Presbyterian College
Clinton, South Carolina · Private Nonprofit · 68.4% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 60/100 · Fair Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Presbyterian College earns a Fair Value score of 60 out of 100, a result that captures both real strengths and meaningful trade-offs. Sticker tuition is steep at $44,910, but institutional aid drops the average net price to $20,528 a year - roughly $82,112 over four years. Graduates post earnings of $42,400 six years out and $60,194 at the ten-year mark, generating a 30.7% earnings premium over the high-school baseline and an 8.8-year payback period. Both numbers are solid for a small Southern liberal arts college. The repayment rate is healthy at 79.3% one year out, climbing to 86.8% at seven years, indicating most borrowers are servicing their loans on schedule. Where the picture gets weaker: median debt is $26,000, producing a 0.613 debt-to-earnings ratio that limits financial flexibility in the years right after graduation, and the six-year completion rate is only 51.5%. The score essentially reflects a school where students who finish do reasonably well, but the finishing rate is the swing variable that decides whether the math works for any individual student.
Presbyterian College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $44,910/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $44,910/yr |
| Average net price | $20,528/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $82,112 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $60,194 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $42,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $276 |
| Estimated payback period | 8.8 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 51.5% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 852 |
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: $44,910/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $20,528/year, or roughly $82,112 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 $18,277/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $27,032/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $26,000, which works out to about $276 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($42,400) and comes to 0.61, 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 | $18,277 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $15,985 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $19,366 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $19,901 |
| $110,001+ | $27,032 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning $0-30,000 see a net price of $18,277. The $30,001-48,000 bracket pays $15,985. Even at the best-aid bracket, $63,940 over four years against $42,400 in early-career earnings is a tight margin that depends entirely on whether the student graduates.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income brackets pay $19,366 ($48,001-75,000) and $19,901 ($75,001-110,000). Both bands cluster within $500 of each other, which means meaningful institutional aid extends well into the middle class but tapers gradually. At roughly $77,000-80,000 across four years versus $60,194 in ten-year median earnings, the return is acceptable but unspectacular.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $27,032 per year - about $108,000 over four years.
Earnings by Major
Top 5 most popular majors at Presbyterian College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | $48,208 | F |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $67,278 | C |
| Biology | $30,034 | D |
| History | $45,470 | D |
| International Relations | $57,154 | D |
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
The headline major with 43 graduates, the highest one-year earnings at $41,228, and a strong $67,278 four-year median. The program earns a C ROI grade, but the four-year earnings figure is genuinely competitive with much larger business programs. For students confident they will finish and head into management, finance, or sales after graduation, this is Presbyterian's most reliable financial play.
Psychology
Largest program by graduates (47) but the weakest ROI - an F grade driven by a 1.136 debt-to-earnings ratio one year out. Median debt is $26,717 against just $23,510 first-year earnings. Four-year earnings recover to $48,208, but borrowers carry the full debt load through the early years.
Biology
Thirty-four graduates with one-year earnings of $30,034 and four-year earnings not reported. Median debt is $24,799 - a 0.826 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D grade. The pattern is familiar at small liberal-arts schools: biology serves as a pre-med/pre-PA pipeline, so reported earnings understate the lifetime payoff for students who continue to professional school. Students aiming straight at the workforce with a bachelor's only should think hard about the cost-benefit.
International Relations
Nineteen graduates with one-year earnings of $34,712 and four-year earnings of $57,154 - a respectable recovery curve. Median debt is the highest on the list at $27,000, producing a 0.778 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D grade. Many IR grads here pursue law school, federal service, or NGO careers, so the four-year earnings number better reflects the trajectory than the first-year figure. Cost-wise it is borderline; outcome-wise it depends on individual ambition.
History
Twenty-one graduates, one-year earnings $35,265, four-year earnings $45,470, median debt $25,500 - a 0.723 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D grade. For students using it as a default major, check the debt load relative to earnings.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 76.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 79.3% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 82.7% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 86.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Presbyterian 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 | 68.4% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 480-580 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 500-620 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 21-26 |
| Enrollment | 852 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 33.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,263 |
Presbyterian admits 68.4% of applicants. SAT mid-ranges are 480-580 math and 500-620 reading; ACT composite mid-range is 21-26.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presbyterian College (this school) | 60 | $20,528 | $60,194 |
| Walla Walla University | 62 | $23,329 | $61,885 |
| Bryan College-Dayton | 54 | $20,614 | $54,434 |
| Heritage University | 51 | $14,598 | $49,416 |
| Anderson University | 24 | $23,544 | $42,101 |
| Allen University | 3 | $10,972 | $30,497 |
Who Thrives Here
Small-college experience for students who want it: enrollment is just 852, the Pell rate is 33.3%, and the campus sits in Clinton, South Carolina. This fits students who value tight cohorts, faculty access, and a Reformed-Presbyterian heritage, and who can either qualify for substantial merit/need aid or absorb the $20,528 annual net price. The strongest outcomes show up in Business Administration grads, whose $67,278 four-year median earnings clearly outpace the overall school median. Students intent on Biology or Psychology should weigh whether grad school is in the plan, since direct-to-work earnings in those majors are weak.
The Verdict: A Reasonable Bet - With Caveats
Presbyterian College is a fair-value bet, but how well it pays off depends a lot on you. At $20,528 a year after aid ($82,112 over four years), with the typical graduate earning $60,194 a decade out, the cost takes about 8.8 years to earn back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
What to keep an eye on: its 51.5% graduation rate.
Median debt of $26,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $42,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.61, 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.
Presbyterian College: Common Questions
Is Presbyterian College worth it?
In our view, it's a fair-value bet - whether Presbyterian College is worth it depends a lot on your major and aid package. It scores 60/100 on our ROI scale. At $20,528 a year after aid ($82,112 over four years) against $60,194 in typical earnings a decade out, the cost takes about 8.8 years to earn back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does Presbyterian 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 $20,528 a year, or roughly $82,112 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 Presbyterian College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $60,194 ten years after enrolling, roughly $18,394 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 Presbyterian 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 about 8.8 years for Presbyterian College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Presbyterian College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,000, against average earnings of $42,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.61. 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 Presbyterian College?
The six-year graduation rate is 51.5%. 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.