Berea College: Cost, Graduate Salary, Acceptance Rate and Return on Investment
Berea College is a private nonprofit college in Berea, KY. Students pay about $6,106 a year in net price, and the median graduate earns $43,150 ten years after enrolling. By our Degree-ROI measure the degree does not pay back versus a high-school career within ten years, ranking it #576 of 918 (top 64%) by value added.
What is Berea College's acceptance rate?
Berea College has an acceptance rate of 19.3%, which makes it highly selective. It is a private nonprofit institution in Berea, KY enrolling about 1,513 students, with a 60.1% graduation rate.
How much does Berea College cost?
Berea College costs about $6,106 per year in average net price, what a typical student actually pays after grants and scholarships. Over four years, including typical borrowing, that totals roughly $28,015. Published sticker cost of attendance is $60,718 per year.
How much do Berea College graduates earn?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Berea College student earns $43,150 per year. That is $3,550 less than the $46,700 that the typical worker with only a high-school diploma earns.
Is Berea College worth it? Degree ROI and payback period
Berea College does not pay back versus a high-school career within ten years: its graduates earn at or below the $46,700 high-school baseline, so the degree's net value-add over a decade is about -$63,515. It ranks #576 of 918 (top 64%). It lands in the no-payback group mainly because graduate earnings sit near the $46,700 high-school baseline.
Does not pay back
Berea College graduation rate and student debt
60.1% of Berea College students complete their degree, and the median graduate leaves with $3,591 in federal student debt. That debt is about 8% of one year of median graduate earnings.
Berea College by the numbers (vs the typical college)
How Berea College compares to the median four-year college in our snapshot. Percentile is its rank among the 918 colleges that report both earnings and cost (higher is better).
| Metric | This school | Median college | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg net price / yr | $6,106 | $20,299 | cheaper than 97% |
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $43,150 | $54,768 | 15th |
| Graduation rate | 60.1% | 57.0% | 56th |
| Acceptance rate | 19.3% | 75.7% | more selective than 94% |
| 10-yr value added | -$63,515 | -$28,192 | 37th |
| ROI multiple (per $1) | -1.27x | 0.73x | 5th |
| Payback period | No payback | 8.8 yrs | n/a |
How Berea College compares with its nearest rivals
Berea College ranks #576 of 918 by ten-year value added. The five profiled colleges closest to it in that ranking are compared below on the same federal data: none of them costs less per year and 5 of them produce higher median earnings ten years after entry.
Berea College is a private nonprofit college in Berea, KY with 1,513 undergraduates. Its published cost of attendance is $60,718 a year, but the average aided family pays $6,106, a 90% discount from the sticker price. The median borrower leaves owing $3,591, equal to 8% of one year of median earnings ten years out. Berea College admits 19.3% of applicants.
- Savannah College of Art and Design (Savannah, GA; #886 of 918; 69.9% graduate) costs $43,324 more per year ($49,430 net), and its graduates earn $2,804 more ten years out ($45,954). Berea College adds $166,813 more ten-year value than Savannah College of Art and Design.
- Whitman College (Walla Walla, WA; #252 of 918; 80.7% graduate) costs $27,207 more per year ($33,313 net), and its graduates earn $24,439 more ten years out ($67,589). Whitman College adds $120,716 more ten-year value than Berea College. Whitman College pays back its cost in 7.3 years.
- Texas Tech University (Lubbock, TX; #247 of 918; 68.1% graduate) costs $12,964 more per year ($19,070 net), and its graduates earn $19,304 more ten years out ($62,454). Texas Tech University adds $123,275 more ten-year value than Berea College. Texas Tech University pays back its cost in 6.2 years.
- University of Vermont (Burlington, VT; #247 of 918; 78.6% graduate) costs $13,237 more per year ($19,343 net), and its graduates earn $19,322 more ten years out ($62,472). University of Vermont adds $122,912 more ten-year value than Berea College. University of Vermont pays back its cost in 6.2 years.
- Pitzer College (Claremont, CA; #215 of 918; 83.3% graduate) costs $28,085 more per year ($34,191 net), and its graduates earn $26,362 more ten years out ($69,512). Pitzer College adds $138,121 more ten-year value than Berea College. Pitzer College pays back its cost in 6.7 years.
| College | Value rank | Net price / yr | Earnings (10 yrs) | Graduation | 10-yr value added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pitzer College | #215 | $34,191 | $69,512 | 83.3% | $74,606 |
| Texas Tech University | #247 | $19,070 | $62,454 | 68.1% | $59,760 |
| University of Vermont | #247 | $19,343 | $62,472 | 78.6% | $59,397 |
| Whitman College | #252 | $33,313 | $67,589 | 80.7% | $57,201 |
| Berea College | #576 | $6,106 | $43,150 | 60.1% | -$63,515 |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | #886 | $49,430 | $45,954 | 69.9% | -$230,328 |
Paying for Berea College
Net price is what a family pays after grants, so the aid a student qualifies for moves every figure above. Our sister sites cover that side of the decision: the Pell Grant 2026-2027 guide sets out who qualifies and the maximum award, the education grants guide lists federal, state and institutional grants beyond Pell, and the best AI tools for students compares what is worth paying for once enrolled.
Frequently asked
Is Berea College worth the cost compared to other colleges?
Berea College ranks #576 of 918 (top 64%): on reported figures the degree does not recover its cost within ten years, placing it among the 226 colleges that do not pay back.
Is Berea College expensive compared to other colleges?
Its $6,106 average net price is below the $20,299 median for the colleges in this snapshot, making it cheaper than 97% of them.
Do Berea College graduates earn more than average?
Median earnings of $43,150 ten years out are below the $54,768 median, higher than 15% of the colleges here.
How hard is it to get into Berea College compared to other colleges?
Its 19.3% acceptance rate is below the 75.7% median, making it more selective than 94% of the colleges in the snapshot.
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Federal data behind this page
What a programme costs, what its graduates earn, and what aid is available are published by federal statistical agencies rather than by any provider's marketing page, and the sources below are the primary ones. They are linked so a reader can check a figure here directly.
- College Scorecard publishes the federal cost, completion and post-enrolment earnings data used to compare programmes.
- National Center for Education Statistics is the federal statistical agency for education and the source most published figures trace back to.
- IPEDS holds the institution-level survey data behind enrolment, price and completion comparisons.
- Federal Student Aid states what aid exists, who qualifies, and what repayment actually obligates a borrower to.
- CFPB paying for college documents how education financing works and where its common traps are.
- US Department of Education sets the policy framework the accreditation and aid systems operate under.
- Department of Education laws and policy carries the rules that decide whether a provider or credential is recognised.
This page compares programmes on published data. Outcomes vary by student, and a reader's own aid package and circumstances decide what a programme actually costs them.