Oakwood University
Huntsville, Alabama · Private Nonprofit · 45.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 14/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Oakwood University, a Seventh-day Adventist HBCU in Huntsville, posts an ROI score of just 14 (Below Benchmark). The figures: $22,512 tuition, a $25,669 net price (higher than sticker, meaning the typical student receives negative aid after fees), $27,000 median federal debt, and ten-year median earnings of $42,488. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.047 means typical borrowers owe more than they earn annually, producing a 32.4-year payback period. Completion is 44.6% and the repayment rate is just 46% - more than half of borrowers are not actively paying down principal three years after entering repayment. Pell-grant rate of 44.4% confirms the school serves a predominantly low-income student body, and the small 1,153-student enrollment limits program breadth. Oakwood's mission-driven Adventist religious education has real non-economic value, but the financial ROI case as of 2024-2025 Scorecard data is weak under our methodology.
How Oakwood 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 Score14/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.05 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- Payback period32.4 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Oakwood University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $22,512/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $22,512/yr |
| Average net price | $25,669/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $102,676 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $42,488 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $25,800 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 32.4 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 44.6% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,153 |
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: $22,512/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 $25,669/year, or roughly $102,676 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 $23,999/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $27,219/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $27,000, which works out to about $286 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($25,800) and comes to 1.05, 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least 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 | $23,999 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $22,444 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $24,501 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $28,074 |
| $110,001+ | $27,219 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30K pay $23,999 net per year. The $30K-$48K bracket pays $22,444, slightly less than the lowest band, an inverted pattern worth flagging. Low-income families face nearly $96K in four-year out-of-pocket cost, against $42K median earnings.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48K-$75K band pays $24,501 and the $75K-$110K band climbs to $28,074. Middle-income families take on roughly $98K-$112K in four-year out-of-pocket cost. There is essentially no major mix on offer that justifies this against $42K earnings 10 years out.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110K pay $27,219 net - actually less than the $75K-$110K band, another inversion. For high-income families, the financial argument simply doesn't exist; this is a values purchase. Students whose families can pay close to sticker out of cash will avoid debt but still face the opportunity cost of an institution where median graduate earnings barely clear high-school levels.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at Oakwood University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $55,834 | F |
| Human Resources Management | $62,069 | 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.
Human Resources Management
Human Resources is the strongest reported program with $62,069 four-year earnings, though debt of $35,500 produces a 0.572 D/E ratio and only a C grade. With just 4 graduates the sample is too small to draw firm conclusions, but it represents one of the only Oakwood paths where post-graduation earnings clear payment thresholds comfortably.
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Liberal Arts is Oakwood's largest reported program with 25 graduates: $30,724 first-year earnings against $51,250 debt - a 1.668 debt-to-earnings ratio earning an F grade. Graduates owe nearly $1.67 for every dollar of annual income. This represents financial harm at scale and is a program prospective students should approach with extreme caution.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 35.4% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 46.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 34.3% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 37.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Oakwood 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 | 45.2% |
| Enrollment | 1,153 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 44.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,513 |
The 44.6% completion rate sits below what the selective admit rate would predict, suggesting financial pressure and persistence challenges that aren't fully captured by admit metrics.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Oakwood's ROI is 14.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakwood University (this school) | 14 | $25,669 | $42,488 |
| Albany State University | 14 | $11,898 | $40,674 |
| Clark Atlanta University | 14 | $37,702 | $42,712 |
| Jackson State University | 14 | $23,836 | $39,060 |
| Wilberforce University | 14 | $5,567 | $38,298 |
| Fisk University | 14 | $32,020 | $45,454 |
Who Thrives Here
Oakwood fits Seventh-day Adventist students seeking a faith-integrated education, particularly those willing to accept weaker financial outcomes in exchange for religious community. With 44.4% Pell rate and 1,153 students, the campus is intimate. Students should view this as a values choice, not a financial one. Strong fit only for committed Adventist students; weak fit for anyone optimizing for earnings or graduate-school placement.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Oakwood University scores 14/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $25,669 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $42,488 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 32.4 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 to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 44.6% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.05 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 46.0% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $27,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $25,800 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.05. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Oakwood University: Common Questions
Is Oakwood University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Oakwood University scores 14/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $25,669 a year after aid against $42,488 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 32.4 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Oakwood 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 $25,669 a year, or roughly $102,676 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 Oakwood University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $42,488 ten years after enrolling, roughly $688 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 Oakwood 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 32.4 years for Oakwood University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Oakwood University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $25,800 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.05. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so how much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Oakwood University?
The six-year graduation rate is 44.6%. 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.