South University-West Palm Beach
Royal Palm Beach, Florida · Private For-Profit
ROI Score: 8/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
South University-West Palm Beach earns an 8 ROI score (Below Benchmark). Every sub-score is in single digits or low teens: earnings premium 6, payback period 7 (raw value of 999 means earnings are projected to never recoup the cost - this is a structural never-payback case), debt-to-earnings 15, completion rate 3 (just 18.2% of the cohort finishes), and repayment rate 6. Tuition is $18,145 with average net price of $20,271 and total four-year cost around $81,084. Earnings of $32,500 at six years grow only to $34,421 at ten - essentially flat. Median debt is $26,123 with a $277/month payment. The 999-year payback figure is a flag, not a literal number: it means the model can't find a year in which graduates' lifetime earnings exceed what they would have earned without the credential. Nursing is the only program that produces a defensible outcome; everything else posts F grades with debt loads above $54K against earnings in the $28-44K range. This is a school where the institutional ROI math actively works against students.
How South University-West Palm Beach 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 Score8/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate18.2% - 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-West Palm Beach
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $18,145/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $18,145/yr |
| Average net price | $20,271/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $81,084 |
| 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 | 18.2% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 251 |
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 $20,271/year, or roughly $81,084 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 $16,177/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $26,323/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 | $16,177 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $21,337 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | N/A |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | $26,323 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families at $0-$30,000 pay $16,177 net (~$65K over four years). With Pell plus federal loans, students will borrow at or above the $26K median. With an 18.2% completion rate, the most likely outcome is debt without a degree.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
$30,001-$48,000 households pay $21,337. Brackets for $48,001-$75,000 and $75,001-$110,000 are not reported in current Scorecard data - likely because too few students at those income levels enroll. The reported $21,337 figure for the $30-48K bracket is also notably higher than the $0-30K bracket, an inverted pattern indicating the low-income subsidy is steeper than usual but still leaves the price unworkable.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $26,323 (~$105K over four years).
Earnings by Major
Top 6 most popular majors at South University-West Palm Beach with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $91,363 | C+ |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $46,885 | F |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $46,322 | F |
| Public Health | $45,993 | F |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $53,445 | F |
| Psychology | $39,694 | 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 is the only program with defensible ROI here: 67 graduates, $77,635 first-year earnings rising to $91,363 by year four. Median debt of $41,815 is high (well above the school median, suggesting nursing-specific BSN cohorts borrow more), but the 0.539 debt-to-earnings ratio still produces a C+ grade. For a determined nursing completer, the program is real - but only if the student finishes, and the 18.2% institutional completion rate is the central risk factor.
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Health administration posts an F grade with just 4 graduates, $39,722 first-year earnings, and $55,123 median debt - debt-to-earnings of 1.388. Median debt is $55K against $40K in earnings. Compare this program's cost and outcomes with other health-administration pathways before enrolling.
Psychology
Psychology earned an F grade with $28,684 first-year earnings against $54,702 in debt - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.907. Just one graduate in the reported cohort. Without exception, this program-school combination should be avoided.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal justice posts an F with 2 graduates: $37,713 first-year earnings against $55,652 debt (1.476 ratio). Strong avoid.
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-West Palm Beach’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 | 251 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 59.5% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $9,088 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data, and SAT/ACT mid-ranges are missing. South University West Palm Beach is a for-profit private institution that historically has open enrollment for most programs. The 18.2% completion rate is the more meaningful selectivity signal: more than 4 in 5 students who enroll do not graduate. Prospective students should weight that figure heavily.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| South University-West Palm Beach (this school) | 8 | $20,271 | $34,421 |
| Strayer University-Florida | 24 | $16,064 | $40,092 |
| Full Sail University | 13 | $38,875 | $38,219 |
| Eagle Gate College-Layton | 8 | $25,873 | $37,518 |
| South University-Virginia Beach | 7 | $27,843 | $34,421 |
| Nossi College of Art and Design | 6 | $24,044 | $35,113 |
Who Thrives Here
South University West Palm Beach has a 251-student enrollment, 59.5% Pell grant rate, and serves a heavily working-adult, often non-traditional student body. The nursing program is the school's one genuine value proposition - for a determined nursing student who completes, outcomes are defensible. Outside of nursing, the data is unforgiving.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, South University-West Palm Beach scores 8/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $20,271 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 18.2% 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-West Palm Beach: Common Questions
Is South University-West Palm Beach worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. South University-West Palm Beach scores 8/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $20,271 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-West Palm Beach 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 $20,271 a year, or roughly $81,084 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-West Palm Beach 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-West Palm Beach?
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-West Palm Beach. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do South University-West Palm Beach 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-West Palm Beach?
The six-year graduation rate is 18.2%. 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.