Oakland City University
Oakland City, Indiana · Private Nonprofit · 82.5% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 41/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Oakland City University, a small Baptist-affiliated school in rural southern Indiana, scores 41 out of 100 on CampusROI and sits in the Below Benchmark tier. The financials are an unusual mix: sticker tuition is $27,900 and the average net price is $15,210, putting four-year cost at about $60,840. The six-year completion rate of 65.5% is a strong showing. The problem is earnings: average earnings six years out are just $30,700 and climb only to a median $43,283 by year ten, the lowest figures driving this profile. The earnings premium over a high-school baseline is only 13.6%, producing a 24.2-year modeled payback period despite the modest debt. Oakland City graduates carry little debt by private-school standards but earn so little that the credential takes decades to pay back. The school's small enrollment of 499 and 40.7% Pell rate suggest a high-need population for whom the credential's labor-market signal is the binding constraint.
How Oakland City 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 Score41/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period24.2 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Oakland City University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $27,900/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $27,900/yr |
| Average net price | $15,210/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $60,840 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $43,283 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $30,700 |
| Median debt at graduation | $16,758 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $178 |
| Estimated payback period | 24.2 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 65.5% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 499 |
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: $27,900/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $15,210/year, or roughly $60,840 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 $13,980/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $18,550/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $16,758, which works out to about $178 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($30,700) and comes to 0.55, 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 | $13,980 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $15,781 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $13,637 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $16,005 |
| $110,001+ | $18,550 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 face a net price of $13,980 per year. Four years totals about $55,900 against $43,283 in ten-year median earnings.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income brackets show an unusual inversion that is worth flagging: the $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $13,637, which is actually lower than the $30,001-$48,000 bracket at $15,781 and even lower than the $0-$30,000 bracket at $13,980. This pattern is unusual and likely reflects merit-aid layering or small-sample noise; families in any of these brackets should not assume the listed figure is binding for their package and should request a customized estimate.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $18,550 a year, or roughly $74,200 over four years. Ten-year median earnings are $43,283.
Earnings by Major
Top 3 most popular majors at Oakland City University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $58,663 | C+ |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $62,595 | C+ |
| Accounting | $76,123 | - |
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 is the documented largest program with 53 graduates. First-year earnings of $49,245 rise to $58,663 by year four against $25,875 in median debt, producing a 0.525 debt-to-earnings ratio and a C+ ROI grade. These program-level outcomes are materially better than the institutional medians, which suggests business graduates drive most of the upside at Oakland City.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice graduates a small cohort of 6 with $46,038 in first-year earnings rising to $62,595 by year four against $24,657 in median debt. The 0.536 debt-to-earnings ratio and C+ ROI grade are reasonable but the sample size is so small that year-to-year variation could materially shift these numbers.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 73.5% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 72.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 60.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 64.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Oakland City 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 | 82.5% |
| Enrollment | 499 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 40.7% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,073 |
Oakland City admits 82.5% of applicants, putting it near open admission. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported in current Scorecard data, so applicants cannot benchmark against a standardized profile.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland City University (this school) | 41 | $15,210 | $43,283 |
| Eureka College | 43 | $17,349 | $51,641 |
| College of Biblical Studies-Houston | 43 | $672 | $39,260 |
| Bethel University | 34 | $18,610 | $48,860 |
| Anderson University | 32 | $25,021 | $48,899 |
| Rabbinical College Bobover Yeshiva Bnei Zion | 31 | $9,136 | $20,707 |
Who Thrives Here
With 499 students and a Pell rate of 40.7%, Oakland City serves a small, mostly local southern Indiana and western Kentucky population in a rural Baptist-affiliated setting. The right fit is a student drawn to the religious environment and small-class teaching who qualifies for substantial institutional aid and is targeting business, education, or ministry. The earnings profile suggests many graduates stay in the regional rural labor market, which is what makes the credential's payback period stretch so long. Students with mobility ambitions outside the region should weigh that carefully.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Oakland City University scores 41/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $15,210 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $43,283 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 24.2 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, a long payback period.
Median debt of $16,758 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $30,700 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.55, 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.
Oakland City University: Common Questions
Is Oakland City University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Oakland City University scores 41/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $15,210 a year after aid against $43,283 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 24.2 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Oakland City 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 $15,210 a year, or roughly $60,840 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 Oakland City University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $43,283 ten years after enrolling, roughly $1,483 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 Oakland City 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 24.2 years for Oakland City University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Oakland City University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $16,758, against average earnings of $30,700 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.55. 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 Oakland City University?
The six-year graduation rate is 65.5%, 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.