Rogers State University
Claremore, Oklahoma · Public
ROI Score: 28/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Rogers State University earns a Below Benchmark ROI score of 28, dragged down by a low completion rate (29%, subscore 10) and weak earnings ramp. Earnings are $33,100 six years after entry, climbing to $43,166 by year 10. The 24.6-year payback period is long. Median debt of $20,500 produces a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.619 (subscore 46). In-state tuition is $7,750, but the net price of $15,314 - nearly twice the sticker - means living expenses and fees dominate the cost picture. The 4-year published cost is $61,256. Repayment rate is 70.4%. Rogers State is essentially open-access; the combination of broad admissions and low completion produces the familiar borrow-then-leave pattern that drives the poor aggregate score. For the small subset of students who finish, particularly in nursing, the math works defensibly. For undirected liberal-arts and general-studies students, this is a high-risk borrowing environment.
How Rogers State 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 Score28/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate29.0% - 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 period24.6 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Rogers State University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $7,750/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $16,410/yr |
| Average net price | $15,314/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $61,256 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $43,166 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $33,100 |
| Median debt at graduation | $20,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $217 |
| Estimated payback period | 24.6 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 29.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,657 |
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: $7,750/year ($16,410/year out-of-state), 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 $15,314/year, or roughly $61,256 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 $13,714/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $19,675/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $20,500, which works out to about $217 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($33,100) 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 | $13,714 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $14,130 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $15,125 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $17,978 |
| $110,001+ | $19,675 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $13,714 net annually, and the $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $14,130. Across four years that's roughly $55,000-$57,000. Pell-eligible Oklahoma students who layer Oklahoma's Promise scholarship can substantially reduce effective borrowing. Even so, given completion risks, low-income students should target the nursing or MIS pathways for the strongest expected outcomes.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $15,125, and $75,001-$110,000 jumps to $17,978. Total 4-year cost runs $61,000-$72,000.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $19,675 net annually, totaling roughly $79,000 across four years. Out-of-state full-pay rates run higher at $16,410 sticker tuition. Full-pay families have weaker reasons to choose Rogers State on outcome grounds; specific draws (place-based residence, family ties, specific nursing program access) should drive the decision.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Rogers State University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $93,511 | B+ |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $53,864 | C |
| Biology | $54,227 | D |
| Social Sciences, General | $36,888 | C |
| Visual and Performing Arts | $37,996 | - |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $41,994 | C |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $66,130 | C |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $38,017 | C |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $52,645 | C+ |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $50,096 | 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.
Registered Nursing
Nursing is the standout program with 109 graduates and a B+ grade. First-year earnings of $74,438 grow to $93,511 by year four against just $23,000 in debt - a 0.309 ratio. Oklahoma's healthcare labor market in Tulsa and the broader I-44 corridor sustains strong demand. For students choosing Rogers State, nursing is the primary economic justification.
Management Information Systems
MIS earns a B+ grade with 8 graduates annually - a small but high-ROI program. First-year earnings of $49,415 grow strongly to $71,873 by year four against $16,875 in debt (0.341 ratio). Tulsa's regional tech-employer base and broader Oklahoma corporate IT demand support placement.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business administration is the second-largest program with 81 graduates, earning a C grade. First-year earnings of $41,551 grow to $53,864 by year four against $25,088 in debt (0.604 ratio). The pathway feeds primarily regional small-business management and entry-level corporate roles in northeast Oklahoma.
Biology
Biology graduates 34 students with a D grade. First-year earnings of $27,822 against $20,750 in debt produce a 0.746 ratio. By year four earnings climb to $54,227 - a meaningful ramp, suggesting many graduates continue into health-professional or graduate programs. Bachelor-only outcomes are weak; pre-health committed students continuing into graduate or professional training capture better economic value than these data suggest.
Social Sciences, General
Social Sciences graduates 29 students with a C grade. First-year earnings of $34,955 against $23,573 in debt produce a 0.674 ratio. By year four earnings only reach $36,888 - one of the flattest career-earnings ramps on the program list. The pathway requires graduate study to produce livable earnings; bachelor-only borrowers face limited career-path optionality.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 68.3% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 70.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 53.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 59.5% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Rogers State 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
| Enrollment | 2,657 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 40.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,427 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data, and Rogers State does not publish standardized test medians - consistent with the school's open-access posture. SAT and ACT distributions are not available. The 28.97% completion rate is a major flag, indicating that students enter with widely varying preparation and most do not finish. Academic readiness is the dominant predictor of whether borrowed money becomes a credential.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rogers State University (this school) | 28 | $15,314 | $43,166 |
| University of Central Oklahoma | 38 | $18,309 | $48,351 |
| Southern Arkansas University Main Campus | 30 | $14,027 | $42,386 |
| University of Maryland Eastern Shore | 28 | $13,338 | $47,697 |
| Francis Marion University | 26 | $11,386 | $43,888 |
| Cameron University | 20 | $10,912 | $40,118 |
Who Thrives Here
Enrollment is 2,657 students, with a Pell rate of 40.1% - a working-class student body. Rogers State fits Oklahoma residents in northeast Oklahoma seeking affordable in-state public-tuition rates with a clear program direction. The nursing program is by far the strongest pathway. Best-fit students are nursing-bound or pursuing technology/MIS tracks.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Rogers State University scores 28/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $15,314 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $43,166 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 24.6 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 29.0% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 70.4% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $20,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $33,100 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.
Rogers State University: Common Questions
Is Rogers State University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Rogers State University scores 28/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $15,314 a year after aid against $43,166 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 24.6 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Rogers State 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 $15,314 a year, or roughly $61,256 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 Rogers State University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $43,166 ten years after enrolling, roughly $1,366 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 Rogers State 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 24.6 years for Rogers State University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Rogers State University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $20,500, against average earnings of $33,100 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 Rogers State University?
The six-year graduation rate is 29.0%. 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.
NewsletterCollege decisions are better with data.
From CampusROI, when there is something worth acting on.
Rankings & Links
Guides & Tools
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.