South University-Savannah
Savannah, Georgia · Private For-Profit
ROI Score: 7/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
South University-Savannah scores 7 (Below Benchmark). The payback period is listed as 999, meaning the algorithm found no calculable payback: average 6-year earnings of $32,500 do not exceed the earnings premium threshold against cost. The 9.1% completion rate means roughly 1 in 11 entering students completes a degree. The repayment rate of 45.3% at 3 years and only 33.9% at 7 years indicates persistent, deepening borrower distress. This is a for-profit institution owned by Education Management LLC, and the data reflects outcomes that should give any prospective student serious pause. A 61.9% Pell grant rate means the students most harmed are disproportionately low-income federal aid recipients.
How South University-Savannah 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 rate9.1% - 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-Savannah
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $18,145/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $18,145/yr |
| Average net price | $28,743/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $114,972 |
| 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 | 9.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 270 |
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 $28,743/year, or roughly $114,972 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 $27,713/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $33,277/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 | $27,713 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $30,147 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | N/A |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $31,954 |
| $110,001+ | $33,277 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Low-income families (0-$30,000) pay $27,713 per year at South University-Savannah - $110,852 over four years, assuming completion. Against $32,500 average 6-year earnings and a 9.1% completion rate, this is a weak cost-to-outcome ratio. Most Pell-eligible students will not complete a degree at this institution, meaning the cost to the student is incurred without the credential benefit.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $30,147 per year - higher than the lowest-income bracket, which is unusual and suggests minimal progressive aid structure. Net price data for the $48,001-$75,000 bracket is not available.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Higher-income families ($110,000+) pay $33,277 per year - $133,108 over four years. At this price, no non-nursing program at South University-Savannah produces a defensible financial return. The school's for-profit structure, low completion rate, and poor repayment data collectively describe an institution that does not serve students well at any income level.
Earnings by Major
Top 9 most popular majors at South University-Savannah with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $46,885 | F |
| Registered Nursing | $91,363 | C+ |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $53,445 | F |
| Public Health | $45,993 | F |
| Information Science | $58,915 | F |
| Psychology | $39,694 | F |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $46,322 | F |
| Legal Support Services | $49,335 | F |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | $47,390 | 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
Nursing (8 graduates) earns $77,635 at year one and $91,363 at year four, with a C+ debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.539 and $41,815 median debt. This is the only program at South University-Savannah with defensible earnings. The C+ grade on what should be a strong-earnings program reflects the cost inflation problem specific to this institution.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration (7 graduates) earns $43,773 at year one and $53,445 at year four, with an F-grade debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.26 and $55,162 median debt. Graduates owe $55,162 - more than a year's full earnings - in student debt. Against $43,773 year-one earnings, this represents a severe financial burden. Business administration from a for-profit school with a 9.1% completion rate carries no credential signal to employers. The financial outcome here is predictably poor.
Psychology
Psychology (1 graduate) earns $28,684 at year one and $39,694 at year four, with an F-grade debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.907 and $54,702 median debt. Graduates owe nearly twice their annual salary in debt, at year one.
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-Savannah’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 | 270 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 61.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $9,244 |
South University-Savannah does not report admissions selectivity data, consistent with open or minimally screened enrollment. No academic credential signal accrues from admission to this institution. Students should evaluate this school exclusively on its program outcomes, which with limited exceptions are uniformly poor.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| South University-Savannah (this school) | 7 | $28,743 | $34,421 |
| Strayer University-Georgia | 9 | $18,318 | $40,092 |
| South University-West Palm Beach | 8 | $20,271 | $34,421 |
| South University-Montgomery | 7 | $27,807 | $34,421 |
| American InterContinental University-Atlanta | 7 | $16,482 | $36,144 |
| South University-Virginia Beach | 7 | $27,843 | $34,421 |
Who Thrives Here
South University-Savannah does not report an admission rate or test score data. Enrollment is small at 270 students, with a 61.9% Pell grant rate. At $28,743 average net price, this institution's population faces a highly unfavorable cost-to-outcome ratio. The 9.1% completion rate is not a student-quality problem; it is an institutional failure to support students to graduation.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, South University-Savannah scores 7/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $28,743 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 9.1% 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 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-Savannah: Common Questions
Is South University-Savannah worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. South University-Savannah scores 7/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $28,743 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-Savannah 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 $28,743 a year, or roughly $114,972 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-Savannah 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-Savannah?
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-Savannah. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do South University-Savannah 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.
What is the graduation rate at South University-Savannah?
The six-year graduation rate is 9.1%. 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.
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.