The King's University
Southlake, Texas · Private Nonprofit · 60.6% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 31/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
The King's University, a small charismatic Christian seminary and university in Southlake, Texas, scores 31 (Below Benchmark). The school's mission centers on theological education and pastoral training, which makes traditional ROI metrics partially misaligned with student goals. Data: $12,480 tuition, $14,140 net price, $27,000 median federal debt, and ten-year median earnings of just $41,471. The 30.4-year payback period and the imputed (data-incomplete) D/E and repayment scores both signal weakness. With only 251 students and 38.6% Pell rate, this school serves predominantly a charismatic Christian student body. Most graduates pursue ministry and church-leadership roles where federal earnings data systematically undercounts actual outcomes. As of 2024-2025 Scorecard data, this is a values-driven choice for committed charismatic Christian students; the financial outcomes don't justify the cost on a secular career-ROI basis.
How The King's University 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 Score31/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period30.4 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
The King's University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $12,480/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $12,480/yr |
| Average net price | $14,140/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $56,560 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $41,471 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | N/A |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 30.4 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 47.4% |
| 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: $12,480/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 $14,140/year, or roughly $56,560 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 $16,825/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $13,430/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $27,000, which works out to about $286 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. We do not have the six-year earnings figure needed to work out a debt-to-earnings ratio for this school.
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 | $16,825 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $12,674 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | N/A |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $14,343 |
| $110,001+ | $13,430 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30K pay $16,825 net per year - notably higher than the $30K-$48K band's $12,674. This is a clear inverted bracket showing how aid does not stack favorably for the lowest-income tier. Low-income students face roughly $67K four-year out-of-pocket cost against $41K median earnings - severe unless the student is committed to ministry and the family supports the vocation.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Net-price data for the $48K-$75K band is not reported. The $75K-$110K band pays $14,343. Middle-income families face roughly $57K four-year cost - workable in isolation but the earnings ceiling implied by the ministry-track graduate population caps practical financial returns.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110K pay $13,430 net per year - notably less than middle-income bands. This inversion likely reflects how high-income religious families receive merit and church-affiliated aid that lower-income families cannot access. Total four-year cost roughly $54K. For charismatic Christian families committed to the school's mission, this is the price; for any secular career framing, the math is structurally weak.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at The King's University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Theological and Ministerial Studies | $54,618 | F |
| Theology and Religious Vocations, Other | $36,278 | - |
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.
Theological and Ministerial Studies
Theological and Ministerial Studies enrolls 15 graduates with $29,593 first-year earnings against a $48,998 debt load - a 1.656 debt-to-earnings ratio (F grade). Graduates owe more than $1.65 for every dollar of annual income. Pastoral and ministry roles structurally pay below where this debt service can clear; students entering this program need either church-sponsored aid, family financial support, or a clear plan for income-driven loan forgiveness via PSLF after years in nonprofit ministry.
Theology and Religious Vocations, Other
Theology/Religious Vocations enrolls 14 graduates with four-year earnings of $36,278 - modest but plausibly higher than the ministerial track because graduates may diversify into Christian counseling, education, or nonprofit roles. Debt data isn't broken out separately. Students choosing this path need clear vocational alignment; secular earnings data systematically undercounts the actual ministerial outcomes graduates pursue.
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 | 54.3% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 68.2% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How The King's University’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 | 60.6% |
| Enrollment | 251 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 38.6% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,073 |
The King's University admits 60.6% of applicants. The school does not report SAT or ACT mid-ranges in current Scorecard data, consistent with seminary admissions emphasizing pastoral recommendations, faith statements, and ministerial intent over standardized testing. The 47.4% completion rate is weak relative to the moderate admit rate.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| The King's University (this school) | 31 | $14,140 | $41,471 |
| Ozark Christian College | 32 | $20,580 | $41,297 |
| Arizona Christian University | 30 | $32,839 | $51,612 |
| Saint Leo University | 30 | $21,293 | $48,364 |
| Calvary University | 30 | $16,334 | $45,421 |
| Asbury University | 29 | $21,401 | $42,368 |
Who Thrives Here
The King's University fits committed charismatic and pentecostal Christian students pursuing ministry, church leadership, or theology with a clear ministerial calling. With 38.6% Pell rate and just 251 students, the campus is intimate, small, and faith-formation focused. Strong fit only for students whose primary goal is pastoral or theological education; bad fit (in terms of financial return) for anyone pursuing secular professional careers. Students should view this as a religious vocation choice, not a career investment.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, The King's University scores 31/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $14,140 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $41,471 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 30.4 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 47.4% graduation rate, a long payback period.
The King's University: Common Questions
Is The King's University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. The King's University scores 31/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $14,140 a year after aid against $41,471 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 30.4 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does The King's University 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 $14,140 a year, or roughly $56,560 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 The King's University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $41,471 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 The King's University?
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 30.4 years for The King's University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
What is the graduation rate at The King's University?
The six-year graduation rate is 47.4%. 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.