10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$171,098at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Private nonprofit · COLLEGE PAYOFF
Abilene Christian University
Abilene, TX · 30 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 29 · Federal debt reported for 15
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$171,098 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
25.1 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−60%Estimated return after 10 years
$56,363Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $14,540 housing and food allowance plus $3,272 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$66,370
$8,000Annual price−$98,370
$16,000Annual price−$130,370
$24,000Annual price−$162,370
$26,000Current college-wide context−$170,370
$32,000Annual price−$194,370
$40,000Annual price−$226,370
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Most students take at least some classes online.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in Texas run 3% below the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$26,182Average net price / year
$59,256Cost of attendance
$24,250Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$257/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$56,363Median earnings · year 5 after completion
59.0%Completion rate
66.0%Admission rate
1,194Average SAT score
25ACT midpoint
3,195Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about Abilene Christian University
What does Abilene Christian University cost?
Abilene Christian University reports an average annual net price of $26,182 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Abilene Christian University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $56,363 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Abilene Christian University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $24,250. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Abilene Christian University worth the same?
No. The current release contains 30 field-and-degree records for Abilene Christian University; 29 report year-4 earnings and 15 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
6,355Students enrolled at any point
3,664Undergraduate students
2,691Graduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
42% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
381 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
58% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$46,572Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$54,322Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$60,528Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income57%
Middle income65%
Higher income79%
Undergraduate student composition
White61%
Black7%
Hispanic19%
Asian2%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$45,274Year 1
$59,305Year 4
$56,363Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$105,1732Accounting and Related Services · Master's Degree$99,3193Accounting and Related Services · Bachelor's Degree$93,0324Computer Science · Bachelor's Degree$91,8945Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's Degree$89,0796Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other · Master's Degree$84,1727Finance and Financial Management Services · Bachelor's Degree$83,5258Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions · Master's Degree$78,976Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's Degree · $93,032 reported+22%vs same-degree national median$22,142federal debt2Communication Disorders Sciences and ServicesBachelor's Degree · $70,864 reported+20%vs same-degree national median$16,500federal debt3Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's Degree · $62,645 reported+15%vs same-degree national median$21,948federal debt4Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherMaster's Degree · $84,172 reported+12%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Rehabilitation and Therapeutic ProfessionsMaster's Degree · $78,976 reported+11%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Theology and Religious Vocations, OtherBachelor's Degree · $47,663 reported+9%vs same-degree national median$23,250federal debt
Comparable colleges in TX
Currently operating private nonprofit institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Austin, TX
Saint Edward's University
- Annual net price
- $25,578
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $56,788
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -58%
Dallas Baptist University
- Annual net price
- $28,516
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $56,964
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -59%
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
- Annual net price
- $26,106
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $59,381
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -49%
Southwestern University
- Annual net price
- $29,224
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $56,682
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -61%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing all 30 field-and-degree records in the current release.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $105,173 | Not available | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Master's Degree | $99,319 | Not available | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $93,032 | $22,142 | Not reported |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $91,894 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $89,079 | $24,850 | Not reported |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Master's Degree | $84,172 | Not available | Not reported |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $83,525 | $22,406 | Not reported |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | Master's Degree | $78,976 | Not available | Not reported |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Bachelor's Degree | $70,864 | $16,500 | Not reported |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $65,244 | $24,021 | Not reported |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Master's Degree | $64,230 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $63,259 | $21,500 | 2 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Bachelor's Degree | $62,645 | $21,948 | Not reported |
| Social Work | Master's Degree | $60,816 | Not available | Not reported |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | Master's Degree | $60,600 | Not available | Not reported |
| Education, General | Master's Degree | $57,443 | Not available | Not reported |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $56,391 | Not available | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's Degree | $55,649 | Not available | Not reported |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | Master's Degree | $55,407 | Not available | 0 |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution | Master's Degree | $54,949 | Not available | Not reported |
| Social Work | Bachelor's Degree | $53,877 | $25,000 | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $51,705 | $26,375 | Not reported |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $51,695 | Not available | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $51,334 | $27,209 | Not reported |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $50,525 | $26,000 | Not reported |
| Design and Applied Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $49,818 | $21,875 | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Bachelor's Degree | $49,566 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $49,202 | Not available | Not reported |
| Theology and Religious Vocations, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $47,663 | $23,250 | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $26,500 | Not reported |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.