Visible Music College
Memphis, Tennessee · Private Nonprofit · 28.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 28/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Visible Music College scores 28 (Below Benchmark) on the CampusROI scale - a score shaped by extraordinary challenges in the data. The 22.9% completion rate means fewer than one in four enrolled students earns a degree within the standard window. The payback period of 269.3 years is not a meaningful financial projection; it is a Scorecard-calculated signal that median earnings relative to cost are essentially disconnected. Average 6-year earnings of $25,600 are at the lower bound of any viable ROI calculation. The Scorecard repayment rate is imputed rather than directly observed. Only one program - Music - has Scorecard earnings data: 8 graduates, $25,929 year-one, $33,690 at year four, F-grade ROI (debt-to-earnings 1.041, median debt $27,000). Enrollment is 79 students. The Pell grant rate of 48.8% means the student body is predominantly low-income. Visible Music College should be considered a very high-risk financial choice based on available Scorecard data.
How Visible Music College 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 Score28/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate22.9% - 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 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.
Visible Music College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $22,000/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $22,000/yr |
| Average net price | $27,820/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $111,280 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $35,933 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $25,600 |
| Median debt at graduation | $9,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $101 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 22.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 79 |
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: $22,000/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 $27,820/year, or roughly $111,280 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 $27,744/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $30,820/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $9,500, which works out to about $101 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($25,600) and comes to 0.37, which in our view is comfortably manageable.
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 | $27,744 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $26,450 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $27,873 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | $30,820 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families in the $0-$30,000 bracket pay $27,744 per year at Visible Music College. This is essentially full sticker price for the school's lowest-income students - the Pell grant may cover a portion, but the institutional aid is minimal. Set against that price, the school has a 22.9% completion rate and $25,600 average earnings.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $27,873 per year - essentially the same as the lowest income band, confirming that Visible provides very little income-sensitive grant aid. Scorecard does not report net price for the $75,001-$110,000 bracket. Middle-income families face the full net price with little financial differentiation across income levels.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,000+ pay $30,820 per year at Visible. Against average 6-year earnings of $25,600 and a 22.9% completion rate, this is a very difficult financial case. Even families with the means to pay should weigh this cost against the probability of completion and the earnings ceiling for music industry careers documented in the Scorecard data.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at Visible Music College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Music | $33,690 | F |
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.
Music
Music is the only program with Scorecard earnings data at Visible: 8 graduates, $25,929 year-one earnings, $33,690 at year four, with an F-grade ROI (debt-to-earnings 1.041) and median debt of $27,000. Carrying more debt than a full year of salary upon graduation - in a field where year-four earnings plateau near $34k - means most graduates will spend years with their debt growing rather than shrinking. These are the institutional-level outcomes for this degree. Students considering commercial music careers should investigate alternative training paths carefully.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 71.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | N/A | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 65.6% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 65.1% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Visible Music College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 28.0% |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 19-30 |
| Enrollment | 79 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 48.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $2,476 |
Visible Music College admits about 28% of applicants. SAT score ranges are not reported. At 79 enrolled students, the admissions process is necessarily small and personal. Students should inquire about the retention and completion supports the institution provides, given a completion rate of 22.9%.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visible Music College (this school) | 28 | $27,820 | $35,933 |
| Baptist Health Sciences University | 69 | $11,212 | $72,529 |
| American Baptist College | 32 | $9,216 | $41,216 |
| Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico-Orlando | 28 | $16,577 | $47,540 |
| Saint Joseph Seminary College | 25 | $45,460 | $38,366 |
| Northpoint Bible College | 21 | $23,635 | $42,210 |
Who Thrives Here
Visible Music College admits 28.0% of applicants - selectively small, with ACT composite 19-30 as the only reported score range. Enrollment is 79 students. The college's Christian mission and focus on contemporary commercial music appeal to a specific student. Any student considering Visible must confront the 22.9% completion rate directly: the primary risk is not earning the degree. The Pell rate of 48.8% means most students rely heavily on federal aid to attend.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Visible Music College scores 28/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $27,820 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $35,933 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 it has going for it: manageable debt relative to earnings. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 22.9% graduation rate, a long payback period.
Median debt of $9,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $25,600 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.37, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Visible Music College: Common Questions
Is Visible Music College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Visible Music College scores 28/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $27,820 a year after aid against $35,933 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 Visible Music College 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 $27,820 a year, or roughly $111,280 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 Visible Music College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $35,933 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 Visible Music College?
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 Visible Music College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Visible Music College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $9,500, against average earnings of $25,600 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.37. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Visible Music College?
The six-year graduation rate is 22.9%. 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.