Williams Baptist University
Walnut Ridge, Arkansas · Private Nonprofit · 83.4% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 13/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Williams Baptist University scores 13 (Below Benchmark) on the CampusROI scale. The payback period of 58.3 years is not a typo: at $29,300 average six-year earnings and $15,745 net annual price, graduates do not earn enough to recover the cost of attendance within a working lifetime. Fewer than 1 in 4 enrolled students graduates (25.6% completion rate). Only 58.6% of borrowers are reducing their loan balance at the one-year repayment mark. Median debt of $21,820 against $29,300 average earnings yields a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.745. The Scorecard reports only two programs with data: Liberal Arts and Sciences (19 graduates, C grade, $31,309 year-one) and Business Administration (5 graduates, no grade available). This is a small, rural Arkansas Baptist institution with 478 undergraduates and a 54.4% Pell rate. Students who enroll here are predominantly low-income and are taking on debt that the institution's earnings outcomes cannot justify. There is no sugar-coating a 58.3-year payback period and a 25.6% graduation rate.
How Williams Baptist 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 Score13/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate25.6% - 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.
Williams Baptist University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $21,070/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $21,070/yr |
| Average net price | $15,745/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $62,980 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $38,484 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $29,300 |
| Median debt at graduation | $21,820 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $231 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 25.6% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 478 |
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: $21,070/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $15,745/year, or roughly $62,980 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 $10,733/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $24,028/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $21,820, which works out to about $231 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($29,300) and comes to 0.74, 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 | $10,733 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $19,044 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $15,655 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $15,195 |
| $110,001+ | $24,028 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The 0-30000 income bracket pays $10,733 per year at Williams Baptist - the most affordable net price on the schedule and representative of the majority of the student body. The 30001-48000 bracket nearly doubles to $19,044, a sharp increase. At $10,733 per year and $21,820 median debt, low-income students are still accumulating debt that the institution's $29,300 average earnings cannot service at a sustainable rate. The 44.8% of borrowers not reducing principal at year one (repayment rate 55.2%) reflects this reality.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 48001-75000 bracket pays $15,655 and the 75001-110000 bracket pays $15,195. Both are above the 0-30000 tier, reflecting reduced aid at higher income levels. Middle-income families face four-year costs of $61-63k - nearly identical to the $62,980 total cost for all income groups. At these prices against $29,300 average six-year earnings and a 25.6% graduation rate, the financial case for middle-income families is weak. Williams Baptist's value is primarily as a low-cost faith community option for the lowest-income students.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The 110001-plus bracket pays $24,028 per year - close to the $21,070 sticker tuition, reflecting minimal aid at this income level. Four-year cost of roughly $96,000 at this bracket is irreconcilable with $29,300 average six-year earnings and a 58.3-year payback period.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at Williams Baptist University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $47,575 | C |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $46,062 | - |
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.
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Liberal Arts and Sciences is the primary program with Scorecard data: 19 graduates, $31,309 year-one, $47,575 at year four, and a C ROI grade with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.605. Median debt of $18,933 is lower than the institutional median of $21,820. The C grade is the best available outcome at this institution, but $31,309 year-one earnings against $15,745 annual net price means the payback math is difficult. Graduates who build careers in regional services, education, or non-profit sectors over a full career may eventually recover the cost.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration has 5 graduates with a four-year earnings figure of $46,062. Year-one earnings, median debt, and a debt-to-earnings ratio are not reported by Scorecard for this program. The small graduate volume and missing data mean a full ROI grade assessment is not available. The four-year earnings figure of $46,062 is the highest reported at this institution, but with only 5 graduates, this data has wide confidence intervals.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 55.2% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 58.6% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 67.0% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 64.7% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Williams Baptist 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 | 83.4% |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 16-21 |
| Enrollment | 478 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 54.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,570 |
At 83.4%, Williams Baptist is broadly accessible. There are no meaningful academic admission barriers. The relevant question is not whether a student can gain admission but whether enrolling is financially prudent. With a 25.6% graduation rate and a 58.3-year payback period, most students who enroll at Williams Baptist will not reach the earning outcomes that justify the investment.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Williams Baptist's ROI score is 13. Williams Baptist's completion rate is 25.6% and repayment rate is 58.6%.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Williams Baptist University (this school) | 13 | $15,745 | $38,484 |
| Lyon College | 29 | $19,616 | $44,232 |
| Mission University | 15 | $21,383 | $38,641 |
| Southwestern Christian University | 14 | $20,146 | $40,391 |
| Voorhees University | 8 | $13,335 | $35,339 |
| Arkansas Baptist College | 4 | $10,627 | $28,418 |
Who Thrives Here
Williams Baptist admits 83.4% of applicants. The ACT composite range is 16-21. Enrollment is 478 undergraduates in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas - a rural community with limited local employment options. Pell grant rate of 54.4% indicates a predominantly low-income student body. The Baptist Christian mission is central to the institutional identity. Students choosing Williams Baptist are typically doing so for faith community, cost (the $10,733 net price for the lowest income bracket is low), and regional accessibility. The financial outcomes do not support enrollment as a ROI-driven decision.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Williams Baptist University scores 13/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $15,745 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $38,484 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 25.6% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.74 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 58.6% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $21,820 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $29,300 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.74. 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.
Williams Baptist University: Common Questions
Is Williams Baptist University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Williams Baptist University scores 13/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $15,745 a year after aid against $38,484 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 Williams Baptist 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 $15,745 a year, or roughly $62,980 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 Williams Baptist University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $38,484 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 Williams Baptist 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 Williams Baptist University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Williams Baptist University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $21,820, against average earnings of $29,300 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.74. 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 Williams Baptist University?
The six-year graduation rate is 25.6%. 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.