University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
Belton, Texas · Private Nonprofit · 95.8% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 43/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (UMHB) is a Baptist private university in Belton, Texas, scoring 43 on the CampusROI scale - in the Below Benchmark tier. Median debt of $26,000 against those earnings yields a 0.67 debt-to-earnings ratio (sub-score 34). Repayment is decent at 74.8% (sub-score 54), and completion at 49.3% (sub-score 37) is the weakest input. The tension here is real: UMHB has genuinely strong programs (nursing at $88,815 four-year, accounting at $78,344, computer science at $78,137) embedded in an institution where overall outcomes lag because of weaker liberal-arts and social-science majors. Major selection is the determining factor in whether the financial math works at this school.
How University of Mary Hardin-Baylor 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 Score43/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $32,020/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $32,020/yr |
| Average net price | $26,106/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $104,424 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $56,132 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $38,600 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $276 |
| Estimated payback period | 11.6 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 49.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,759 |
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: $32,020/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $26,106/year, or roughly $104,424 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 $22,089/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $33,166/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $26,000, which works out to about $276 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($38,600) and comes to 0.67, 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 | $22,089 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $23,064 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $23,607 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $27,343 |
| $110,001+ | $33,166 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $22,089 net annually, slightly below the $30,001-$48,000 bracket's $23,064 - a clean low-to-high curve at the bottom but a high absolute price for low-income families. Over four years that is roughly $88,000 of cost. Pell aid plus Texas state aid (TEG, TEXAS Grant) helps, but borrowing is essentially required, and the 49% non-completion rate is the dominant financial risk.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Households at $48,001-$75,000 pay $23,607 and $75,001-$110,000 pays $27,343 - $94,000-$109,000 over four years. UMHB's value at this tier needs to be driven by mission alignment and major-specific outcomes (nursing, accounting).
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $33,166 net, or about $133,000 over four years - only a slight discount from sticker. Enrollment at this tier is essentially mission-driven.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $88,815 | B |
| Clinical Psychology | $42,301 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $65,603 | C+ |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $52,245 | D |
| Biology | $59,307 | D |
| Teacher Education, Subject-Specific | $52,923 | C+ |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $50,346 | D |
| Marketing | $64,581 | C |
| Teacher Education | $50,730 | C+ |
| Accounting | $78,344 | B |
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 UMHB's flagship program by a wide margin, with 152 graduates per year - the largest cohort on campus. Graduates earn $76,167 at one year and $88,815 at four years against $28,656 of debt - a 0.38 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B grade. Texas's strong RN labor market (Baylor Scott & White, Seton, Methodist health systems) provides reliable placement, and BSN graduates have direct licensure-anchored career paths. This is by far the highest-confidence ROI case at UMHB.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business is the second-largest cohort at 36 graduates per year. Graduates earn $51,203 at one year and $65,603 at four years against $27,000 of debt - a 0.53 debt-to-earnings ratio and a C+ grade. Career endpoints span Austin/Killeen-area corporate roles, banking, and small-business management.
Accounting
Accounting is a strong but small program at 20 graduates per year. Graduates earn $59,814 at one year and $78,344 at four years against $23,375 of debt - a 0.39 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B grade. Texas's robust public-accounting and corporate-finance market provides strong placement, and the 150-hour licensure track typical of accounting careers tends to lift mid-career earnings further.
Clinical Psychology
Clinical Psychology is UMHB's third-largest cohort at 52 graduates per year. Graduates earn $33,805 at one year and $42,301 at four years against $27,000 of debt - a 0.80 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D grade. As is typical for bachelor's psychology, well-paid clinical careers require master's or doctoral training, so families should plan for the multi-degree pipeline before enrolling.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology graduates earn $30,674 at one year and $52,245 at four years against $26,250 of debt - a 0.86 ratio and a D grade. With 32 graduates per year this is a meaningful cohort, often serving students preparing for physical therapy, athletic training, or graduate school in health sciences. Bachelor's-only earnings are weak; the strong four-year figure suggests progression to graduate work.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 68.7% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 74.8% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 66.8% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 72.5% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How University of Mary Hardin-Baylor’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 | 95.8% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 470-590 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 490-610 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 19-26 |
| Enrollment | 2,759 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 39.6% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,752 |
UMHB admits 95.8% of applicants, which is essentially open access. SAT mid-50% ranges of 470-590 math and 490-610 reading, with an ACT mid-range of 19-26, indicate a broadly average academic profile. The 49.3% completion rate is consistent with this broad-access posture; over half of incoming students do not graduate, which is the single largest financial risk for borrowers. Selectivity is not the screen here; major selection and personal preparedness are.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (this school) | 43 | $26,106 | $56,132 |
| Abilene Christian University | 51 | $26,182 | $55,736 |
| Loyola University New Orleans | 42 | $23,696 | $52,927 |
| Wingate University | 41 | $20,748 | $52,649 |
| Uta Mesivta of Kiryas Joel | 29 | $4,156 | $31,853 |
| Arlington Baptist University | 14 | $24,906 | $44,644 |
Who Thrives Here
With 2,759 students, a 39.7% Pell rate, and a Texas Baptist-affiliated identity, UMHB fits Texas students looking for a faith-integrated bachelor's degree - particularly those targeting nursing, business, or teacher education. Outcomes look strong for the 152-graduate-per-year nursing cohort ($88,815 four-year), but weak for the 52-graduate clinical psychology cohort ($42,301 with a 0.80 debt ratio). The school's identity is Christian-mission first; students should weigh that mission alongside the cost-to-outcome math, which only works for select majors at full price.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor scores 43/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $26,106 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $56,132 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 11.6 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 49.3% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67 (median across the schools we score: 0.61).
Median debt of $26,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $38,600 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67. 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.
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor: Common Questions
Is University of Mary Hardin-Baylor worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. University of Mary Hardin-Baylor scores 43/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $26,106 a year after aid against $56,132 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 11.6 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does University of Mary Hardin-Baylor 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 $26,106 a year, or roughly $104,424 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 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $56,132 ten years after enrolling, roughly $14,332 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 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor?
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 11.6 years for University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do University of Mary Hardin-Baylor graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,000, against average earnings of $38,600 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67. 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 University of Mary Hardin-Baylor?
The six-year graduation rate is 49.3%. 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.