and a four-year total near $117,000. At this price, the 13.9-year payback at $34,300 average earnings creates a substantial financial gap. Higher-income families paying $29k per year for a Meredith education are making a significant investment in institutional culture, community, and the women's college experience. The financial return alone does not justify the price at this income level.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Meredith College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | $60,099 | C |
| Psychology | $49,124 | D |
| Design and Applied Arts | $36,357 | C |
| Marketing | $45,883 | C |
| Human Resources Management | $50,635 | - |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $38,525 | C |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $48,955 | C+ |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | $37,787 | C |
| Communication and Media Studies | $35,157 | D |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $40,762 | C |
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 (11 graduates) earns $48,955 year-one with a C+ grade and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.480 against $23,500 median debt. No four-year earnings are reported. The small cohort size (11 graduates) limits the statistical reliability of these figures, but the first-year earnings and debt ratio are the most favorable combination on Meredith's program list.
Biology
Biology (42 graduates) earns $43,182 year-one and $60,099 at year four, with a C grade and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.625 against $27,000 median debt. This is Meredith's largest program with both year-one and year-four data. The four-year trajectory to $60k reflects a premed cohort that branches into healthcare careers - the $43k year-one likely includes a mix of researchers, health aides, and students in graduate or professional programs. Biology is the clearest long-run earner at Meredith.
Psychology
Psychology (39 graduates) is Meredith's lowest-performing high-volume program: $28,501 year-one, $49,124 at year four, D grade, and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.947 against $27,000 median debt. Monthly payments on $27,000 debt run roughly $286. Against $28,501 year-one earnings, that payment represents approximately 12% of gross income - meaningful financial pressure. Students considering psychology at Meredith should plan explicitly for graduate school or a business-adjacent career track.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 67.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 74.2% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 69.8% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 74.6% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Meredith 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 | 74.2% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 510-680 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 588-668 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 23-29 |
| Enrollment | 1,188 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 35.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,652 |
At 74.2%, Meredith is accessible rather than selective. SAT 510-680 Math and 588-668 Reading describe a wide academic range - the institution enrolls students across preparation levels. ACT 23-29 is the parallel signal. The women's college context means students who choose Meredith have already self-selected for its mission. From a financial planning perspective, major selection matters significantly at this institution: the gap between business/HR outcomes and liberal arts/psychology outcomes is substantial.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meredith College (this school) | 43 | $22,488 | $51,539 |
| Bay Path University | 52 | $14,271 | $55,383 |
| Agnes Scott College | 45 | $24,754 | $56,274 |
| Sweet Briar College | 44 | $17,758 | $51,943 |
| Brenau University | 41 | $18,924 | $54,003 |
| Chatham University | 39 | $29,954 | $52,410 |
Who Thrives Here
Meredith admits 74.2% of applicants. SAT mid-ranges are 510-680 Math and 588-668 Reading. Enrollment is 1,188 undergraduates, all women, in Raleigh, NC. The Pell grant rate of 35.9% reflects a mixed-income student body with meaningful lower-income representation. Meredith's women's college identity, Raleigh location, and liberal arts tradition are primary draws. Students motivated by the institutional mission and community fit should be clear-eyed that the financial outcomes require deliberate career planning, especially for psychology, communications, and fine arts majors.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Meredith College scores 43/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $22,488 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $51,539 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 13.9 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: its 70.1% graduation rate. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.73 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $25,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $34,300 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.73. 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.
Meredith College: Common Questions
Is Meredith College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Meredith College scores 43/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $22,488 a year after aid against $51,539 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 13.9 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Meredith 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 $22,488 a year, or roughly $89,952 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 Meredith College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $51,539 ten years after enrolling, roughly $9,739 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 Meredith 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 13.9 years for Meredith College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Meredith College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,000, against average earnings of $34,300 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.73. 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 Meredith College?
The six-year graduation rate is 70.1%, at or above the 64% national average for four-year schools (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.