Voorhees University
Denmark, South Carolina · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 8/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Voorhees University, a small HBCU in Denmark, South Carolina, earns an ROI score of 8, deep in the Below Benchmark tier. The financial math here is challenging on multiple fronts. Average earnings six years after entry are only $22,700, climbing to a median $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 signals severe loan-service distress for graduates. Completion is 43%. 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.
How Voorhees 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 Score8/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.18 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- 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.
Voorhees University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $12,630/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $12,630/yr |
| Average net price | $13,335/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $53,340 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $35,339 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $22,700 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,700 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $283 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 43.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 440 |
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: $12,630/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 $13,335/year, or roughly $53,340 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 $11,968/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $26,700, which works out to about $283 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($22,700) and comes to 1.18, 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least 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 | $11,968 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $13,701 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $18,453 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $21,067 |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $11,968 net, and the $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $13,701. With Pell, federal subsidized loans, and state aid, four-year cost runs about $48,000-$55,000 for the lowest-income students. The challenge is post-graduation: median 10-year earnings of $35,339 do not service $26,700 in median debt comfortably, and the 26% three-year repayment rate confirms many graduates struggle.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket jumps to $18,453 - a steep climb from the lower brackets. Across the middle income range, four-year cost is $55,000-$74,000.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $21,067 and the $110,001-plus bracket has no reported data. Higher-income families paying $84,000+ over four years are choosing Voorhees for HBCU mission rather than economic optimization.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at Voorhees University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $49,157 | - |
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.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration is the only program with reported data: 12 graduates per cohort produce a $49,157 four-year median earnings - meaningfully better than the institution-wide average and the strongest signal in Voorhees' data. Median debt and ROI grade are not reported. Students focused on business careers may find this track more justifiable than the institution-wide ROI suggests, but the small program size means outcomes can vary significantly cohort to cohort.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 14.9% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 26.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 20.4% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 28.3% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Voorhees 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
| Enrollment | 440 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 76.7% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,492 |
Voorhees admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data, and SAT/ACT mid-ranges are also unavailable. The mediocre 43% completion rate and severe loan-repayment distress (26% paying down at three years) suggest enrolled students face significant academic and financial headwinds, possibly compounded by limited institutional aid resources.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voorhees University (this school) | 8 | $13,335 | $35,339 |
| Bethune-Cookman University | 9 | $12,030 | $38,518 |
| Fort Valley State University | 9 | $10,338 | $36,666 |
| Kentucky State University | 9 | $8,040 | $36,382 |
| Virginia Union University | 9 | $13,235 | $38,275 |
| Southern University at New Orleans | 8 | $14,810 | $34,042 |
Who Thrives Here
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.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Voorhees University scores 8/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $13,335 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $35,339 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 43.0% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.18 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 26.0% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $26,700 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $22,700 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.18. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Voorhees University: Common Questions
Is Voorhees University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Voorhees University scores 8/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $13,335 a year after aid against $35,339 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 Voorhees 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 $13,335 a year, or roughly $53,340 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 Voorhees University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $35,339 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 Voorhees 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 more than 50 years for Voorhees University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Voorhees University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,700, against average earnings of $22,700 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.18. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so how much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Voorhees University?
The six-year graduation rate is 43.0%. 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.