Piedmont University
Demorest, Georgia · Private Nonprofit · 93.3% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 35/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Piedmont University earns a 35 ROI score in Below Benchmark tier. Tuition is $31,700, net price after aid is $20,599, and four-year total cost runs $82,396. Median earnings ten years out are $49,130 against $25,000 median debt - a 0.622 debt-to-earnings ratio and 15.7-year payback period. The earnings premium of 0.171 is weak. The two most concerning sub-scores are completion (47.4%, scoring 33/100) and repayment (55.6%, scoring 13/100) - the latter is striking, indicating roughly 44% of former students aren't paying down their loans on schedule. That's a strong signal of either weak earnings outcomes or aggressive borrowing for non-completers. Median debt of $25,000 is reasonable, but it's spread across a population where almost half aren't completing the credential. Nursing is the standout strong program; teacher education and humanities face tougher math. The 42% Pell rate paired with low repayment is the warning indicator here.
How Piedmont 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 Score35/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period15.7 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Piedmont University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $31,700/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $31,700/yr |
| Average net price | $20,599/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $82,396 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $49,130 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $40,200 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $265 |
| Estimated payback period | 15.7 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 47.4% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,117 |
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: $31,700/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $20,599/year, or roughly $82,396 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 $15,416/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $25,622/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $25,000, which works out to about $265 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($40,200) and comes to 0.62, 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 | $15,416 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $17,618 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $19,085 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $24,161 |
| $110,001+ | $25,622 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $15,416 - meaningfully discounted from the $20,599 average. Combined with Pell and Georgia HOPE Scholarship if eligible, low-income students can make the math work in nursing. Outside nursing, four-year totals of $62,000 against $49,130 median earnings is a tough math for any low-income student to justify.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $17,618, climbing to $19,085 for $48,001-$75,000 and a steep $24,161 for $75,001-$110,000. The aid scaling is gradual through the bottom three brackets, then steepens.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $25,622 - below the $31,700 sticker, but still meaningful. At $102,000 over four years against $49,130 earnings, the math only works for nursing students at this income tier. Conventional ROI is severely negative for non-nursing pathways.
Earnings by Major
Top 6 most popular majors at Piedmont University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $79,552 | B |
| Teacher Education | $45,643 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $65,564 | C |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $43,125 | - |
| Psychology | $23,665 | F |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $18,680 | - |
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
Nursing is the dominant program at 72 graduates - by far Piedmont's largest cohort. First-year earnings of $73,416 climb to $79,552, against $29,875 in debt - a B grade and 0.407 ratio. This is the campus's clear ROI standout and the single best argument for choosing Piedmont. The BSN credential places graduates into Northeast Georgia Health System and Atlanta-area hospitals at strong entry-level salaries.
Teacher Education
Teacher Ed graduated 31 with first-year earnings of $41,663 against $30,026 in debt - a D grade and 0.721 ratio. PSLF over 10 years is essential to make the math work. Mission-driven students can justify the path, but the standalone financial profile is weak.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business produced 21 graduates with first-year earnings of $45,404 climbing to $65,564 by year four, against $27,000 in debt - a C grade and 0.595 ratio. Decent earnings trajectory, but the entry-level number is tight against debt service.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice graduated 12 with four-year earnings of $43,125. Debt and grade data are missing. Career trajectories for Georgia LEO, GBI, and federal pathways offer reasonable mid-career income but modest entry-level pay. Students should target federal pathways early for the best outcomes.
Psychology
Psychology produced 7 graduates with first-year earnings of just $23,665 against $33,000 in debt - an F grade and 1.394 ratio. The $33,000 debt is well above the campus median, suggesting these students borrow heavily for what is structurally a low-immediate-earnings major. Graduate-school continuation is required.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 49.7% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 55.6% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 50.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 63.5% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Piedmont 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 | 93.3% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 510-620 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 528-625 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 18-25 |
| Enrollment | 1,117 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 42.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,502 |
Piedmont admits 93.3% of applicants - essentially open admissions. Test-optional policies expand the bottom of the academic distribution further. The combination of very high admit rate and broad score range correlates directly with the 47.4% completion rate - students arrive at varying readiness levels and many don't persist.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piedmont University (this school) | 35 | $20,599 | $49,130 |
| Agnes Scott College | 45 | $24,754 | $56,274 |
| Geneva College | 38 | $25,890 | $50,004 |
| Our Lady of the Lake University | 35 | $16,442 | $48,675 |
| University of Pikeville | 33 | $20,311 | $48,231 |
| Clark Atlanta University | 14 | $37,702 | $42,712 |
Who Thrives Here
Strong fit: students locked into the nursing program, which has by far the best outcomes. Reasonable fit: business students. Weakest fit: students choosing humanities at full-pay brackets, where the 49.1K earnings median doesn't support the cost. The 55.6% repayment rate suggests Piedmont students often struggle financially post-graduation, regardless of completion.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Piedmont University scores 35/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $20,599 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $49,130 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 15.7 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 47.4% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 55.6% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $25,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $40,200 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62, 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.
Piedmont University: Common Questions
Is Piedmont University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Piedmont University scores 35/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $20,599 a year after aid against $49,130 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 15.7 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Piedmont 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 $20,599 a year, or roughly $82,396 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 Piedmont University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $49,130 ten years after enrolling, roughly $7,330 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 Piedmont 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 15.7 years for Piedmont University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Piedmont University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,000, against average earnings of $40,200 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62. 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 Piedmont University?
The six-year graduation rate is 47.4%. 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.