Trinity Bible College and Graduate School
Ellendale, North Dakota · Private Nonprofit · 25.8% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 18/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Trinity Bible College and Graduate School in Ellendale, North Dakota, posts a Below Benchmark ROI score of 18/100. The school is a single-purpose Bible college producing primarily Biblical Studies graduates, and the federal ROI math reflects that vocational positioning. Sticker tuition is $19,700, average net price is $19,359, and four-year cost lands near $77,436. Average earnings six years after entry are $26,900, climbing to a median $35,604 by year ten - barely above the earnings premium of a high school graduate (the earnings premium subscore is just 8). Median federal debt of $22,531 against early-career earnings produces a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.838 and a payback period flagged at 360 years, meaning earnings effectively never recoup cost on the standard ROI model. One bright spot: the 79.6% three-year repayment rate is unusually strong, suggesting graduates do prioritize debt service even at modest incomes, often because ministerial loan-forgiveness pathways apply.
How Trinity Bible College and Graduate School 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 Score18/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 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.
Trinity Bible College and Graduate School
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $19,700/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $19,700/yr |
| Average net price | $19,359/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $77,436 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $35,604 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $26,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $22,531 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $239 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 46.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 141 |
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: $19,700/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $19,359/year, or roughly $77,436 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 $19,123/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $23,003/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $22,531, which works out to about $239 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($26,900) and comes to 0.84, 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 | $19,123 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $19,825 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $16,755 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $22,294 |
| $110,001+ | $23,003 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $19,123 net per year, virtually identical to the school's $19,700 sticker tuition. Institutional aid is minimal, so Pell grants do most of the discounting. Four-year out-of-pocket lands near $76,500, which is heavy for a ministerial career path.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $19,825, but the $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays only $16,755 - an inverted bracket likely reflecting Scorecard small-sample noise rather than a true mid-income discount pattern. The $75,001-$110,000 bracket jumps back up to $22,294. Middle-income families should request a personalized aid letter rather than rely on the published figures.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $23,003 per year, which exceeds the $19,700 sticker tuition because room, board, and fees layer on with little merit aid. Over four years that's $92,012. For full-pay families, the financial case is weakest; the decision is purely faith and community-driven.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at Trinity Bible College and Graduate School with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Bible/Biblical Studies | $48,009 | - |
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.
Bible/Biblical Studies
Biblical Studies is the only reported program at Trinity, with 28 graduates and a four-year median earnings figure of $48,009. Scorecard does not report median debt, debt-to-earnings ratio, or ROI grade for this cohort. The earnings figure is higher than the school-wide median, suggesting some graduates move into administrative or denominational staff roles rather than parish ministry. Public Service Loan Forgiveness can be relevant for graduates serving in qualifying nonprofit roles.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 69.2% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 79.6% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 57.5% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 60.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Trinity Bible College and Graduate School’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 | 25.8% |
| Enrollment | 141 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 61.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,047 |
Trinity Bible's reported admit rate of 25.8% looks selective in isolation but reflects a tiny applicant pool of mission-aligned students rather than competitive academic filtering. Prospective students are essentially self-selecting by denomination and ministerial calling rather than academic credentials.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity Bible College and Graduate School (this school) | 18 | $19,359 | $35,604 |
| Columbia International University | 21 | $26,036 | $38,951 |
| Davis & Elkins College | 21 | $18,273 | $43,411 |
| Kentucky Christian University | 19 | $24,038 | $42,375 |
| Dallas Christian College | 18 | $22,960 | $43,503 |
| Toccoa Falls College | 16 | $21,642 | $36,630 |
Who Thrives Here
Pell rate of 61.8% and enrollment of just 141 mark Trinity as a very small, mission-driven Assemblies of God Bible college. The school fits students with a clear call to ministry, missions, or church-related vocations and minimal financial dependence on the degree for secular earnings. Students choosing Trinity for the community and faith formation should not expect a strong dollar-and-cents ROI; the value proposition is vocational and spiritual rather than financial.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Trinity Bible College and Graduate School scores 18/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $19,359 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $35,604 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 46.0% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.84 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $22,531 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $26,900 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.84. 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.
Trinity Bible College and Graduate School: Common Questions
Is Trinity Bible College and Graduate School worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Trinity Bible College and Graduate School scores 18/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $19,359 a year after aid against $35,604 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 Trinity Bible College and Graduate School 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 $19,359 a year, or roughly $77,436 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 Trinity Bible College and Graduate School graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $35,604 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 Trinity Bible College and Graduate School?
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 Trinity Bible College and Graduate School. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Trinity Bible College and Graduate School graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $22,531, against average earnings of $26,900 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.84. 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 Trinity Bible College and Graduate School?
The six-year graduation rate is 46.0%. 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.