Midway University
Midway, Kentucky · Private Nonprofit · 95.1% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 24/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Midway University lands deep in the Below Benchmark tier with an overall ROI score of 24 out of 100. The numbers tell a difficult story: average earnings six years out are $34,600, climbing to a median of only $44,246 at the ten-year mark, producing an earnings premium of just 7.8% and a 27.9-year payback period. Four-year total cost is $118,316. Median debt is $21,301, generating a 0.616 debt-to-earnings ratio. The repayment rate is 52.5% one year out, 53.4% at five years, and 61.1% at seven years. The six-year completion rate is only 40.7%. Note the anomaly: net price ($29,579) exceeds tuition ($27,220), which means institutional grant aid is so limited that fees and room/board push the actual cost above the headline tuition figure even after aid. Students should evaluate Midway only with a clear-eyed view of these numbers.
How Midway 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 Score24/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period27.9 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Midway University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $27,220/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $27,220/yr |
| Average net price | $29,579/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $118,316 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $44,246 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $34,600 |
| Median debt at graduation | $21,301 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $226 |
| Estimated payback period | 27.9 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 40.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,262 |
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: $27,220/year, which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $29,579/year, or roughly $118,316 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 $27,206/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $34,166/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $21,301, which works out to about $226 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($34,600) and comes to 0.62, 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 | $27,206 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $23,405 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $28,160 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $32,406 |
| $110,001+ | $34,166 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning $0-30,000 face a net price of $27,206 - essentially full sticker. The $30,001-48,000 bracket pays slightly less at $23,405. The completion rate is 41% and the one-year repayment rate is 52.5%.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-75,000 bracket pays $28,160 and $75,001-110,000 pays $32,406. Aid tapers further as income rises. At $112,000-130,000 over four years against $34,600 in early earnings, the math does not work unless the student is in Teacher Education or specific nursing programs.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $34,166 per year - $136,664 over four years. Full-pay families would do dramatically better at any Kentucky public, where total cost would run roughly one-third and outcomes are stronger. The case for paying Midway sticker is essentially specialty programs (equine, athletics) or family/community ties.
Earnings by Major
Top 5 most popular majors at Midway University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration and Management | $55,108 | C |
| Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services | $45,192 | D |
| Psychology | $27,403 | D |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $47,670 | F |
| Teacher Education | $42,174 | 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 and Management
Largest program at 55 graduates with one-year earnings of $38,334 climbing to $55,108 at four years - the strongest absolute earnings on the Midway list. Median debt of $26,000 produces a 0.678 debt-to-earnings ratio and a C grade. The earnings recovery (44% growth in three years) is decent.
Teacher Education
Small program (9 graduates) but the lowest debt-to-earnings ratio of the school's reported programs. Median 4-year earnings of $42,174 against $22,563 median debt produces a 0.535 debt-to-earnings ratio and a C+ grade. Kentucky teacher salaries follow rigid state schedules so the flat earnings curve is expected. For students committed to teaching in central Kentucky, this can work, especially with public-service loan forgiveness factored in.
Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services
Twenty-four graduates - this is Midway's equine-studies program, distinctive in the Kentucky horse-country market. One-year earnings of $33,696 and four-year of $45,192 against $27,000 median debt produces a 0.801 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D grade. Most equine careers pay in lifestyle rather than salary; this program makes sense for students with family ties to thoroughbred operations or specific career intentions in the industry, not as a general financial bet.
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Thirteen graduates with one-year earnings of $30,774 and four-year of $47,670. Median debt of $34,622 - the highest on the Midway list - produces a 1.125 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F grade. The debt load is structurally high relative to early earnings.
Psychology
Eighteen graduates with one-year earnings of just $27,403, four-year earnings not reported. Median debt of $27,000 produces a 0.985 debt-to-earnings ratio - essentially debt equals first-year earnings - and a D grade. Bachelor's psychology only works financially when grad school is in the plan; at Midway's cost basis without strong grad-school placement track record, this is a hard major to recommend.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 52.5% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 59.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 53.4% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 61.1% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Midway 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
| Acceptance rate | 95.1% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 530-580 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 570-590 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 20-25 |
| Enrollment | 1,262 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 31.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,349 |
Midway admits 95.1% of applicants - effectively open admission. SAT mid-ranges are 530-580 math and 570-590 reading; ACT composite mid-range is 20-25. The narrow score bands and high admit rate together describe a yielded class with limited academic preparation, which directly tracks the 40.7% six-year completion rate. Students with stronger preparation are likely to succeed.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midway University (this school) | 24 | $29,579 | $44,246 |
| Salem College | 26 | $18,277 | $44,640 |
| Columbia College | 25 | $22,715 | $45,378 |
| Mary Baldwin University | 25 | $12,756 | $44,427 |
| Wesleyan College | 24 | $12,724 | $44,317 |
| Hollins University | 21 | $20,896 | $40,075 |
Who Thrives Here
Small private, enrollment 1,262, in the Kentucky horse country between Lexington and Frankfort. Pell rate is 32% - solidly working-class student profile. Historically a women's college, Midway has built specialty programs around equine studies (Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services) and a small nursing/health-administration footprint. It fits students specifically drawn to those niches or to the local commuter base.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Midway University scores 24/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $29,579 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $44,246 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 27.9 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 to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 40.7% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 59.0% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $21,301 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $34,600 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Midway University: Common Questions
Is Midway University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Midway University scores 24/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $29,579 a year after aid against $44,246 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 27.9 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Midway 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 $29,579 a year, or roughly $118,316 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 Midway University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $44,246 ten years after enrolling, roughly $2,446 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 Midway 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 27.9 years for Midway University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Midway University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $21,301, against average earnings of $34,600 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Midway University?
The six-year graduation rate is 40.7%. 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.