Talladega College
Talladega, Alabama · Private Nonprofit · 85.4% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 10/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Talladega College earns a 10 ROI score (Below Benchmark), reflecting structurally weak outcomes across nearly every dimension. The 999-year payback figure means the model projects no year in which lifetime earnings recoup the cost - a structural never-payback case. Debt-to-earnings is 1.178 (sub-score 2), meaning typical debt exceeds typical annual earnings. Completion rate is 30.9%. Tuition is $15,650, average net price $15,560, total four-year cost about $62,240. Earnings of $24,200 at six years grow only to $32,229 at ten - barely above no-college baselines. Median debt is $28,500 with a $302/month payment. As one of America's oldest historically Black colleges, Talladega has deep mission and historical importance that the dollar-value math doesn't capture. But the financial outcomes published here are sobering: most students do not finish, and most who do struggle to repay. Prospective students should weigh the school's mission and community alongside the difficult ROI reality.
How Talladega 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.
- ROI Score10/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.18 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- 6-year graduation rate30.9% - 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.
Talladega College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $15,650/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $15,650/yr |
| Average net price | $15,560/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $62,240 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $32,229 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $24,200 |
| Median debt at graduation | $28,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $302 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 30.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 701 |
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: $15,650/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $15,560/year, or roughly $62,240 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 $12,835/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $22,348/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $28,500, which works out to about $302 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($24,200) and comes to 1.18, 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least 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 | $12,835 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $14,385 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $14,680 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $18,723 |
| $110,001+ | $22,348 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families at $0-$30,000 pay $12,835 net (~$51K over four years). Pell plus state aid plus institutional grants do meaningful work. Median borrowing is $28,500 against earnings prospects in the $24K-$32K range. The 30.9% completion rate compounds the risk: most enrollees end up with debt and no degree.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
$30,001-$48,000 households pay $14,385 and $48,001-$75,000 pay $14,680 - essentially flat across the lower-middle bracket. $75,001-$110,000 pay $18,723. Total four-year cost ranges $58K-$75K. The price-to-earnings math is structurally unworkable at every middle-income tier.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $22,348 (~$89K over four years).
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at Talladega College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $45,520 | F |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $39,266 | D |
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.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business management is the largest program with 45 graduates and an F grade. First-year earnings of $27,568 grow to $45,520 by year four against $31,125 median debt - a 1.129 debt-to-earnings ratio. The earnings recovery from year 1 to year 4 is real but not enough to flip the program above break-even quickly.
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Liberal arts pulls 21 graduates with a D grade. Year-four earnings of $39,266 against $31,000 median debt yields a 0.789 ratio - still difficult. Without graduate school, this credential under-earns the cost meaningfully. Students should plan a clear pathway to teaching certification, social work, or a graduate program before borrowing.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | N/A | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | N/A | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 21.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 18.1% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Talladega 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 | 85.4% |
| Enrollment | 701 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 66.6% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,650 |
Talladega admits 85.4% of applicants. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported in current Scorecard data. With a 30.9% completion rate, the institution is admitting many students who do not graduate.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talladega College (this school) | 10 | $15,560 | $32,229 |
| Huntingdon College | 29 | $22,566 | $49,601 |
| Faulkner University | 19 | $22,085 | $43,457 |
| Philander Smith University | 10 | $14,224 | $38,427 |
| Wiley University | 5 | $7,092 | $33,159 |
| Lane College | 3 | $10,904 | $31,670 |
Who Thrives Here
Talladega serves a heavily Pell-eligible (66.6%), predominantly Black student body of 701 students drawn primarily from Alabama and the Deep South. The school's HBCU heritage - it was founded in 1867 - gives it deep cultural and historical significance for many families. The financial reality is harder: 30.9% completion plus negative earnings premium plus 1.178 debt-to-earnings means most students who enroll experience materially worse financial outcomes than they would have without college.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Talladega College scores 10/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $15,560 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $32,229 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 30.9% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.18 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $28,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $24,200 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.18. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Talladega College: Common Questions
Is Talladega College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Talladega College scores 10/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $15,560 a year after aid against $32,229 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 Talladega 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 $15,560 a year, or roughly $62,240 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 Talladega College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $32,229 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 Talladega 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 more than 50 years for Talladega College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Talladega College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $28,500, against average earnings of $24,200 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.18. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so how much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Talladega College?
The six-year graduation rate is 30.9%. 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.