Toccoa Falls College
Toccoa Falls, Georgia · Private Nonprofit · 66.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 16/100 · Poor Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Toccoa Falls College, a small Christian liberal-arts school in northeast Georgia, scores 16 - the lowest tier of Poor Value. The numbers are stark across every sub-score. Median earnings six years after entry are $28,000, climbing only to $36,630 at ten years. The reported payback period is 139 years - effectively, the scorecard methodology concludes graduate earnings never recoup full cost. Earnings premium is just 1.9% over high-school-only (sub-score 9). Debt-to-earnings is 0.795 on $22,250 median debt. Sticker tuition is $23,950 and net price is $21,642 - close to sticker because institutional aid is thin. Four-year total cost is $86,568. Completion is 43.7% and repayment is 69.5% at three years. The Pell rate of 16.1% is unusually low - this is not a high-need student body, but the limited aid also means families pay close to full price. With 875 students and a Bible-college program lineup heavy in ministry, counseling, and small business, this is a vocational Christian-college mission. The financial case is essentially non-existent; the case for attending is faith-driven only.
The data raises concerns about Toccoa Falls College
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score16/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
- Payback period>50 years - Graduates earn at or near the level of high school completers - the cost may not recoup within a working career.
Toccoa Falls College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $23,950/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $23,950/yr |
| Average net price | $21,642/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $86,568 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $36,630 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $28,000 |
| Median debt at graduation | $22,250 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $236 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 43.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 875 |
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: $23,950/year. Here's the part that matters - almost nobody pays that. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $21,642/year, or roughly $86,568 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 $20,825/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $24,766/year.
Most students borrow to get here. The median graduate leaves owing $22,250 in federal loans, which works out to about $236 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Hold that up against the $36,630 the typical graduate earns ten years out: the debt-to-earnings ratio comes to 0.80, within the range advisors call workable but worth keeping an eye on.
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 | $20,825 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $18,982 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $20,262 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $22,762 |
| $110,001+ | $24,766 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $20,825 net - only $3,125 below sticker tuition. Pell stacking is limited because the institution lacks deep aid resources. Four-year cost is around $83,300, against $36,630 in 10-year median earnings - four-year cost more than doubles 10-year earnings. The math does not work even at the best-priced bracket.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) pay $20,262 - almost identical to the under-$30K bracket, signaling minimal price differentiation by income. The $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $18,982 (actually lower than under-$30K's $20,825), a small inversion likely from sample variance. Four-year cost at middle-income is roughly $81,000 against the $36,630 earnings ceiling.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $22,762 and $110,000+ pays $24,766 - approaching sticker. Four-year cost at the top tier is around $99,000. For high-income families this is a values/faith-driven full-pay decision; the financial math is upside-down at any income level given the $36,630 earnings ceiling.
Earnings by Major
Top 3 most popular majors at Toccoa Falls College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $64,949 | B |
| Clinical Psychology | $33,831 | F |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $43,864 | C |
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 Toccoa Falls's standout program: 23 graduates earning $64,949 in year one against $27,628 median debt - a 0.425 ratio and B grade. Northeast Georgia healthcare (Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Habersham) absorbs most graduates at competitive starting wages. This program is materially out-of-character relative to the rest of the school's outcomes.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration produces 13 graduates earning $39,945 in year one and $43,864 by year four against $27,000 debt (0.676 ratio, C grade). Solid first-year earnings for a small-Christian-college business program, but four-year growth is modest - graduates appear to be hitting an earnings ceiling early. Manageable debt for the earnings level.
Clinical Psychology
Clinical Psychology is the program drag: 23 graduates earning $21,319 in year one and $33,831 by year four against $24,250 debt - a 1.137 debt-to-earnings ratio and F grade. Bachelor's-only clinical psychology earnings are nationally weak (the credential is really a feeder to master's/PsyD programs). High debt for a feeder degree is the worst-case combination.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 65.4% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 69.5% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 69.7% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 74.0% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Toccoa Falls College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2023).
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 | 66.0% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 490-580 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 520-650 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 18-24 |
| Enrollment | 875 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 16.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,124 |
Toccoa Falls admits 66% of applicants - moderately selective. SAT mid-ranges (Math 490-580, Reading 520-650) and ACT 18-24 reflect a college-ready Christian-college applicant pool with above-average verbal scores. The 43.7% completion rate is concerning for a school admitting solid academic profiles - suggesting financial constraints or fit issues rather than academic preparation drive non-completion. Prepared applicants face moderate selectivity; the bigger risk is finishing.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Toccoa Falls's peer set spans wildly different institutions. Agnes Scott (a strong Decatur women's college with substantially better ROI) and Clark Atlanta (HBCU with moderate outcomes) aren't really comparable. Columbus College of Art and Design is a niche art school. Webber International (FL business-focused private) and St. Andrews (NC small Christian) are closer mission comparators. Among the closest mission peers, Toccoa Falls's 16 score is at the very bottom - the clinical-psych program in particular drags outcomes significantly.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toccoa Falls College (this school) | 16 | $21,642 | $36,630 |
| Kentucky Christian University | 19 | $24,038 | $42,375 |
| Trinity Bible College and Graduate School | 18 | $19,359 | $35,604 |
| Dallas Christian College | 18 | $22,960 | $43,503 |
| Southwestern Christian University | 14 | $20,146 | $40,391 |
| Arlington Baptist University | 14 | $24,906 | $44,644 |
Who Thrives Here
Toccoa Falls fits students called to ministry, Christian counseling, and faith-based education or social-service work in the Southeast. Pell rate of 16.1% is unusually low for a Poor-Value-tier school - the student body is middle-income but lacks aid leverage. Enrollment of 875 supports a small-college mentorship environment. Strong fit for students with clear vocational ministry plans; the school's mission is faith formation, not earnings. Weaker fit for anyone evaluating purely on financial return.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
We'll be straight with you: the numbers at Toccoa Falls College are a real concern. With a net cost of $21,642 per year and the typical graduate earning only $36,630 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds >50 years. For most students, the financial return does not justify the cost - go in with your eyes open.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 43.7% graduation rate, high debt relative to what graduates earn, concerning loan repayment rates, a long payback period.
Median debt of $22,250 against $36,630 in earnings is reasonable, though your major matters a lot here. Graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
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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.