Warner University
Lake Wales, Florida · Private Nonprofit · 42.8% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 28/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Warner University, a small Christian liberal-arts school in Lake Wales, Florida, scores 28 on ROI and lands in the Below Benchmark tier. The diagnostic numbers tell a difficult story: average earnings six years after entry are $35,500, climbing to a median $46,086 at ten years, while median debt of $22,250 generates a 0.627 debt-to-earnings ratio and a 19.8-year payback period. The lowest sub-score is repayment - only 49% of borrowers are paying down principal at three years (score of 8), suggesting widespread payment struggles. Sticker tuition is $29,992 with a net price of $19,748 and four-year total cost near $79,000. The 42.1% completion rate means more than half of entering students do not finish a degree - a major drag on outcomes given that non-completers still typically owe debt. The earnings premium is real but slim at 14%, and the combination of weak completion, weak repayment, and a near-20-year payback puts the financial case for Warner under significant pressure. Faith-driven student fit matters here more than the pure ROI numbers.
How Warner 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 Score28/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period19.8 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Warner University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $29,992/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $29,992/yr |
| Average net price | $19,748/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $78,992 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $46,086 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $35,500 |
| Median debt at graduation | $22,250 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $236 |
| Estimated payback period | 19.8 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 42.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 756 |
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: $29,992/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $19,748/year, or roughly $78,992 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 $17,853/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $23,060/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $22,250, which works out to about $236 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($35,500) and comes to 0.63, 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 | $17,853 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $18,884 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $21,526 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $18,958 |
| $110,001+ | $23,060 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $17,853 net. Four-year cost lands near $71,400, against $46,086 in 10-year median earnings. The Pell-heavy student body keeps net price moderate but doesn't change the underlying earnings ceiling. The math is workable only if the student finishes a degree and lands in a higher-paying program track.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) pay $21,526 - the highest of any bracket, exceeding the $75,001-$110,000 bracket's $18,958. This is an inverted-bracket anomaly: aid drops mid-range and then recovers slightly in the upper-middle band, likely due to small sample sizes. Four-year cost at this bracket is $86,000.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $23,060 - the second-highest tier. Four-year cost is $92,200. Above $75K, net price actually drops slightly compared to mid-income families (likely small-sample variance), so the $110K+ figure is the truest sticker exposure. For high-income families this is a values-driven full-pay decision.
Earnings by Major
Top 5 most popular majors at Warner University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $55,458 | D |
| Teacher Education | $48,819 | C |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $44,995 | D |
| Agriculture, General | $56,429 | C+ |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $54,179 | 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.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration is the largest program with 33 graduates earning $37,841 in year one and $55,458 by year four. Florida small-business and church-affiliated nonprofit roles absorb most graduates; the high debt load is the main drag on outcomes.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education produces 21 graduates with $38,856 first-year earnings rising to $48,819 by year four, against $24,814 median debt (0.639 ratio, C grade). Manageable debt and stable employment compensate for modest pay.
Agriculture, General
Agriculture is the strongest program: $44,154 year-one earnings, $56,429 by year four, $22,250 debt for a 0.504 ratio and C+ grade. This is the program most likely to deliver positive ROI.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology has the weakest outcomes: $28,512 in year one, $44,995 by year four, with $26,995 debt for a 0.947 ratio and D grade. Sixteen graduates - a small cohort - face the same national kinesiology problem: bachelor's-only pay is low, and the program is really a pre-grad-school feeder. Students should plan on PT, OT, or DPT continuation, not direct workforce entry.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 43.5% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 49.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 48.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 55.6% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Warner 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
| Acceptance rate | 42.8% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 380-530 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 410-540 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 14-20 |
| Enrollment | 756 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 50.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,033 |
Warner admits 42.8% of applicants - moderately selective on paper. SAT mid-ranges are 380-530 Math and 410-540 Reading, with an ACT range of 14-20. The 42.1% completion rate maps to that profile: when entering students arrive with lower academic preparation, persistence suffers. Students who arrive academically prepared with a clear faith-and-career fit should complete; underprepared students face real non-completion risk.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Warner's 28 score is roughly in band.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warner University (this school) | 28 | $19,748 | $46,086 |
| Barry University | 42 | $22,613 | $55,966 |
| Baptist University of Florida | 31 | $10,372 | $42,836 |
| Bennington College | 26 | $30,947 | $38,289 |
| Be'er Yaakov Talmudic Seminary | 25 | $4,543 | $17,360 |
| Drury University-College of Continuing Professional Studies | 24 | $10,566 | $40,694 |
Who Thrives Here
Warner fits Pell-eligible Florida students (50.9% Pell rate) drawn to a 756-student Christian liberal-arts environment. Best fit: future teachers, agriculture professionals, and pastoral or ministry-track students who value the school's Restoration Movement heritage.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Warner University scores 28/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $19,748 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $46,086 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 19.8 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 42.1% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 49.0% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $22,250 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $35,500 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.63, 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.
Warner University: Common Questions
Is Warner University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Warner University scores 28/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $19,748 a year after aid against $46,086 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 19.8 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Warner 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 $19,748 a year, or roughly $78,992 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 Warner University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $46,086 ten years after enrolling, roughly $4,286 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 Warner 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 about 19.8 years for Warner University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Warner University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $22,250, against average earnings of $35,500 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.63. 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 Warner University?
The six-year graduation rate is 42.1%. 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.