Wade College
Dallas, Texas · Private For-Profit
ROI Score: 16/100 · Poor Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Wade College earns a Poor Value tier with an ROI score of 16 out of 100. The Dallas, Texas for-profit specialty college focuses on fashion merchandising and visual communications. Sticker tuition is $17,692, with a net price of $20,778 (a flag: net price exceeds tuition because room, board, and required fees push total costs above the headline number for institutions with limited institutional aid). Four-year cost-of-attendance lands at $83,112. The headline failure metric is a 134.6-year payback period: median 6-year earnings of just $29,400 against the school's cost structure produce a payback that exceeds any reasonable working life. Median 10-year earnings climb only to $36,657. Median debt of $22,938 produces a 0.78 debt-to-earnings ratio. The 25.9% three-year repayment rate is the lowest sub-score on this profile and one of the worst in the database, signaling severe early-career financial stress. The 54.2% completion rate is the only relative bright spot. With one F-grade program reported and a fashion-merchandising specialty competing in a labor market dominated by experience-based hiring, the financial case for Wade is essentially absent.
The data raises concerns about Wade College
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score16/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
- Payback period>50 years - Graduates earn at or near the level of high school completers - the cost may not recoup within a working career.
Wade College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $17,692/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $17,692/yr |
| Average net price | $20,778/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $83,112 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $36,657 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $29,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $22,938 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $243 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 54.2% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 252 |
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: $17,692/year. Here's the part that matters - almost nobody pays that. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $20,778/year, or roughly $83,112 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 $17,341/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $25,506/year.
Most students borrow to get here. The median graduate leaves owing $22,938 in federal loans, which works out to about $243 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Hold that up against the $36,657 the typical graduate earns ten years out: the debt-to-earnings ratio comes to 0.78, within the range advisors call workable but worth keeping an eye on.
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 | $17,341 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $19,771 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | N/A |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $25,506 |
| $110,001+ | $25,506 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning $0-30K pay $17,341 net annually, with $30,001-48,000 households paying $19,771. Four-year cost of $69K-$79K against $29,400 expected early-career earnings is structurally unworkable. Pell-eligible students should not enroll without first evaluating Texas community college transfer pathways into UNT or other public design programs.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-75,000 bracket is not reported. The $75,001-110,000 bracket pays $25,506 net annually, identical to the $110,001-plus bracket: that flat upper-bracket pricing suggests Wade caps institutional aid at moderate-income levels and offers no further help to higher-income families.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110K pay the same $25,506 as the $75-110K bracket. Four-year cost of $102K is essentially the headline number with no institutional discount. At that price for a 6-year median income of $29,400, the financial case is absent regardless of family income.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at Wade College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | $45,386 | 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.
General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations
General Sales and Merchandising is Wade's only reported program with 6 graduates per year. First-year median earnings of $35,406 against an alarming $47,248 median debt produces a 1.334 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F ROI grade. Year-four earnings of $45,386 show modest improvement but never recover the gap. The Dallas fashion and retail labor market exists, but it hires substantially on portfolio strength and industry connections rather than on Wade's credential, making this debt-to-earnings picture especially hard to justify.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 25.0% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 25.9% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 26.5% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 33.5% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Wade College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2023).
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 | 252 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 65.5% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,500 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data, which is typical for for-profit specialty colleges that operate on rolling open-enrollment models. SAT and ACT scores are also not reported. The 54.2% completion rate combined with this admissions profile reflects a small specialty institution where students who commit to the curriculum often complete, but the financial outcome remains poor regardless.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Among Wade's peer set, American Intercontinental University Houston and the South University network locations are direct for-profit comparables in similar bottom-tier ROI territory. Chamberlain University Texas is a for-profit nursing-focused peer with materially better outcomes given the nursing labor market. Los Angeles College of Music is another small for-profit specialty school. Wade's 16 ROI score is at the low end of this peer group; the for-profit fashion and design specialty subsegment generally produces consistently poor outcomes.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wade College (this school) | 16 | $20,778 | $36,657 |
| Chamberlain University-Texas | 73 | $32,209 | $92,405 |
| Los Angeles College of Music | 19 | $43,590 | $31,758 |
| South University-Richmond | 11 | $30,442 | $34,421 |
| South University-West Palm Beach | 8 | $20,271 | $34,421 |
| American InterContinental University-Houston | 6 | $20,249 | $36,144 |
Who Thrives Here
Wade College fits Dallas-area students with strong interests in fashion merchandising, visual communications, or related creative business fields who haven't fully evaluated alternatives. With just 252 enrolled and a striking 65.5% Pell rate, the institution serves a heavily working-class student body. The fundamental problem is that the fashion industry's employment model relies heavily on portfolio quality and connections rather than specialty credentials, making the financial premium for Wade's degrees difficult to justify. Texas students should evaluate UNT's fashion design programs or Texas Woman's University before committing.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
We'll be straight with you: the numbers at Wade College are a real concern. With a net cost of $20,778 per year and the typical graduate earning only $36,657 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds >50 years. For most students, the financial return does not justify the cost - go in with your eyes open.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, high debt relative to what graduates earn, concerning loan repayment rates, a long payback period.
Median debt of $22,938 against $36,657 in earnings is reasonable, though your major matters a lot here. Graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
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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.