Voorhees University

Voorhees University, a small HBCU in Denmark, South Carolina, earns an ROI score of 8 -- one of the lowest in our database, deep in the Poor Value tier. The financial math here is challenging on multiple fronts. Tuition of $12,630 is moderate for a private nonprofit, and net price of $13,335 (~$53,340 over four years) is not extreme by industry standards. But median earnings six years after entry are only $22,700, climbing to $35,339 by year ten -- below typical earnings for high-school-only workers in much of the region. Median debt of $26,700 against $22,700 first-year earnings produces a 1.18 debt-to-earnings ratio (graduates owe more in debt than they earn in their first year), and the resulting payback period is 570.3 years -- effectively never. The 26% three-year repayment rate is among the lowest reported, signaling severe loan-service distress for graduates. Completion is 43%, which is mediocre but not the worst in this batch. Voorhees has a meaningful HBCU mission and serves a 77% Pell-eligible student body, but the post-graduation earnings outcomes do not currently support its tuition model. Prospective students should price-shop carefully and consider South Carolina State (also HBCU, public) or Claflin University as alternatives.

With 440 students and a 77% Pell rate, Voorhees serves a deeply low-income, predominantly Black student population in rural South Carolina. The fit profile is mission-specific: students seeking an HBCU experience close to home, who value the religious and cultural community of the African Methodist Episcopal tradition, and who plan to use this education for community-rooted careers. Standard ROI metrics will look weak. Students with strong academic preparation should also consider Claflin or South Carolina State, both of which offer stronger outcomes within the HBCU framework.