Paul Quinn College
Dallas, Texas · Private Nonprofit · 40.3% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 11/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Paul Quinn College, a small historically Black college in Dallas with a distinctive work-college model, posts a CampusROI score of just 11, placing it firmly in the Below Benchmark tier. The cost stack is moderate: $13,498 sticker tuition, $12,709 average net price, $50,836 four-year total. The earnings problem is severe: 10-year median earnings of $29,288 produce a -11.2% earnings premium versus the high-school baseline (sub-score 2) and a 999-year payback period (sub-score 7) - meaning the model calculates that earnings never recoup the cost of attendance. Median debt of $23,373 against those earnings yields a 0.87 debt-to-earnings ratio (sub-score 10). The completion rate is 26.9% (sub-score 8): nearly three-quarters of incoming students do not finish the degree but may still leave with debt. Repayment is imputed at 50 because three-year repayment data is missing, but the available figures show first-year repayment of just 34% and five-year of 26%, suggesting widespread repayment difficulty. The honest read: Paul Quinn is mission-driven and serves a community Dallas badly needs to support, but the financial outcomes for incoming students are extremely concerning.
How Paul Quinn 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 Score11/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate26.9% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- 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.
Paul Quinn College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $13,498/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $13,498/yr |
| Average net price | $12,709/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $50,836 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $29,288 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $26,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $23,373 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $248 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 26.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 620 |
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: $13,498/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $12,709/year, or roughly $50,836 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 $11,443/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $18,556/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $23,373, which works out to about $248 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($26,900) and comes to 0.87, 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 | $11,443 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $12,053 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $13,626 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $15,230 |
| $110,001+ | $18,556 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $11,443 net annually - about $46,000 over four years. For Pell-eligible students, federal aid covers most of this, but median debt at graduation is still $23,373 against $29,288 of 10-year earnings. The math is extremely tight, and the 26.9% completion rate means most low-income enrollees leave with some debt and no degree - the worst possible outcome.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Households at $48,001-$75,000 pay $13,626 and $75,001-$110,000 pays $15,230 - $54,000-$61,000 over four years. That is the cost at this tier, alongside the low completion rate and weak earnings.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $18,556 net, or about $74,000 over four years. Enrollment at this income tier would need to be driven by mission alignment (HBCU experience, work-college model) rather than financial considerations.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 34.4% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | N/A | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 26.4% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 32.2% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Paul Quinn 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 | 40.3% |
| Enrollment | 620 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 67.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,785 |
Paul Quinn admits 40.3% of applicants. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported in current Scorecard data, which is consistent with a test-optional or test-flexible posture and an open-access mission. The 26.9% completion rate combined with the moderate admit rate suggests substantial gaps between admission readiness and college-level work; this is the single biggest financial risk for incoming students who borrow.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Quinn College (this school) | 11 | $12,709 | $29,288 |
| Cheyney University of Pennsylvania | 11 | $14,265 | $37,837 |
| Le Moyne-Owen College | 11 | $7,099 | $35,594 |
| Alabama A & M University | 10 | $17,621 | $40,628 |
| University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff | 10 | $12,653 | $35,550 |
| Lincoln University | 10 | $19,092 | $39,463 |
Who Thrives Here
With just 620 students and a 67.3% Pell rate, Paul Quinn serves a heavily Pell-eligible Black student body in Dallas with a distinctive work-college and urban-agriculture mission. However, the 26.9% completion rate means most students do not graduate, and those who do see modest earnings outcomes. Students considering Paul Quinn should weigh the work-college experience and HBCU community against the financial outcome data.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Paul Quinn College scores 11/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $12,709 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $29,288 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 26.9% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.87 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $23,373 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $26,900 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.87. 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.
Paul Quinn College: Common Questions
Is Paul Quinn College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Paul Quinn College scores 11/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $12,709 a year after aid against $29,288 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 Paul Quinn 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 $12,709 a year, or roughly $50,836 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 Paul Quinn College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $29,288 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 Paul Quinn 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 Paul Quinn College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Paul Quinn College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $23,373, against average earnings of $26,900 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.87. 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 Paul Quinn College?
The six-year graduation rate is 26.9%. 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.