Winthrop University
Rock Hill, South Carolina · Public · 79.3% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 32/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Winthrop University earns a Below Benchmark ROI score of 32. Earnings sit at just $31,300 six years after entry and only $47,185 by year 10. Median debt of $26,975 produces a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.862 (subscore 10). The 16.5-year payback period is long. Repayment rate is just 56.8% (subscore 14), which indicates a substantial share of borrowers struggle to service their loans. In-state tuition is $14,678 with a net price of $15,343 and a 4-year cost of $61,372. Completion rate is 57% - decent but not strong. The program mix skews heavily toward humanities, education, social sciences, and arts - fields where bachelor-only earnings are constrained. The large F-grade tail (psychology, theatre, fine arts, international relations) drives much of the aggregate weakness. For students choosing Winthrop, program selection matters enormously.
How Winthrop 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 Score32/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period16.5 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Winthrop University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $14,678/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $28,676/yr |
| Average net price | $15,343/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $61,372 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $47,185 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $31,300 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,975 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 16.5 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 57.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 3,523 |
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: $14,678/year ($28,676/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $15,343/year, or roughly $61,372 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 $12,608/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $21,359/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $26,975, which works out to about $286 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($31,300) and comes to 0.86, 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 | $12,608 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $12,983 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $13,966 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $18,518 |
| $110,001+ | $21,359 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $12,608 net annually, and the $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $12,983. Across four years that's roughly $50,000-$52,000. Pell-eligible South Carolina residents who layer state Lottery Tuition Assistance and Life scholarships can reduce effective borrowing significantly. Even so, given the weak earnings outcomes, low-income students should target the chemistry, business, or CS pathways and avoid the F-grade humanities tracks.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $13,966, and $75,001-$110,000 jumps to $18,518. Total 4-year cost runs $56,000-$74,000.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $21,359 net annually, totaling roughly $85,000 across four years. Out-of-state full-pay rates run higher at $28,676 sticker tuition.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Winthrop University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $61,987 | C |
| Psychology | $43,365 | F |
| Biology | $50,536 | D |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $49,080 | D |
| Teacher Education | $44,487 | C |
| Design and Applied Arts | $54,194 | D |
| Social Work | $46,548 | D |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $37,440 | F |
| Sociology | $47,178 | D |
| English Language and Literature | $44,068 | 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.
Chemistry
Chemistry is one of the few programs earning a B grade. Four-year median earnings of $60,324 against $26,037 in debt produce a 0.432 ratio. With 13 graduates annually, this is a small program but functions as a meaningful pre-health and graduate-school feeder. Students with science aptitude get a defensible economic case here despite the broader institutional weaknesses.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business administration is the largest program with 141 graduates, earning a C grade. First-year earnings of $44,568 grow to $61,987 by year four against $27,000 in debt (0.606 ratio). Solid for in-state students with low borrowing thanks to state aid; weak for out-of-state full-pay borrowers.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education is a Winthrop strength with 54 graduates, earning a C grade. First-year earnings of $41,708 grow modestly to $44,487 by year four against $27,000 in debt (0.647 ratio). PSLF works well for borrowers staying in public education.
Psychology
Psychology graduates 75 students - a large humanities-adjacent program - earning an F grade. First-year earnings of $24,193 against $25,817 in debt produce a 1.067 debt-to-earnings ratio: typical graduates leave with debt larger than their first-year salary. By year four earnings reach $43,365. Bachelor-level psychology requires graduate study to translate into livable wages, which doubles the borrowing burden. This is a high-risk track.
Biology
Biology graduates 63 students with a D grade. First-year earnings of $31,174 against $27,000 in debt produce a 0.866 ratio. By year four earnings climb to $50,536. The pathway functions primarily as a pre-graduate-school feeder; bachelor-only earnings are weak. Pre-health committed students who continue into graduate or professional training see better economic outcomes than these data points suggest.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 51.4% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 56.8% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 55.3% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 61.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Winthrop 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 | 79.3% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 490-590 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 520-630 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 20-27 |
| Enrollment | 3,523 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 41.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,923 |
Winthrop's admission rate of 79.3% reflects broad selectivity. The relatively open admit policy paired with 57% completion is a workable but not strong pattern, and the academic preparation gap likely explains much of the post-graduation earnings weakness across humanities tracks.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winthrop University (this school) | 32 | $15,343 | $47,185 |
| Citadel Military College of South Carolina | 85 | $20,723 | $72,085 |
| College of Charleston | 57 | $18,960 | $56,416 |
| Montana State University Billings | 34 | $16,524 | $44,296 |
| Fort Lewis College | 33 | $17,296 | $46,349 |
| Morehead State University | 32 | $9,793 | $43,197 |
Who Thrives Here
Enrollment is 3,523 students, with a high Pell rate of 41% - a working-class student body. Winthrop fits South Carolina residents with clear program direction, particularly in business, education, or chemistry. The school's historical strength is teacher preparation. Best-fit students are South Carolina-bound education majors and students with Lottery Tuition Assistance/Hope/Life scholarship eligibility. Students choosing humanities or arts tracks should expect outcomes consistent with the F-grade profiles in those programs.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Winthrop University scores 32/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $15,343 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $47,185 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 16.5 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, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.86 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 56.8% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $26,975 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $31,300 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.86. 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.
Winthrop University: Common Questions
Is Winthrop University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Winthrop University scores 32/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $15,343 a year after aid against $47,185 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 16.5 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Winthrop 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 $15,343 a year, or roughly $61,372 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 Winthrop University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $47,185 ten years after enrolling, roughly $5,385 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 Winthrop 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 16.5 years for Winthrop University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Winthrop University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,975, against average earnings of $31,300 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.86. 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 Winthrop University?
The six-year graduation rate is 57.0%. 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.
NewsletterCollege decisions are better with data.
From CampusROI, when there is something worth acting on.
Rankings & Links
Guides & Tools
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.