Milligan University
Milligan, Tennessee · Private Nonprofit · 72.3% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 37/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Milligan University earns a 37 ROI score and the Below Benchmark tier rating, a result driven by a steep cost structure that the school's earnings outcomes don't justify. Sticker tuition is $40,450 with a discounted net price of $21,365 - a substantial 47 percent aid discount - and four-year cost of attendance lands at $85,460. Average earnings six years out are $35,600, climbing to a median $46,641 by year ten - producing a soft 13.6 percent earnings premium and a 19.4-year payback period. Median debt of $25,219 against earnings produces a heavy 0.708 debt-to-earnings ratio. Strong nursing and kinesiology programs partially offset the schoolwide picture. Milligan is a faith-and-community institution where ROI math depends heavily on the major.
How Milligan 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 Score37/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period19.4 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Milligan University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $40,450/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $40,450/yr |
| Average net price | $21,365/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $85,460 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $46,641 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $35,600 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,219 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $267 |
| Estimated payback period | 19.4 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 63.4% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 818 |
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: $40,450/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $21,365/year, or roughly $85,460 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 $15,118/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $26,390/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $25,219, which works out to about $267 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($35,600) and comes to 0.71, 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 | $15,118 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $14,635 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $16,351 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $22,348 |
| $110,001+ | $26,390 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Lowest-income families pay $15,118 net annually - with the $30,001-$48,000 bracket actually paying slightly less at $14,635, a mild inversion. Roughly $60,000 over four years for Pell-eligible students against $35,600 six-year earnings is a meaningful debt risk, but Milligan's strong repayment rate suggests the close-knit community helps graduates manage. Maximum federal aid plus institutional grants are essential.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income brackets pay $14,635 ($30K-$48K), $16,351 ($48K-$75K), and $22,348 ($75K-$110K) - a steep climb at the upper-middle band. Annual costs through the lower-middle tier are competitive with public regionals; the upper-middle tier sees the largest net price increase.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Higher-income families pay $26,390 net annually, or roughly $106K over four years. With median 10-year earnings of $46,641, the math is genuinely difficult for full-pay students unless they enter nursing.
Earnings by Major
Top 6 most popular majors at Milligan University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $59,605 | C |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $55,866 | B |
| Psychology | $46,990 | - |
| Teacher Education | $44,167 | D |
| Registered Nursing | $82,961 | B |
| Communication and Media Studies | $44,175 | - |
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.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing graduates 14 students annually with first-year earnings of $70,523 climbing to $82,961 by year four. Median debt of $27,000 produces a 0.383 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B ROI grade. Career paths flow into Tri-Cities and East Tennessee hospital systems including Ballad Health. The small cohort means competition is limited and program fit matters significantly.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration is Milligan's largest program at 42 graduates with $39,752 first-year and $59,605 four-year earnings. Median debt of $27,000 produces a 0.679 debt-to-earnings ratio and a C ROI grade. Career paths spread across regional small and mid-sized employers; the four-year earnings figure reflects steady but unspectacular post-graduation career growth.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology graduates 24 students with $55,866 four-year earnings and median debt of $23,601 - a 0.422 debt-to-earnings ratio earning a B ROI grade. Most strong career paths require graduate study (PT, OT, athletic training); students should plan their full education trajectory rather than treating the bachelor's as terminal.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education graduates 23 students with $34,888 first-year and $44,167 four-year earnings against median debt of $27,000 - producing a 0.774 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D ROI grade. The math reflects the challenging gap between private-school cost and modest teaching salaries in the Southeast region. Many graduates likely teach in the broader regional Christian school network or in East Tennessee public schools.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 76.1% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 82.2% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 72.3% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 79.5% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Milligan University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2015-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 72.3% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 560-618 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 573-650 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 22-27 |
| Enrollment | 818 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 24.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,980 |
Milligan admits 72.3 percent of applicants - moderately accessible. SAT mid-50 percent ranges run 560-618 in Math and 573-650 in Reading, while ACT Composite spans 22-27 - solid academic profiles for a small Christian liberal arts university.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milligan University (this school) | 37 | $21,365 | $46,641 |
| Huntington University | 38 | $19,310 | $46,672 |
| Houghton University | 38 | $20,519 | $46,721 |
| Cornerstone University | 37 | $20,301 | $47,314 |
| Oklahoma Baptist University | 37 | $20,958 | $48,434 |
| International Baptist College and Seminary | 37 | $14,660 | $39,556 |
Who Thrives Here
Enrollment is small at 818 undergraduates and Pell rate runs 24 percent - a relatively middle-class student body. Strongest student outcomes accrue to nursing and kinesiology graduates, both earning B-grade ROI. Students choosing Milligan primarily for its faith environment should plan their major carefully; outside healthcare and education, the cost-to-outcome math is challenging.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Milligan University scores 37/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $21,365 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $46,641 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 19.4 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, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $25,219 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $35,600 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71. 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.
Milligan University: Common Questions
Is Milligan University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Milligan University scores 37/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $21,365 a year after aid against $46,641 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 19.4 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Milligan 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 $21,365 a year, or roughly $85,460 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 Milligan University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $46,641 ten years after enrolling, roughly $4,841 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 Milligan 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 19.4 years for Milligan University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Milligan University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,219, against average earnings of $35,600 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71. 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 Milligan University?
The six-year graduation rate is 63.4%. 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.