Private nonprofit · COLLEGE PAYOFF

Berry College

Mount Berry, GA · 13 field-and-degree records

Earnings reported for 11 · Federal debt reported for 11

Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff

−$200,620 over 10 years

Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.

39.2 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−75%Estimated return after 10 years
$51,866Observed 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.

10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$200,620at year 10
Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
−$269,2800
2
4
6
8
−$200,62010
Years after graduationBreak-even: 39.2 years
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 in-state tuition$41,686
Sticker price
Published out-of-state tuition$41,686
Sticker price
Average net price$22,320
Title IV student average
Cost of attendance$56,697
Tuition + living budget
PRICE SOURCECollege reported · annual amount · federal dataset
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25

What makes up the annual price?

Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.

Tuition and required fees$41,686Same reported price regardless of residency
Books and supplies$1,000Estimated academic-year allowance
On-campus housing and food$14,590$2,224 in other expenses reported separately
Estimated on-campus total$59,500Sum of available published components, before aid

Living off campus: $10,186 housing and food allowance plus $3,204 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.

What stays fixed$51,866 observed annual earnings · 4 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is this college’s institution-wide average net price, not your personal aid offer. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24

Online study is a meaningful part of the student experience.

IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.

Fully online4.4%
109 students
Some online courses24%
599 students
No online courses71%
1,756 students
Undergraduates age 25+0.5%
Share of undergraduate enrollment

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
Suburban
Admissions
Selective admission
Delivery
Campus or mixed delivery
Federal designation
No special designation reported
Sources: College Scorecard June 2026 release and IPEDS 2024 institutional characteristics.
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 Georgia run 4% below the U.S. level.

BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.

Overall4% below U.S.
Goods1% below U.S.
Housing11% below U.S.
Utilities7% below U.S.
Other services3% below U.S.

Use this as geographic context, not a personal budget. It describes the state, not the campus neighborhood, and does not measure tuition or student-specific housing.

DegreeVerdict does not adjust reported earnings, college prices or ROI using this index.

Download the official BEA source →
THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE VERDICT

What it costs and what graduates earn

$22,320Average net price / year
$56,697Cost of attendance
$23,250Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$246/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$51,866Median earnings · year 5 after completion
69.5%Completion rate
64.0%Admission rate
1,220Average SAT score
27ACT midpoint
2,245Student 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.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

What the numbers say about Berry College

What does Berry College cost?

Berry College reports an average annual net price of $22,320 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.

What do Berry College graduates earn?

The observed median earnings figure is $51,866 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.

How much federal debt do Berry College graduates have?

Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $23,250. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.

Is every degree at Berry College worth the same?

No. The current release contains 13 field-and-degree records for Berry College; 11 report year-4 earnings and 11 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.

1 year70%Paid down at least $1 of principal
3 years73%Paid down at least $1 of principal
5 years74%Paid down at least $1 of principal
7 years84%Paid down at least $1 of principal
Students who completed$23,250Median federal debt · 510 borrowers
Students who withdrew$5,500Median federal debt · 213 borrowers
Three-year cohort default rate0%Federal cohort measure, not the share currently behind on payments

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.

2024–25 ENROLLMENT

Who studied here during the year

2,585Students enrolled at any point
2,325Undergraduate students
260Graduate 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
PRICE BY FAMILY INCOME

Average net price is not one price

Federal averages for aided students in each family-income band. Your aid offer can differ.

$0–30k$18,189
$30–48k$16,935
$48–75k$19,283
$75–110k$20,665
$110k+$28,116
LONGER-TERM CONTEXT

What happens beyond the first earnings measure

Year 5$51,866
Year 6$45,014
Year 10$53,800
Full-time retention
83.5%
Part-time retention
100.0%
Completion within 200% of normal time
65.1%

Earnings timepoints may use different historical cohorts and should not be read as one group’s guaranteed salary growth.

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.

Pell Grant students65%

Complete within 150% of the expected time

64% received a Pell Grant within eight years
Parent borrowing$28,800

Median Parent PLUS debt

173 parent borrowers in the reported cohort
First-generation students$19,549

Median federal student debt

73% making progress in repayment after three years
Student family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$46,764Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$53,842Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$56,152Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income69%
Middle income70%
Higher income76%
Undergraduate student composition
White72%
Black9%
Hispanic11%
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.

INDEPENDENT CENSUS EARNINGS VIEW

How earnings develop by field

Privacy-protected Census employment records follow graduate cohorts one, five and ten years after completion. This source is kept separate from College Scorecard because its population and methodology differ.

Field and credentialYear 1Year 5Year 10
Astronomy and Astrophysics.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 40
$31,637Year 1
$61,545Year 5
$91,518Year 10
Agricultural Business and Management.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 01
$31,741Year 1
$41,244Year 5
$90,582Year 10
Accounting and Related Services.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 52
$47,574Year 1
$75,741Year 5
$86,568Year 10
Philosophy and Religious Studies, General.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 38
Not availableYear 1
$54,051Year 5
$85,664Year 10
Communication and Media Studies.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 09
$37,592Year 1
$57,124Year 5
$81,671Year 10
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 26
$31,317Year 1
$57,417Year 5
$79,314Year 10
Anthropology.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 45
$36,412Year 1
$54,453Year 5
$72,585Year 10
African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 16
$35,145Year 1
$54,051Year 5
$71,115Year 10

Median annual earnings in 2023 dollars. Each time point may use a different pooled graduation cohort. Coverage is limited to institutions participating in the Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes program.

NATIONAL CONTEXT

How this college compares

Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.

66thEarnings percentile
67thCompletion percentile
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.

$54,278Median year-4 earnings across reportable program categories
$25,299Median federal debt across categories that report debt
36%Of comparable categories above their same-field national benchmark
EARNINGS OVER TIME

What graduates earned in later years

$39,985Year 1
$58,750Year 4
$51,866Year 5

Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.

DEGREES AT THIS COLLEGE

Your choice of degree can change the payoff.

Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.

1Educational Administration and Supervision · Master's Degree$94,4732Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$83,5933Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's Degree$83,0084Marketing · Bachelor's Degree$79,6025Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's Degree$61,1606Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness · Bachelor's Degree$54,2787Natural Resources Conservation and Research · Bachelor's Degree$51,4658Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other · Bachelor's Degree$50,593

Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges

Strongest relative outcomes

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.

1Educational Administration and SupervisionMaster's Degree · $94,473 reported+32%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2MarketingBachelor's Degree · $79,602 reported+15%vs same-degree national median$26,000federal debt3Zoology/Animal BiologyBachelor's Degree · $48,958 reported+11%vs same-degree national median$24,569federal debt4Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's Degree · $50,413 reported+6%vs same-degree national median$25,750federal debt5Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's Degree · $54,278 reported-1%vs same-degree national median$24,931federal debt6Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchBachelor's Degree · $51,465 reported-6%vs same-degree national median$22,250federal debt
BUILD A REAL SHORTLIST

Comparable colleges in GA

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.

Cleveland, GA

Truett McConnell University

Annual net price
$22,227
Observed earnings · year 5
$49,887
Modeled 10-year ROI
-82%
Open college profile →
Decatur, GA

Agnes Scott College

Annual net price
$24,754
Observed earnings · year 5
$50,787
Modeled 10-year ROI
-79%
Open college profile →
Waleska, GA

Reinhardt University

Annual net price
$24,425
Observed earnings · year 5
$50,373
Modeled 10-year ROI
-81%
Open college profile →
Atlanta, GA

Herzing University-Atlanta

Annual net price
$21,679
Observed earnings · year 5
$48,660
Modeled 10-year ROI
-86%
Open college profile →
DEGREE OUTCOMES

Compare fields and degree levels

Showing all 13 field-and-degree records in the current release.

Major or fieldDegree levelEarnings, year 4Federal debt2024–25 graduates
Educational Administration and SupervisionMaster's Degree$94,473Not availableNot reported
Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's Degree$83,593Not availableNot reported
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's Degree$83,008$26,250Not reported
MarketingBachelor's Degree$79,602$26,000Not reported
Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's Degree$61,160$25,299Not reported
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's Degree$54,278$24,931Not reported
Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchBachelor's Degree$51,465$22,250Not reported
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, OtherBachelor's Degree$50,593$22,965Not reported
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's Degree$50,413$25,750Not reported
Zoology/Animal BiologyBachelor's Degree$48,958$24,569Not reported
Psychology, GeneralBachelor's Degree$45,943$21,750Not reported
Biology, GeneralBachelor's DegreeNot available$26,000Not reported
Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's DegreeNot available$27,000Not 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.