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Private nonprofit · COLLEGE PAYOFF

Lee University

⌖ Cleveland, TN · 27 reportable field-and-credential outcomes

MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff

−$245,472 over 10 years

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

At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.

254.5 yrsModeled economic break-even
−96%Modeled 10-year ROI
$46,004Observed earnings · year 5
Economic ROI includes direct price and earnings forgone during study · $45,000 comparison earnings · values held flat · see the formula
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
−$245,472at year 10
Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
−$255,5120
2
4
6
8
−$245,47210
Years after graduationBreak-even: 254.5 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$23,790
Sticker price
Published out-of-state tuition$23,790
Sticker price
Average net price$18,878
Title IV student average
Cost of attendance$35,688
Tuition + living budget
PRICE SOURCECollege reported · annual amount · federal dataset
OBSERVED FEDERAL MEASURES

Cost, debt, completion and earnings context

$18,878Average net price / year
$35,688Cost of attendance
$25,750Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$273/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$46,004Median earnings · year 5 after completion
62.6%Completion rate
70.5%Admission rate
2,617Student size

Institution debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded; missing and privacy-suppressed values remain unavailable.

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$12,834
$30–48k$13,845
$48–75k$17,029
$75–110k$19,699
$110k+$24,641
LONGER-TERM CONTEXT

What happens beyond the first earnings measure

Year 5$46,004
Year 6$38,082
Year 10$43,222
Full-time retention
82.3%
Part-time retention
16.7%
Completion within 200% of normal time
63.6%

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

NATIONAL CONTEXT

How this college compares

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

51thEarnings percentile
56thCompletion percentile
WHAT STANDS OUT

A faster read on this college

These summaries use only reportable field-and-credential records at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.

$45,844Median year-4 earnings across reportable program categories
$26,750Median federal debt across categories that report debt
16%Of earnings-reporting categories above their same-field national benchmark
EARNINGS PATH

Reported earnings over time

$35,892Year 1
$47,559Year 4
$46,004Year 5

Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.

PROGRAM PAYOFF SPREAD

The college average is not the whole story.

Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.

1Accounting and Related Services · Bachelor's Degree$79,2082Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's Degree$70,3883Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$66,7694Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's Degree$59,2745Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities · Bachelor's Degree$54,2036Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas · Master's Degree$54,1677Theological and Ministerial Studies · Master's Degree$52,6978Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods · Master's Degree$52,116

Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding

BUILD A REAL SHORTLIST

Comparable colleges in TN

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.

Jefferson City, TN

Carson-Newman University

Annual net price
$20,251
Observed earnings · year 5
$47,783
Modeled 10-year ROI
-89%
Open college profile →Henderson, TN

Freed-Hardeman University

Annual net price
$21,574
Observed earnings · year 5
$45,541
Modeled 10-year ROI
-98%
Open college profile →Maryville, TN

Maryville College

Annual net price
$19,360
Observed earnings · year 5
$49,016
Modeled 10-year ROI
-84%
Open college profile →Nashville, TN

John A Gupton College

Annual net price
$19,334
Observed earnings · year 5
$49,319
Modeled 10-year ROI
-83%
Open college profile →
ALL REPORTABLE PROGRAM CATEGORIES

Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes

Federal fieldCredentialEarnings, year 4Federal debt
Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's Degree$79,208$16,750
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's Degree$70,388$25,300
Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's Degree$66,769Not available
Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's Degree$59,274$25,000
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's Degree$54,203$28,979
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasMaster's Degree$54,167Not available
Theological and Ministerial StudiesMaster's Degree$52,697Not available
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsMaster's Degree$52,116Not available
Clinical, Counseling and Applied PsychologyMaster's Degree$50,249Not available
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's Degree$48,382$23,832
Psychology, GeneralBachelor's Degree$46,719$26,450
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's Degree$46,573$29,625
Pastoral Counseling and Specialized MinistriesBachelor's Degree$45,844$28,750
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's Degree$45,221$24,750
SociologyBachelor's Degree$44,193$25,245
HistoryBachelor's Degree$44,096Not available
Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's Degree$44,095Not available
Radio, Television, and Digital CommunicationBachelor's Degree$43,241$26,750
Education, OtherBachelor's Degree$42,329$28,375
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationBachelor's Degree$41,882$27,000
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralBachelor's Degree$41,162$26,000
Theological and Ministerial StudiesBachelor's Degree$40,791Not available
Fine and Studio ArtsBachelor's Degree$39,988$29,750
Special Education and TeachingBachelor's Degree$36,999Not available
MusicBachelor's Degree$35,702$28,000
English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's DegreeNot available$27,000
Bible/Biblical StudiesBachelor's DegreeNot available$28,042

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.