William Woods University
Fulton, Missouri · Private Nonprofit · 71.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 26/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
William Woods University posts an ROI score of 26 in the Below Benchmark tier, a result driven mostly by a 33.3-year payback period and a 46.8% completion rate. Sticker tuition is $30,340 and net price is $26,569. Graduates earn $33,100 six years out and $42,401 by year ten, an earnings premium of just 7% over the high-school baseline. Median debt is $21,983, and against those earnings the debt-to-earnings ratio lands at 66.4%. The 76% three-year repayment rate is the lone bright spot - borrowers are actively paying, even if slowly. The 33.3-year payback figure means a typical graduate, on the typical earnings premium, takes more than three decades to recoup the total cost of attendance. That number is the headline risk: William Woods works on a per-program basis for the right majors (business, ASL, biology), but the school-wide average drags hard on graduates who finish in lower-earning tracks.
How William Woods 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 Score26/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period33.3 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
William Woods University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $30,340/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $30,340/yr |
| Average net price | $26,569/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $106,276 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $42,401 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $33,100 |
| Median debt at graduation | $21,983 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $233 |
| Estimated payback period | 33.3 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 46.8% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,300 |
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: $30,340/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $26,569/year, or roughly $106,276 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 $24,014/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $29,428/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $21,983, which works out to about $233 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($33,100) and comes to 0.66, 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 | $24,014 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $22,967 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $24,218 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $29,491 |
| $110,001+ | $29,428 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $24,014 net - the highest of the lowest two brackets, which is a mild inversion worth flagging. The $30,001-$48,000 bracket actually pays less ($22,967). For low-income families, four-year cost runs about $96,000. Pell-eligible students will be carrying significant unmet need, and with average graduate earnings of $33,100 and a 33-year payback, the math is hostile.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families in the $48,001-$75,000 bracket pay $24,218 - roughly flat with the lowest two brackets. The $75,001-$110,000 bracket jumps to $29,491. Four-year cost ranges from $96,900 to $118,000. The pricing curve is unusually flat at the bottom and then climbs sharply at upper-middle, suggesting need-based aid evaporates above $75,000 in family income.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $29,428 - slightly less than the $75,001-$110,000 bracket above it, which is a small but real bracket inversion suggesting the aid curve flattens or reverses at the top. Four-year cost of about $117,700 against $42,401 in ten-year earnings produces a tough value proposition.
Earnings by Major
Top 5 most popular majors at William Woods University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| American Sign Language | $49,889 | C |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $54,853 | C |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $51,841 | F |
| Biology | $56,378 | - |
| Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services | $33,757 | D |
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.
American Sign Language
ASL is William Woods's largest program at 31 graduates, with first-year earnings of $36,948 and four-year earnings of $49,889. Median debt of $25,287 yields a 0.684 debt-to-earnings ratio and a C grade. This is the school's signature program - William Woods is one of a handful of US colleges with a serious ASL and Deaf Studies track, and graduates place into interpretation, education, and social services roles. The earnings are not high in absolute terms, but they are above the school-wide median, and the program serves a clear pipeline.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business produces 28 graduates with $40,010 in first-year earnings - the strongest first-year figure in the program list. Four-year earnings reach $54,853 and the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62 produces a C grade. Median debt of $24,812 is in line with school averages. Business at William Woods is the conventional safe bet: graduates clear $40,000 in year one and continue earning growth, which is the minimum threshold for a private-college business degree to make financial sense.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology graduates 19 students with first-year earnings of $24,329 and a 1.05 debt-to-earnings ratio. The F grade reflects debt that exceeds early-career earnings. Four-year earnings recover to $51,841, which is healthier, but the early-career squeeze is severe. Kinesiology degrees are typically a stepping stone to physical therapy or athletic training graduate programs; students stopping at the bachelor's bear the full early-career penalty.
Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services
Animal Services is a niche program with 11 graduates, first-year earnings of $30,545, and four-year earnings of just $33,757 - almost no earnings growth from year one to year four. The D grade reflects a 0.864 debt-to-earnings ratio on $26,406 in debt. The program likely serves William Woods's equestrian and pre-vet tracks; students bound for veterinary school will see the math work eventually, but bachelor's-only graduates face a flat earnings trajectory.
Biology
Biology produces 14 graduates with four-year earnings of $56,378 - the strongest four-year figure in the program list. First-year earnings, debt, and ROI grade are not reported in current Scorecard data, likely due to small sample size. The $56,378 figure suggests biology grads at William Woods route into successful pre-health and graduate-school pipelines, which is consistent with the school's strong pre-vet and pre-med advising tradition.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 70.4% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 76.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 70.0% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 71.5% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How William Woods 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 | 71.0% |
| Enrollment | 1,300 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 34.8% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,707 |
William Woods admits 71% of applicants, putting it in the moderately selective range. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported in current Scorecard data. The 71% admit rate combined with a 47% completion rate suggests an enrollment-and-yield gap: the school admits broadly, but a meaningful share of admits do not finish.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Woods University (this school) | 26 | $26,569 | $42,401 |
| Avila University | 51 | $16,053 | $52,773 |
| Indiana Institute of Technology | 26 | $23,206 | $47,327 |
| Atlantic University | 26 | $6,425 | $25,272 |
| Mary Baldwin University | 25 | $12,756 | $44,427 |
| Mission University | 15 | $21,383 | $38,641 |
Who Thrives Here
William Woods enrolls 1,300 students with a 34.8% Pell rate - moderate, indicating a mix of low- and middle-income families. The Fulton, Missouri location and the school's traditional strengths in equestrian studies, American Sign Language, and pre-veterinary tracks make it a niche fit for specific career interests. Students drawn to the ASL program in particular get a useful credential: the 31 graduates in that track post a C-grade ROI with $36,948 in first-year earnings, well above the school-wide median. Students entering with no clear major focus face the school-wide odds: less than half finish, and those who do face a 33-year payback timeline.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, William Woods University scores 26/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $26,569 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $42,401 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 33.3 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 46.8% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.66 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $21,983 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $33,100 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.66. 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.
William Woods University: Common Questions
Is William Woods University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. William Woods University scores 26/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $26,569 a year after aid against $42,401 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 33.3 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does William Woods 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 $26,569 a year, or roughly $106,276 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 William Woods University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $42,401 ten years after enrolling, roughly $601 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 William Woods 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 33.3 years for William Woods University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do William Woods University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $21,983, against average earnings of $33,100 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.66. 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 William Woods University?
The six-year graduation rate is 46.8%. 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.