South University-Austin
Round Rock, Texas · Private For-Profit
ROI Score: 7/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
South University-Austin posts a 7 ROI score. This is a small for-profit Texas campus (211 students total in Round Rock) and the financial picture is severe. Tuition is $18,145 but net price is $25,680 - a $7,535 net-price-over-tuition gap signaling heavy fees and indirect costs. Four-year total runs $102,720. Completion rate is reported as zero percent for the latest cohort. That figure is unreliable at this enrollment, where a cohort of a few students moves it sharply: our own series reads 20 percent for 2021, 9 percent for 2023 and 0 percent for 2024. Treat it as a prompt to ask the campus for its own graduation figures, not as a graduation rate. Ten-year median earnings of $34,421 produce a NEGATIVE 0.6 percent earnings premium. Median debt of $26,123 against this stalled income yields a 0.804 ratio. Payback is 999 years. Repayment rates are 27.4 percent at five years and 33.9 percent at seven. Pell rate is 59.3 percent. The campus enrolls 211 students in the Austin area.
How South University-Austin 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 Score7/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate0.0% - 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 period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
South University-Austin
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $18,145/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $18,145/yr |
| Average net price | $25,680/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $102,720 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $34,421 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $32,500 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,123 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $277 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 0.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 211 |
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: $18,145/year, 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 $25,680/year, or roughly $102,720 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 $25,420/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $26,123, which works out to about $277 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($32,500) 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 | $25,420 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $25,441 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $27,004 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $27,670 |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $25,420 per year net, about $101,700 over four years. Pell ($7,395 max) covers a fraction of this; the remainder requires federal Direct loans and Parent PLUS or private borrowing. The 0 percent completion figure reflects a small cohort rather than a settled graduation rate, and the earnings premium is negative.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Households at $48,001 to $75,000 pay $27,004 per year - basically the same as low-income pricing. Institutional aid does not meaningfully discount based on income. Middle-income families face the same $108K four-year burden with the same outcomes.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The $110,001-plus bracket is not reported, indicating effectively no affluent enrollment - the campus draws almost entirely from lower-income working adults.
Earnings by Major
Top 7 most popular majors at South University-Austin with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $91,363 | C+ |
| Public Health | $45,993 | F |
| Information Science | $58,915 | F |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $46,885 | F |
| Psychology | $39,694 | F |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $53,445 | F |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $46,322 | F |
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
Registered Nursing reports 44 graduates with one-year earnings of $77,635 climbing to $91,363 by year four. Median debt is $41,815, yielding a 0.539 ratio and C+ grade. The earnings numbers are clearly the system-wide South University figures, suggesting the nursing pathway is shared across campuses. These almost certainly reflect existing RNs completing online RN-to-BSN bridges, not entry-level BSN production from this 211-student Texas campus.
Public Health
Public Health produces 4 graduates with one-year earnings of $34,789 and four-year of $45,993, against $56,262 debt - 1.617 ratio and F grade. Borrowers owe well more than they earn annually. Online public health BAs are notoriously oversupplied relative to entry-level public-health hiring; the program leads to weak labor-market outcomes at huge debt cost.
Information Science
Information Science produces 2 graduates with one-year earnings of $44,682 and four-year of $58,915, against $52,173 debt - a 1.168 ratio and F grade. Tiny cohort suggests this program is either new or essentially nonfunctional.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 38.7% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 45.3% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 27.4% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 33.9% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How South University-Austin’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2012-2024).
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 | 211 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 59.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,124 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data. No SAT or ACT mid-ranges are reported. As a small for-profit campus, South University-Austin appears effectively open-enrollment. The Scorecard reports a 0 percent completion rate for the latest cohort. Our own series reads 20 percent for 2021, 9 percent for 2023 and 0 percent for 2024, so the zero reflects cohort size and reporting rather than a settled graduation rate.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| South University-Austin (this school) | 7 | $25,680 | $34,421 |
| South University-Montgomery | 7 | $27,807 | $34,421 |
| National American University-Rapid City | 7 | $31,062 | $37,325 |
| American InterContinental University-Atlanta | 7 | $16,482 | $36,144 |
| South University-Virginia Beach | 7 | $27,843 | $34,421 |
| South University-Savannah Online | 7 | $28,049 | $34,421 |
Who Thrives Here
South University-Austin targets Austin-metro adult learners pursuing online-supported credentials in healthcare administration, nursing, and business. Enrollment of just 211 reflects either a startup campus or one in decline. The 59.3 percent Pell rate signals heavily low-income enrollment.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, South University-Austin scores 7/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $25,680 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $34,421 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 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 0.0% 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 45.3% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $26,123 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $32,500 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.
South University-Austin: Common Questions
Is South University-Austin worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. South University-Austin scores 7/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $25,680 a year after aid against $34,421 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does South University-Austin 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 $25,680 a year, or roughly $102,720 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 South University-Austin graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $34,421 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 South University-Austin?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at more than 50 years for South University-Austin. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do South University-Austin graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,123, against average earnings of $32,500 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.
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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.