10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
+$7,882at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Private for-profit · ONLINE-ONLY COLLEGE
American Public University System
Administrative location: Charles Town, WV · 73 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 68 · Federal debt reported for 52
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Positive payoff
+$7,882 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
9.7 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+4%Estimated return after 10 years
$67,627Observed earnings · year 5
$11,568Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark is $1,971 per year below this threshold.
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: $9,120 housing and food allowance plus $2,864 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+$46,270
$8,000Annual price+$14,270
$10,000Current college-wide context+$6,270
$16,000Annual price−$17,730
$24,000Annual price−$49,730
$32,000Annual price−$81,730
$40,000Annual price−$113,730
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Attendance format is not fully reported.
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
- Higher Learning Commission
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- Town
- Admissions
- Open admission
- Delivery
- Online-only institution
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
11 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in West Virginia run 11% 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
$9,597Average net price / year
$18,768Cost of attendance
$21,743Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$231/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$67,627Median earnings · year 5 after completion
57.2%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
40,074Student 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 American Public University System
What does American Public University System cost?
American Public University System reports an average annual net price of $9,597 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do American Public University System graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $67,627 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do American Public University System graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $21,743. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at American Public University System worth the same?
No. The current release contains 73 field-and-degree records for American Public University System; 68 report year-4 earnings and 52 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
95,700Students enrolled at any point
78,494Undergraduate students
17,206Graduate 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
24% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
44 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
21% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$33,313Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$62,955Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$85,808Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income17%
Middle income42%
Higher income58%
Undergraduate student composition
White44%
Black18%
Hispanic20%
Asian3%
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
$57,877Year 1
$70,107Year 4
$67,627Year 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.
1Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management · Master's Degree$111,7552International/Globalization Studies · Master's Degree$108,9403Military Science and Operational Studies · Bachelor's Degree$103,7064International Relations and National Security Studies · Master's Degree$100,6475Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians · Master's Degree$99,7296Homeland Security · Master's Degree$96,5277International/Globalization Studies · Graduate/Professional Certificate$95,3228Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's Degree$94,768Observed 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.
1Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's Degree · $79,734 reported+50%vs same-degree national median$6,265federal debt2Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $78,217 reported+49%vs same-degree national median$21,950federal debt3Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's Degree · $63,895 reported+45%vs same-degree national median$6,125federal debt4International/Globalization StudiesBachelor's Degree · $86,599 reported+44%vs same-degree national median$13,125federal debt5Business Administration, Management and OperationsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $63,677 reported+34%vs same-degree national median$18,708federal debt6Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's Degree · $65,318 reported+34%vs same-degree national median$23,141federal debt
Comparable online colleges nationwide
Currently operating online-only private for-profit institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Administrative location is not treated as the student market.
Orange Beach, AL
Columbia Southern University
- Annual net price
- $14,580
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $73,127
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +18%
Capella University
- Annual net price
- $17,956
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $75,078
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +19%
Institute of Health Sciences
- Annual net price
- $22,656
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $64,577
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -28%
FINE Mortuary College
- Annual net price
- $27,385
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $70,630
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -11%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing the 40 highest-earning records from 73 field-and-degree records. Use the program directory to search the complete set.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | Master's Degree | $111,755 | Not available | Not reported |
| International/Globalization Studies | Master's Degree | $108,940 | Not available | Not reported |
| Military Science and Operational Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $103,706 | $19,531 | Not reported |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | Master's Degree | $100,647 | Not available | Not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | Master's Degree | $99,729 | Not available | Not reported |
| Homeland Security | Master's Degree | $96,527 | Not available | Not reported |
| International/Globalization Studies | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $95,322 | Not available | 6 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $94,768 | $28,384 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $91,167 | Not available | Not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | Bachelor's Degree | $89,871 | $30,810 | 1 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Master's Degree | $89,135 | Not available | Not reported |
| Fire Protection | Bachelor's Degree | $87,428 | $19,434 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $87,252 | Not available | 92 |
| International/Globalization Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $86,599 | $13,125 | 11 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | Bachelor's Degree | $86,275 | $24,564 | 28 |
| Public Administration | Master's Degree | $85,238 | Not available | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Master's Degree | $82,725 | Not available | Not reported |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $81,056 | $18,304 | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $80,417 | $21,544 | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Bachelor's Degree | $79,734 | $6,265 | Not reported |
| Public Health | Master's Degree | $79,601 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $78,217 | $21,950 | 825 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Master's Degree | $77,714 | Not available | Not reported |
| Fire Protection | Associate's Degree | $77,650 | $18,191 | Not reported |
| Homeland Security | Bachelor's Degree | $77,122 | $19,552 | 17 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $75,722 | $20,490 | 81 |
| Political Science and Government | Master's Degree | $74,802 | Not available | Not reported |
| Applied Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | $73,845 | $30,599 | Not reported |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Master's Degree | $70,509 | Not available | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Bachelor's Degree | $69,546 | $19,000 | 18 |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | Master's Degree | $67,802 | Not available | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Master's Degree | $66,047 | Not available | Not reported |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $65,830 | $33,678 | Not reported |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $65,510 | $13,410 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Associate's Degree | $65,318 | $23,141 | Not reported |
| Philosophy | Bachelor's Degree | $64,098 | $22,862 | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $63,895 | $6,125 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $63,677 | $18,708 | 2,414 |
| Data Processing | Associate's Degree | $63,673 | $19,000 | Not reported |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $63,469 | $31,379 | 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.
Search every American Public University System program record →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.