Mitchell College
New London, Connecticut · Private Nonprofit · 94.7% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 15/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Mitchell College scores 15 (Below Benchmark) on the CampusROI scale. The numbers across the board are difficult: a 63.4-year payback period, $28,200 average 6-year earnings, a 42.2% completion rate, and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.892. Median debt is $25,150 against sticker tuition of $40,490. Net price of $30,260 is high relative to outcomes. Fewer than half the students who enroll actually graduate. The program mix is thin - Criminal Justice, Kinesiology, and Business Administration are the only Scorecard-reportable programs, and all carry D or F ROI grades. Business Administration has a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.029 (ROI grade F), meaning the median graduate owes more than they earn annually. The repayment rate of 69.6% at three years signals that a meaningful share of borrowers are not keeping up with loan payments. Mitchell is a small institution (377 enrolled) that appears to serve a regional market. Prospective students should use the net price calculator carefully and compare total expected debt against realistic six-year earnings before enrolling.
How Mitchell 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 Score15/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
Mitchell College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $40,490/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $40,490/yr |
| Average net price | $30,260/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $121,040 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $39,115 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $28,200 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,150 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $267 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 42.2% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 377 |
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: $40,490/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $30,260/year, or roughly $121,040 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 $26,485/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $35,675/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $25,150, 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 ($28,200) and comes to 0.89, 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 | $26,485 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $27,972 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $29,970 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $29,559 |
| $110,001+ | $35,675 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The lowest income bracket (0-30000) pays $26,485 per year at Mitchell - a net price that is very high relative to the $28,200 average 6-year earnings. Four years at $26,485 nets to $105,940 all-in, against median earnings that barely exceed $28,000. For low-income students, the financial risk here is acute: the school's 42.2% completion rate means more than half of enrollees will take on debt without earning a degree, compounding the loss.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 48001-75000 bracket pays $29,970 at Mitchell and the 75001-110000 bracket pays $29,559 - slight differences suggesting the aid formula does not substantially differentiate across the middle-income range. Middle-income families paying $120,000-$119,000 over four years against $28,200 average six-year earnings face a deeply unfavorable financial picture. The payback period of 63.4 years is not a rounding artifact - it reflects actual median earnings relative to cost.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The 110001-plus bracket pays $35,675 per year, the highest net price tier. Families in this bracket paying roughly $142,700 over four years would need graduates to significantly outperform the $28,200 average. There is no financial justification in the Scorecard data for a high-income family to choose Mitchell.
Earnings by Major
Top 3 most popular majors at Mitchell College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $45,446 | - |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $50,035 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $50,991 | F |
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.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice is Mitchell's best-performing reported program, which sets a low bar: 10 graduates, $32,782 at year one, $50,035 at year four, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.824 (ROI grade D). Median debt of $27,000 consumes 54% of the year-one salary. Graduates earning $50,035 at year four against $27,000 in debt is a marginal situation, not a strong ROI case.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration at Mitchell has only 2 Scorecard graduates and carries an F-grade ROI: $25,277 year-one earnings, $50,991 year-four, and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.029 - meaning the median graduate owes more than their full annual salary in student debt at $26,000. Year-one earnings are $25,277.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 60.1% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 69.6% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 62.6% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 60.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Mitchell 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 | 94.7% |
| Enrollment | 377 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 38.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,511 |
At 94.7% admission, Mitchell College accepts nearly all applicants. The Scorecard does not report SAT or ACT score ranges. Admission is not a filtering mechanism here - the decision calculus should center on expected outcomes and total cost. Students evaluating Mitchell should run the net price calculator and compare the result to the $28,200 average 6-year earnings figure before committing.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Mitchell's ROI score is 15; its 42.2% completion rate and 63.4-year payback period are the primary drivers.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell College (this school) | 15 | $30,260 | $39,115 |
| Albertus Magnus College | 39 | $34,028 | $60,144 |
| University of Bridgeport | 27 | $27,807 | $50,323 |
| Mission University | 15 | $21,383 | $38,641 |
| Southwestern Christian University | 14 | $20,146 | $40,391 |
| Herzing University-Brookfield | 14 | $20,514 | $36,909 |
Who Thrives Here
Mitchell admits 94.7% of applicants and does not report SAT or ACT ranges, consistent with an open-access or near-open-access enrollment model. Enrollment is 377, making it a very small campus. The Pell grant rate of 38.3% indicates a significant portion of students come from lower-income households. Students seeking a small-campus experience in New London, CT, with flexible admissions requirements will find Mitchell accessible, but the outcomes data suggests this accessibility has not translated into strong post-graduation financial results.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Mitchell College scores 15/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $30,260 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $39,115 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 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 42.2% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.89 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 69.6% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $25,150 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $28,200 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.89. 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.
Mitchell College: Common Questions
Is Mitchell College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Mitchell College scores 15/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $30,260 a year after aid against $39,115 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Mitchell 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 $30,260 a year, or roughly $121,040 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 Mitchell College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $39,115 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off Mitchell 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 more than 50 years for Mitchell College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Mitchell College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,150, against average earnings of $28,200 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.89. 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 Mitchell College?
The six-year graduation rate is 42.2%. 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.