Students at Bacone College benefit from genuinely affordable private education, with net prices well below typical private institution levels across all income bands.
The college provides meaningful access for first-generation and Pell-eligible students, though prospective families should carefully consider completion rates and long-term outcomes.
Bacone College is a small private nonprofit institution in Muskogee, Oklahoma, that serves a student population where over half receive Pell Grants and nearly 45% are first-generation college students. The college provides strong access to higher education for underserved populations, with net prices that remain well below typical private college levels across all income bands. However, Bacone faces significant challenges in student outcomes, with a 6-year graduation rate of just 2.4% and 10-year median earnings of $40,006 that place it in the bottom 10% nationally for return on investment.
The institution falls into the "Under-Resourced Institutions" mobility category, reflecting high access but limited success in helping students complete degrees and achieve strong earnings. While Bacone offers an affordable entry point to higher education, prospective students and families should carefully weigh the low completion rates and modest long-term earnings against the institution's accessibility and lower costs.
For students who do complete their degrees, the college provides a small, personalized environment that may appeal to those seeking close faculty relationships and individualized attention. The affordability advantage is real, with low-income students paying around $11,948 annually and middle-income families facing costs of about $13,154 per year.
Bacone College faces significant challenges in program-level outcomes, with no programs meeting the threshold for inclusion in top-performing categories. The absence of standout programs in the earnings data reflects the broader institutional challenges with completion rates and career outcomes. With only 2.4% of students graduating within six years, the college struggles to demonstrate strong pathways from specific academic programs to successful careers.
The lack of program-level data also suggests limited scale in individual majors, which is typical for small institutions but can create challenges for students seeking robust academic communities and extensive alumni networks in their chosen fields. For prospective students, this means carefully researching whether their intended major has sufficient faculty, resources, and graduate outcomes to support their academic and career goals.
While the college may offer personalized attention and small class sizes that appeal to some students, the program portfolio appears to lack the scale and outcomes needed to drive strong return on investment. Students considering Bacone should evaluate whether the institution's specific programs align with their career objectives and whether alternative pathways might better serve their long-term financial and professional goals.
Graduates of Bacone College face significant challenges in long-term financial outcomes. Ten years after enrollment, those who complete their degrees earn a median of $40,006, placing the institution in the bottom 10% nationally for earnings performance. While graduates do see some earnings beyond expectations compared with similar students at other institutions—about $3,244 more than predicted—this modest advantage cannot overcome the fundamental challenge of low absolute earnings levels.
The college's return on investment is further complicated by extremely low completion rates. With only 2.4% of students graduating within six years and 6.5% completing within eight years, the vast majority of students who enroll do not finish their degrees. This completion challenge means that most students incur debt and opportunity costs without receiving the credential that would unlock higher earnings potential.
For the small number of students who do graduate, career outcomes remain modest. Only three graduates in the tracked cohort earn more than $75,000 annually, suggesting limited pathways to high-earning careers. The loan repayment data reflects these earnings challenges, with borrowers showing no progress in paying down balances over the first four years after leaving school, indicating financial stress among former students.
Bacone College offers genuine affordability advantages, particularly for low- and middle-income families seeking private college access. Low-income students pay a net price of $11,948 annually, while middle-income families face costs around $13,154 per year—both figures representing strong value compared with typical private institutions. Even high-income families pay $18,353, which remains below many private college price points and places Bacone in the top third nationally for affordability.
The college's financial aid approach appears designed to maximize access, with over half of students receiving Pell Grants and substantial grant aid reducing sticker prices significantly. Federal student loan debt levels are moderate at $26,187 for typical borrowers, and Parent PLUS borrowing averages $12,000, both reasonable figures that reflect the institution's commitment to keeping costs manageable for families.
However, affordability must be weighed against completion risk. While the upfront costs are attractive, the extremely low graduation rates mean many students accumulate debt without earning a degree. This creates a challenging dynamic where the college is affordable to attend but may not deliver the credential needed to justify even modest borrowing levels for many students.
Bacone College Hub Overview
Executive summary with admissions, cost, outcomes, and program analysis
