Union Commonwealth University
Barbourville, Kentucky · Private Nonprofit · 63.1% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 15/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Union Commonwealth University scores 15 (Below Benchmark) on the CampusROI scale, anchored by a 32.2-year payback period, $28,800 average 6-year earnings, and a 32.1% completion rate. Of every 10 students who enroll, fewer than 4 finish a degree. Median debt of $24,250 against $28,800 average earnings produces a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.842 - meaning graduates carry debt near their full annual salary. The repayment rate at year 1 is 47.9%, and at year 3 just 59.3%, indicating that a substantial share of borrowers are not making progress on their loans. Sticker tuition is $30,946, but net price averages $21,311. For low-income students the net price drops to $12,214, a figure that looks modest until weighed against the completion rate and post-graduation earnings. Registered Nursing is the clearest exception in the program mix, with 41 graduates earning $72,614 at year one and $87,221 at year four - outcomes that look nothing like the institution's aggregate. Outside of nursing, the data paints a difficult picture. Business Administration earns a D-grade ROI with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.777. The aggregate ROI score is not a function of weak investment in students; it reflects structural challenges in completion and earnings that compound across most of the student body.
How Union Commonwealth 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 Score15/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate32.1% - 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 period32.2 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Union Commonwealth University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $30,946/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $30,946/yr |
| Average net price | $21,311/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $85,244 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $42,002 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $28,800 |
| Median debt at graduation | $24,250 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $257 |
| Estimated payback period | 32.2 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 32.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 746 |
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: $30,946/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $21,311/year, or roughly $85,244 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 $12,214/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $44,322/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $24,250, which works out to about $257 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($28,800) 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 | $12,214 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $14,368 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $15,774 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $44,322 |
| $110,001+ | $44,322 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Students in the 0-30000 income bracket pay $12,214 net per year. Over four years, that is roughly $48,856 against $28,800 average 6-year earnings and a 32.1% completion rate. Most students at this income level will not graduate. Those who do, in nursing specifically, may see a reasonable return. For everyone else, this is a high-risk investment even at the reduced net price.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 48001-75000 bracket pays $15,774 per year. At $63,096 over four years against $28,800 average earnings and a sub-33% completion rate, the financial case is poor.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $75,001 and above pay $44,322 per year - close to sticker. At $177,288 over four years against $28,800 average earnings and a 32.2-year payback period, this is not a viable financial proposition for most students. Only nursing outcomes approach a defensible return at this price.
Earnings by Major
Top 3 most popular majors at Union Commonwealth University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $87,221 | B |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $51,079 | D |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $41,475 | - |
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 Union Commonwealth's strongest program by a substantial margin. 41 graduates earned $72,614 median at year one and $87,221 at year four, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.383 (ROI grade B). This program's outcomes are materially better than the institution's aggregate and represent the clearest value proposition Union Commonwealth offers.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration produced 25 graduates with $35,875 median earnings at year one and $51,079 at year four. Median debt of $27,875 against year-one earnings of $35,875 generates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.777 (ROI grade D). The four-year trajectory to $51,079 is modestly positive but still leaves graduates carrying significant debt relative to income.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology had 24 graduates with $41,475 median earnings at four years; year-one and debt data are not reported by the Scorecard. The four-year earnings figure is the most substantive data point available. Without debt figures, a complete ROI grade cannot be assigned. This is a field where professional advancement typically requires graduate credentials beyond the bachelor's degree.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 47.9% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 59.3% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 48.5% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 54.9% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Union Commonwealth 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 | 63.1% |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 15-22 |
| Enrollment | 746 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 52.7% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,687 |
The admission rate is 63.2%. SAT ranges are not reported by the Scorecard; ACT composite 25th-75th percentile runs 15 - 22. This is an open-access institution by practical definition. The academic bar is not the primary risk factor here - completion is. Students should have a clear plan for finishing, including financial continuity.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union Commonwealth University (this school) | 15 | $21,311 | $42,002 |
| Asbury University | 29 | $21,401 | $42,368 |
| Alice Lloyd College | 18 | $18,600 | $40,573 |
| Toccoa Falls College | 16 | $21,642 | $36,630 |
| St. Andrews University | 16 | $32,513 | $45,606 |
| Philander Smith University | 10 | $14,224 | $38,427 |
Who Thrives Here
Union Commonwealth enrolls 746 students in Barbourville, Kentucky. The Pell grant rate of 52.7% signals a heavily low-income student body. ACT composite mid-range is 15 - 22, and SAT data is not reported. The institution serves students who may face financial and academic barriers that the completion data reflects. Nursing is the one program where Scorecard outcomes align with the cost of attendance. Prospective students outside nursing should examine the 32.1% completion rate honestly before enrolling - the majority of students who start do not finish.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Union Commonwealth University scores 15/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $21,311 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $42,002 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 32.2 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 32.1% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.84 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 59.3% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $24,250 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $28,800 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.
Union Commonwealth University: Common Questions
Is Union Commonwealth University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Union Commonwealth University scores 15/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $21,311 a year after aid against $42,002 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 32.2 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Union Commonwealth 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 $21,311 a year, or roughly $85,244 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 Union Commonwealth University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $42,002 ten years after enrolling, roughly $202 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 Union Commonwealth 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 32.2 years for Union Commonwealth University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Union Commonwealth University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $24,250, against average earnings of $28,800 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 Union Commonwealth University?
The six-year graduation rate is 32.1%. 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.