Miles College
Fairfield, Alabama · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 4/100 · Poor Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Miles College, an HBCU in Fairfield, Alabama, posts a 4/10 ROI score and lands in our Poor Value tier - driven by a brutal stack of three signals working against graduates. Median earnings of $23,100 six years after entry actually fall below the typical high-school-graduate baseline, producing a negative earnings premium. Median debt of $31,217 paired with that earnings figure yields a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.35, meaning a typical borrower owes more than they make in a full year. The paybackPeriod of 999 years is our flag for 'earnings never recoup the cost' - graduates as a group don't out-earn the Scorecard's high-school benchmark by enough to amortize their debt. Completion compounds the problem: only 15.8% of entering students finish a degree within the tracked window, and just 25.8% of borrowers are reducing principal three years out. Cost looks moderate on paper - $13,314 sticker tuition and a $14,271 net price - but the value math collapses on the back end. As a Pell-heavy institution (71.9% Pell rate) serving 1,155 students, Miles plays a real cultural and access role, but the financial outcomes documented in current Scorecard data do not support a debt-financed enrollment decision without a clear plan and outside aid.
The data raises concerns about Miles College
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score4/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.35 - Advisors recommend total student debt stay below one year of salary (ratio under 1.0).
- 6-year graduation rate15.8% - Well below the 60% national average. Non-completion is the fastest route to negative ROI.
- Payback period>50 years - Graduates earn at or near the level of high school completers - the cost may not recoup within a working career.
Miles College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $13,314/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $13,314/yr |
| Average net price | $14,271/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $57,084 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $32,627 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $23,100 |
| Median debt at graduation | $31,217 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $331 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 15.8% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,155 |
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: $13,314/year. Here's the part that matters - almost nobody pays that. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $14,271/year, or roughly $57,084 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 $13,907/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
Most students borrow to get here. The median graduate leaves owing $31,217 in federal loans, which works out to about $331 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Hold that up against the $32,627 the typical graduate earns ten years out: the debt-to-earnings ratio comes to 1.35, which is high - the rule of thumb is that total debt should not top your first-year salary, and this is over that line.
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 | $13,907 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $13,677 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $16,747 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $18,889 |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 face a $13,907 net price - barely below sticker and a heavy lift on that income. Pell plus state aid helps, but the gap typically becomes loans. With graduate earnings of $23,100, the math only works if the student finishes (just 15.8% do in the tracked window) and avoids accumulating the median $31,217 debt load.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001 - $75,000 bracket pays $16,747 - notably higher than the $13,677 the next-lower bracket pays. That inversion-adjacent jump signals aid drops sharply once Pell phases out. Middle-income families effectively pay more than lower-income families here, and at $66,988 over four years, this bracket bears the heaviest absolute cost-to-earnings ratio.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The $75,001 - $110,000 bracket pays $18,889, and the $110,001-plus bracket is unreported. At nearly $76,000 over four years against $23,100 graduate earnings, full-pay families are subsidizing access for lower-income peers without a clear earnings return. Most prospective full-pay students will find better value at flagship publics or higher-completion privates.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 20.3% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 25.8% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 19.9% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 23.2% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Miles College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2023).
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 | 1,155 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 71.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,420 |
Admission rate, SAT, and ACT figures are not reported in current Scorecard data for Miles College, which is common for smaller HBCUs that use holistic or rolling review rather than test-driven gates. Without published selectivity, prospective students should expect access-oriented admission and focus their evaluation on the school's 15.8% completion rate - a signal that getting in is far easier than getting out with a degree.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Among Miles's listed peers - Faulkner University, Huntingdon College, Florida Memorial University, Livingstone College, and Shaw University - the Alabama private-nonprofits Faulkner and Huntingdon generally post stronger completion and earnings figures, while the HBCU peers Florida Memorial, Livingstone, and Shaw cluster in similar Poor Value territory on debt-to-earnings and payback. Miles is not an outlier within that HBCU peer set, but the broader regional Alabama private market offers measurably better ROI scores for students with the option.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles College (this school) | 4 | $14,271 | $32,627 |
| Huntingdon College | 29 | $22,566 | $49,601 |
| Faulkner University | 19 | $22,085 | $43,457 |
| Florida Memorial University | 7 | $23,238 | $36,624 |
| Livingstone College | 4 | $13,479 | $32,600 |
| Shaw University | 4 | $16,512 | $34,409 |
Who Thrives Here
Miles fits students drawn to its HBCU mission, Birmingham-area location, and access-oriented admission posture. With 1,155 enrolled and a 71.9% Pell rate, the campus is small, low-income-majority, and culturally focused. Students who thrive here typically arrive with a clear major, a strong support network, and a plan to minimize borrowing - because the median debt of $31,217 against $23,100 early-career earnings is the single biggest risk to outcomes. Students who are unsure of fit, undecided on major, or planning to fund the full $57,084 four-year cost with loans should think carefully.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
We'll be straight with you: the numbers at Miles College are a real concern. With a net cost of $14,271 per year and the typical graduate earning only $32,627 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds >50 years. For most students, the financial return does not justify the cost - go in with your eyes open.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 15.8% graduation rate, high debt relative to what graduates earn, concerning loan repayment rates, a long payback period.
Be careful with the debt here. A median $31,217 owed against $32,627 in earnings is heavy, and the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.96 is past the level advisors flag. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
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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.