Shawnee State University
Portsmouth, Ohio · Public
ROI Score: 18/100 · Poor Value
Shawnee State University scores 18 (Poor Value) on the CampusROI scale. The southern-Ohio public's profile combines $10,626 in-state tuition with a $14,381 net price (room and board push the average above sticker), 48.1% completion, and median 6-year earnings of $28,600 growing to $39,596 by year ten. Debt-to-earnings of 0.804 against $23,000 median debt produces a 43-year payback period -- effectively, earnings barely cover the cost of attendance over a working career. The 18 score is one of the lowest on the site and is driven by all four major sub-scores being weak: low completion, low earnings premium, high debt-to-earnings, and unusually low repayment rate at three years. Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data; SAT and ACT data are also missing, suggesting open-access admissions typical of a regional public serving a low-income Appalachian-Ohio catchment. Pell rate of 38.6% confirms the demographic profile. Strong programs (nursing, industrial production technology) exist but represent small cohorts; the bulk of graduates are in lower-earning fields.
The data raises concerns about Shawnee State University
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score18/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
- Payback period43 years - Most 4-year schools we track have payback periods of 4-10 years.
Shawnee State University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $10,626/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $17,358/yr |
| Average net price | $14,381/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $57,524 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $39,596 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $28,600 |
| Median debt at graduation | $23,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $244 |
| Estimated payback period | 43 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 48.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,247 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The sticker price at Shawnee State University is $10,626/year ($17,358/year out-of-state). But sticker price isn't what most students pay. After grants, scholarships, and financial aid, the average student pays a net price of $14,381/year, or roughly $57,524 over four years.
That net price varies significantly by family income. The lowest-income families (under $30,000/year) pay an average of $12,310/year, while families earning over $110,000 pay $18,754/year.
The median graduate leaves with $23,000 in federal loan debt, translating to an estimated monthly payment of $244 on a standard 10-year repayment plan. Against median earnings of $39,596 ten years out, the debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.80 - within the recommended range but worth monitoring.
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 | $12,310 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $11,956 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $14,326 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $16,787 |
| $110,001+ | $18,754 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The 0-30000 income bracket pays $12,310 per year at Shawnee, and the 30001-48000 bracket pays $11,956 -- mildly inverted (low-income paying slightly more) but both materially below the $14,381 institutional net price. Four-year totals of $48,000-$49,000 are workable for low-income families but produce the median outcome of $28,600 in early-career earnings, which leaves graduates in tight financial positions. The nursing and industrial-production pipelines are the only paths that meaningfully change this calculus.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 48001-75000 bracket pays $14,326 and the 75001-110000 bracket pays $16,787. Middle-income families face moderate net prices that total $57,000-$67,000 over four years against early-career earnings of $28,600 to $39,600 -- the math works only for students entering nursing or industrial production. For the larger humanities, education, and general-degree cohorts, the same cost against the same earnings produces debt-to-earnings ratios that violate the income rule. Major selection here is the financial decision.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,000+ pay $18,754 per year -- about $75,000 over four years. At a 43-year payback and $28,600 median earnings, the financial math is genuinely poor for this income tier. Full-pay at Shawnee makes sense almost exclusively when the student is in the nursing or industrial-production pipeline AND is positioned to complete -- the 48% institutional completion is the decisive factor. Otherwise, families at this income level should be looking hard at out-of-state or private alternatives with meaningfully better outcomes.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Shawnee State University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $55,703 | C+ |
| Registered Nursing | $78,624 | B |
| Teacher Education | $41,068 | - |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | $81,446 | B |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $41,424 | - |
| Special Education and Teaching | $44,143 | D |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $34,215 | F |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $48,031 | D |
| Psychology | $40,791 | D |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $51,304 | 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 Shawnee's strongest financial program: 24 graduates per year, $67,126 year-one earnings, $78,624 at four years, B grade (debt-to-earnings 0.360, $24,146 median debt). The southern-Ohio nursing labor market and proximity to Cincinnati and Columbus health systems absorbs Shawnee graduates well. Year-one earnings above $65K against $24K in debt is a payback of roughly four years -- one of the few program-level outcomes here that genuinely outperforms the institutional average. Small cohort but a defensible pipeline.
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians
Industrial Production produces 17 graduates with $57,682 year-one earnings, $81,446 at four years, B grade (debt-to-earnings 0.425, $24,500 debt). The four-year jump to $81K reflects the trajectory into manufacturing-supervisor and quality-control roles in southern-Ohio's regional industrial base. The financial profile is solid; the small cohort limits the program's institutional impact but for individual students this is the second-strongest pipeline at Shawnee.
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Health Admin is Shawnee's largest cohort by graduate count: 54 graduates, $45,324 year-one earnings, $55,703 at four years, C+ grade (debt-to-earnings 0.513, $23,250 debt). The financial profile is workable but tight -- year-one earnings cover loan payments comfortably only if debt stays at the median; students borrowing at the upper end of the program's debt distribution face real strain. Medical-administrative roles in regional hospitals and clinic networks absorb most graduates locally.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education produces 19 graduates per year with $41,068 four-year earnings reported (year-one earnings, debt, and ROI grade not reported by Scorecard for this cohort). The Ohio teacher-certification pathway leads to public-school employment in southern-Ohio districts. Earnings reflect typical Ohio public-school first-decade pay, which is modest but predictable. The program's data sparsity makes individual-student outcome modeling difficult; expect typical regional public-teacher financial profiles with meaningful PSLF eligibility.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 57.5% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 63.1% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 41.1% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 49.2% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Admissions Snapshot
| Enrollment | 2,247 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 38.6% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,368 |
Admission rate, SAT, and ACT are all not reported in current Scorecard data -- consistent with an effectively open-access regional public university. The 48.1% completion rate is the binding signal of who actually finishes here, and roughly half of admitted students do not. Selectivity is not the constraint; persistence and financial pressure are. Students entering Shawnee State should plan for the realistic completion path that includes part-time work, longer time-to-degree, and the institution's relatively modest student-support infrastructure.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Shawnee's Scorecard peer set includes University of Akron (OH), University of Akron Wayne College (OH), University of Puerto Rico-Ponce (PR), Alcorn State University (MS), and Western New Mexico University (NM). Akron Wayne is the closest size and mission peer (small Ohio regional public). Akron main campus is a much larger urban research university and is a less direct comparison. Alcorn State and Western New Mexico are both small regional publics serving demographically similar student bodies; both score in roughly the same range as Shawnee. UPR-Ponce reflects a Puerto Rico labor market with materially different earnings baselines and is methodologically a weak peer.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shawnee State University (this school) | 18 | $14,381 | $39,596 |
| University of Akron Wayne College | 48 | $6,032 | $46,600 |
| University of Akron Main Campus | 38 | $13,946 | $46,600 |
| University of Puerto Rico at Ponce | 19 | $10,990 | $31,394 |
| Western New Mexico University | 17 | $8,522 | $39,095 |
| Alcorn State University | 16 | $13,265 | $36,421 |
Who Thrives Here
Enrollment of 2,247 with 38.6% Pell -- a small Ohio regional public serving a primarily Appalachian-Ohio working-class student body. The school fits applicants targeting nursing (24 graduates per year, $67,126 year-one earnings, B grade) or industrial production technology ($57,682 year-one, B grade) -- both small but financially solid pipelines into regional manufacturing and healthcare employment. Health and medical administrative services (54 grads, C+) is the largest cohort. Students should be aware that the 48% completion rate combines with the modest earnings outcomes to produce a financial profile that is genuinely poor for the median graduate. Major selection is the dominant lever.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
The financial data raises serious concerns about Shawnee State University. With a net cost of $14,381 per year and median graduate earnings of only $39,596 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds 43 years. For most students, the financial return does not justify the cost.
Areas of concern include weak earnings relative to cost and a 48.1% graduation rate and high debt relative to what graduates earn and concerning loan repayment rates and a long payback period.
Median debt of $23,000 against $39,596 in earnings is reasonable, though major choice matters significantly. Students in higher-earning programs will see better returns.
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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.