Wilberforce University
Wilberforce, Ohio · Private Nonprofit · 40.5% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 14/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio scores ROI 14 (Below Benchmark) - one of America's oldest HBCUs with 822 undergraduates and a deeply challenging financial profile. The completion rate is 12%: fewer than 1 in 8 enrolled students graduates. Average 6-year earnings of $27,300 and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.97 confirm that graduates carry nearly a full year's salary in debt against very modest starting incomes. The payback period approaches 50 years in the Scorecard model. Net price is extremely low ($5,567 average), but the low price cannot offset the structural completion problem. Business, General is the only reported program, with an F-grade ROI and 1.14 debt-to-earnings ratio. The repayment rate of 45.9% indicates that fewer than half of borrowers are making on-time loan payments. Wilberforce's historical importance as the nation's first HBCU owned and operated by African Americans is not in question; its current academic and financial outcomes are.
How Wilberforce 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 Score14/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate12.0% - 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 period49.2 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Wilberforce University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $16,448/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $16,448/yr |
| Average net price | $5,567/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $22,268 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $38,298 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $27,300 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,468 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $281 |
| Estimated payback period | 49.2 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 12.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 822 |
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: $16,448/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $5,567/year, or roughly $22,268 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 $5,630/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $5,226/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $26,468, which works out to about $281 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($27,300) and comes to 0.97, 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 | $5,630 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $5,313 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $5,211 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $5,217 |
| $110,001+ | $5,226 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $5,630 per year - extremely low. Over four years (if a student completes), that is roughly $22,520. The actual cost for many Wilberforce students is near zero out-of-pocket given Pell grants and state aid. The financial problem is not cost - it is the 12% completion rate. Students who leave with debt and no degree at $5,630/year have still paid for something they did not receive.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Costs are nearly flat across all income bands at Wilberforce: $5,313 (30-48k), $5,211 (48-75k), $5,217 (75-110k). The school's pricing is essentially income-blind above the Pell threshold, reflecting a uniform low-tuition model. Middle-income families face the same completion risk as all other students.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,000+ pay $5,226 per year - essentially identical to all other income brackets. Over four years that is roughly $20,904. The low price at all income levels is consistent with Wilberforce's historical mission of providing accessible education to Black students regardless of income. The ROI problem is completion, not cost.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at Wilberforce University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business, General | $52,144 | 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.
Business, General
Business, General is the only program with Scorecard earnings data at Wilberforce. Median 1-year earnings of $31,290 and 4-year earnings of $52,144 show meaningful earnings growth for graduates who persist. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.14 (ROI grade F) with $35,674 median debt - the highest debt figure in this program analysis - confirms that graduates carry substantial loan burdens relative to their earnings. The $35,674 median debt likely reflects federal loan limits taken across multiple enrollment years, including students who attended for several years without completing.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 38.5% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 45.9% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 37.4% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 46.2% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Wilberforce 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 | 40.5% |
| Enrollment | 822 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 74.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,300 |
Wilberforce admits 40.5% of applicants. No SAT/ACT bands are reported. The 40.5% admission rate combined with a 12% completion rate indicates that many admitted students face barriers to persistence that begin before academic performance issues.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Wilberforce's completion rate is 12%. The repayment rate of 45.9% and D2E of 0.97 are the figures to weigh for graduates.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilberforce University (this school) | 14 | $5,567 | $38,298 |
| Oakwood University | 14 | $25,669 | $42,488 |
| Albany State University | 14 | $11,898 | $40,674 |
| Clark Atlanta University | 14 | $37,702 | $42,712 |
| Jackson State University | 14 | $23,836 | $39,060 |
| Fisk University | 14 | $32,020 | $45,454 |
Who Thrives Here
Wilberforce serves students who are committed to the school's HBCU identity and community. The school does not report SAT/ACT bands. With 74.1% Pell recipients, the student body is predominantly low-income. The 12% completion rate is the critical barrier: students who enroll face overwhelming odds against graduation. For students who are considering Wilberforce, the data strongly suggests visiting campus, speaking with current and former students about academic support, and having a clear plan for managing the completion barriers that most enrolled students encounter.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Wilberforce University scores 14/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $5,567 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $38,298 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 49.2 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 12.0% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.97 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 45.9% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $26,468 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $27,300 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.97. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Wilberforce University: Common Questions
Is Wilberforce University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Wilberforce University scores 14/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $5,567 a year after aid against $38,298 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 49.2 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Wilberforce 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 $5,567 a year, or roughly $22,268 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 Wilberforce University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $38,298 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 Wilberforce 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 49.2 years for Wilberforce University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Wilberforce University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,468, against average earnings of $27,300 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.97. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Wilberforce University?
The six-year graduation rate is 12.0%. 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.