Wiley University
Marshall, Texas · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 5/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Wiley University posts an ROI score of 5 in the Below Benchmark tier. The numbers tell a stark story: a 24.2% completion rate means three of every four enrolled students never finish a degree, and average graduate earnings of $26,400 six years out are actually below the high-school-only baseline (earnings premium of negative 6.5%). The 999-year payback period is the algorithm's way of saying earnings never recoup the cost of attendance; graduates here, on the typical numbers, do not catch up. Median debt of $24,989 against those earnings produces a 94.7% debt-to-earnings ratio, and the three-year repayment rate of 43.7% indicates more than half of borrowers are not actively paying down principal. The one thing the numbers do show in Wiley's favor is a relatively low net price of $7,092 - this is a $12,500 tuition school with meaningful Pell-driven aid, not a $60,000 sticker scheme. Wiley is a small HBCU with a clear mission, and the institution serves a population that bears multiplied risks from a graduation-rate problem this severe. The financial math, however, is what it is.
How Wiley 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 Score5/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate24.2% - 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 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.
Wiley University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $12,500/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $12,500/yr |
| Average net price | $7,092/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $28,368 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $33,159 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $26,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $24,989 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $265 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 24.2% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 712 |
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: $12,500/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $7,092/year, or roughly $28,368 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 $6,137/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $14,097/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $24,989, which works out to about $265 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($26,400) and comes to 0.95, 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 | $6,137 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $6,098 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $8,776 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $12,251 |
| $110,001+ | $14,097 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $6,137 net - the lowest bracket and roughly half the published tuition, with Pell grants doing most of the work. Four-year cost is about $24,500. That is genuinely affordable on paper. The problem is that 76% of enrollees never complete a degree, meaning low-income students bear high statistical risk of leaving with $15,000-$25,000 of partial-degree debt and the same wage prospects they had at enrollment.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families in the $48,001-$75,000 and $75,001-$110,000 brackets pay $8,776 and $12,251 respectively. Four-year cost rises to roughly $35,000-$49,000. Aid is still substantial relative to sticker, but middle-income students at Wiley face the same completion-rate problem as everyone else.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $14,097 - slightly more than the published tuition of $12,500, which is unusual and likely reflects how housing and fees factor into the income-weighted average. Four-year cost is about $56,400. At this income level, the case for Wiley becomes hard to make on financial terms alone.
Earnings by Major
Top 4 most popular majors at Wiley University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $43,867 | F |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General | $36,678 | F |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $35,424 | F |
| Sociology | $42,714 | - |
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 is Wiley's largest program at 31 graduates, with first-year earnings of $33,043 and four-year earnings of $43,867. Median debt of $35,324 is higher than the school-wide median, producing a 1.069 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F grade. Debt exceeds first-year earnings, which is the canonical marker of a program where the math does not work even for students who complete the degree.
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General
Multi-disciplinary studies graduates 28 students with first-year earnings of $24,629 and a 1.218 debt-to-earnings ratio - the worst grade in the program list. Earnings at year four reach $36,678, still well below the $30,000 debt load. Multi-disciplinary majors at small private colleges often serve as catch-all paths for students who can't complete a more specialized track.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice produces 12 graduates with $32,743 in first-year earnings and $37,457 in median debt - a 1.144 ratio and F grade. The four-year earnings figure of $35,424 actually declines from year one to year four in real terms, suggesting graduates are not advancing meaningfully in their careers.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 37.1% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 43.7% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 30.0% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 35.3% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Wiley 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 | 712 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 78.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,212 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data for Wiley, nor are SAT or ACT mid-ranges. Like many small HBCUs, Wiley operates with open or near-open admissions and does not require standardized test scores. The absence of selectivity signals doesn't, by itself, predict outcomes - but combined with the 24.2% completion rate, it suggests the institution enrolls many students who arrive academically underprepared and then struggle to persist to graduation.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Wiley's score is 5.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wiley University (this school) | 5 | $7,092 | $33,159 |
| Bennett College | 6 | $28,299 | $36,654 |
| Alabama State University | 5 | $20,435 | $34,502 |
| Mississippi Valley State University | 5 | $9,686 | $31,919 |
| Harris-Stowe State University | 5 | $9,922 | $31,088 |
| Langston University | 5 | $11,504 | $33,261 |
Who Thrives Here
Wiley enrolls 712 students with a 78.9% Pell grant rate and a clear marker of an institution serving a very low-income, mission-driven population. The school's small size, HBCU status, and Marshall, Texas location position it as a place of cultural and historical importance. For students who would not otherwise attend college and who can complete the degree, the relatively low net price softens the financial hit. But the 24.2% completion rate is the dominant variable: most students who enroll leave with debt and no credential. Prospective students should evaluate whether the institutional supports here are adequate to get them across the finish line.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Wiley University scores 5/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $7,092 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $33,159 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 24.2% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.95 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 43.7% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $24,989 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $26,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.95. 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.
Wiley University: Common Questions
Is Wiley University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Wiley University scores 5/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $7,092 a year after aid against $33,159 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 Wiley 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 $7,092 a year, or roughly $28,368 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 Wiley University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $33,159 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 Wiley 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 Wiley University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Wiley University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $24,989, against average earnings of $26,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.95. 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 Wiley University?
The six-year graduation rate is 24.2%. 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.