Tabor College
Hillsboro, Kansas · Private Nonprofit · 64.6% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 45/100 · Below Average Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Tabor College scores 45 (Below Average Value) - a result shaped most sharply by a 33.7% completion rate. Nearly two-thirds of entering students do not earn a degree, which is a fundamental problem that no other metric fully compensates for. The institutional financials are otherwise mid-range: $36,200 listed tuition, $20,205 net price, $37,700 average 6-year earnings, and an 11.6-year payback period. The repayment rate of 75.8% is moderate - those who graduate manage debt reasonably, suggesting the completion problem is not driving default at the same rate it might otherwise. Tabor is a small Mennonite Brethren faith-affiliated college in Hillsboro, Kansas with 494 enrolled students. The Scorecard reports no program-level data, preventing program-specific analysis. Pell rate of 38% indicates a significant share of lower-income students who face the greatest risk from a 33.7% completion rate. The debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.634. The core message for prospective students is that Tabor's low completion rate means the modal enrollment outcome is leaving without a degree and with debt - not earning credentials and entering the workforce.
How Tabor College 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.
- 6-year graduation rate33.7% - 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.
Tabor College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $36,200/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $36,200/yr |
| Average net price | $20,205/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $80,820 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $54,058 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $37,700 |
| Median debt at graduation | $23,887 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $253 |
| Estimated payback period | 11.6 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 33.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 494 |
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: $36,200/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $20,205/year, or roughly $80,820 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 $17,884/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $24,561/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $23,887, which works out to about $253 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($37,700) and comes to 0.63, 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 | $17,884 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $17,213 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $16,986 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $19,304 |
| $110,001+ | $24,561 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $17,884 net price per year - roughly $71,536 over four years. At $37,700 average 6-year earnings and a 33.7% completion rate, the financial risk for low-income students at Tabor is significant. A student in this income bracket who does not complete - which is the modal outcome - exits with approximately $24,000 in median debt and no degree.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-75,000 bracket pays $16,986 per year, the lowest net price of any income bracket at this school. The 11.6-year payback period and 33.7% completion rate make this a financially marginal choice for middle-income families. Students who complete earn $37,700 at six years. The primary draw for middle-income families is faith alignment and campus culture, not financial outcome.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning over $110,000 pay $24,561 per year - roughly $98,244 over four years. At this cost, the financial case for Tabor is weak regardless of income. High-income families who choose Tabor are doing so primarily for mission and community fit.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 75.2% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 75.8% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 72.0% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 76.6% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Tabor College’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
| Acceptance rate | 64.6% |
| Enrollment | 494 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 38.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,159 |
A 64.6% admission rate combined with a 33.7% completion rate is a serious mismatch - Tabor admits most who apply, but the majority of enrolled students do not complete. The Scorecard does not report test score data. Net price is compressed across income brackets: $16,986 to $24,561, with the lowest income bracket ($17,884) actually higher than the $48,001-75,000 bracket ($16,986) - an unusual pattern suggesting limited income-differentiated aid scaling.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tabor College (this school) | 45 | $20,205 | $54,058 |
| Baker University | 65 | $25,301 | $63,855 |
| Pillar College | 47 | $8,470 | $45,577 |
| Benedictine College | 45 | $27,891 | $53,175 |
| Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education | 44 | $35,671 | $54,914 |
| Rabbinical College Bobover Yeshiva Bnei Zion | 31 | $9,136 | $20,707 |
Who Thrives Here
Tabor admits 64.6% of applicants. The Scorecard reports no SAT or ACT test score data. At 494 students, Tabor is a very small faith-affiliated college serving primarily students with Mennonite Brethren or evangelical Protestant affiliation and interest in the rural Kansas campus community. The Pell rate of 38% reflects a mixed-income population with a meaningful lower-income segment. Students enrolling are primarily doing so for faith community, smaller class sizes, and the school's Christian liberal arts mission rather than for financial optimization.
The Verdict: Proceed With Caution
The money case for Tabor College is mixed, and worth a hard look before you commit. At $20,205 per year after aid, the typical graduate earns $54,058 ten years after entry, which means it takes about 11.6 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years. Whether it's worth it comes down to your major and your aid package.
What to keep an eye on: its 33.7% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.63 (median across the schools we score: 0.61).
Median debt of $23,887 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $37,700 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.63. 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.
Tabor College: Common Questions
Is Tabor College worth it?
In our view, the money case is mixed and worth a hard look before you commit. Tabor College scores 45/100 on our ROI scale. At $20,205 a year after aid the typical graduate earns $54,058 ten years after entry, so it takes about 11.6 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does Tabor College 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 $20,205 a year, or roughly $80,820 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 Tabor College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $54,058 ten years after enrolling, roughly $12,258 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Tabor College?
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 11.6 years for Tabor College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Tabor College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $23,887, against average earnings of $37,700 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.63. 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 Tabor College?
The six-year graduation rate is 33.7%. 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.