Shawnee State University
Portsmouth, Ohio · Public
ROI Score: 18/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Shawnee State University scores 18 (Below Benchmark) 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 average 6-year earnings of $28,600 growing to a median $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 score is 18 and is driven by all four major sub-scores being weak: low completion, low earnings premium, high debt-to-earnings, and 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.
How Shawnee 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 Score18/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period43 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 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 |
| Average 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 first number you'll see is the sticker price: $10,626/year ($17,358/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 $14,381/year, or roughly $57,524 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 $12,310/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $18,754/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $23,000, which works out to about $244 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($28,600) and comes to 0.80, 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 | $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 average 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 average 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.
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). 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 | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 57.5% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 63.1% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 41.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 49.2% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Shawnee 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 | 2,247 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 38.6% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,368 |
Admission rate, SAT, and ACT are all not reported in current Scorecard data. 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.
| 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: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Shawnee State University scores 18/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $14,381 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $39,596 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 43 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 48.1% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.80 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 63.1% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $23,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $28,600 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.80. 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.
Shawnee State University: Common Questions
Is Shawnee State University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Shawnee State University scores 18/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $14,381 a year after aid against $39,596 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 43 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Shawnee 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 $14,381 a year, or roughly $57,524 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 Shawnee State University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $39,596 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 Shawnee 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 43 years for Shawnee State University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Shawnee State University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $23,000, against average earnings of $28,600 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.80. 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 Shawnee State University?
The six-year graduation rate is 48.1%. 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.