Brevard College stands out for its commitment to access and debt management, maintaining a 0% default rate while serving a substantial population of Pell-eligible students.
The institution provides a supportive small-college environment, though families should understand that this comes with limited long-term earning potential compared to other options.
Brevard College is a small private nonprofit institution in North Carolina that serves students seeking an intimate educational experience, though it faces challenges in delivering strong long-term financial outcomes. With nearly 38% of students receiving Pell Grants and about 29% being first-generation college students, Brevard provides meaningful access to higher education for students from diverse economic backgrounds. However, the college's graduates earn a median of $43,545 ten years after enrollment, placing it in the bottom 16% nationally for earnings outcomes.
The institution falls into the "Under-Resourced Institutions" mobility category, reflecting its combination of reasonable access with more limited financial outcomes for graduates. While Brevard maintains a 0% federal loan default rate, suggesting graduates can manage their debt obligations, the earnings trajectory remains below what similar students achieve at other institutions. The college's small size and liberal arts focus create a personalized learning environment, but families should understand that this comes with trade-offs in terms of long-term earning potential compared to larger research universities or more career-focused institutions.
Program-level data is not available for Brevard College, making it difficult to identify specific fields of strength or weakness. The overall earnings pattern suggests that graduates across most majors face similar challenges in achieving competitive salaries, likely reflecting the institution's small scale, rural location, and limited connections to high-paying industries. Without clear program differentiation, prospective students should focus on the college's overall value proposition rather than expecting particular majors to deliver significantly better outcomes.
The absence of standout programs in the earnings data may reflect Brevard's liberal arts mission, which traditionally emphasizes broad-based education over career-specific training. However, this approach appears to limit graduates' access to high-paying career paths that require specialized skills or industry connections. Students interested in fields like business, engineering, or technology may find better opportunities at institutions with stronger program-specific outcomes and employer relationships.
For students committed to Brevard's small-college environment, success will likely depend more on individual initiative, networking, and post-graduation choices than on program selection. The college's personalized attention and close faculty relationships may provide valuable mentorship, but students should supplement their education with internships, professional development, and strategic career planning to overcome the institution's structural limitations in connecting graduates with high-paying opportunities.
Brevard College graduates face significant challenges in the job market, with median earnings of $43,545 ten years after enrollment placing the institution in the bottom 16% nationally. More concerning, graduates earn about $9,500 less than what similar students achieve at other colleges, indicating that the institution struggles to add value beyond what students might expect based on their academic preparation and background characteristics. Only 23 graduates in recent cohorts earn more than $75,000 annually, reflecting limited access to high-paying career paths.
The earnings pattern suggests that Brevard's small size and liberal arts focus, while providing personal attention and a close-knit community, may not translate into strong workforce preparation or employer connections. Six years after graduation, median earnings are just $34,401, indicating slow early-career progression. The college's rural North Carolina location and limited program scale may restrict access to high-paying industries and metropolitan job markets that drive stronger salary growth.
Without specific program-level data available, it's difficult to identify particular fields of strength at Brevard. The overall earnings profile suggests that graduates across most majors face similar challenges in achieving competitive salaries, whether due to program design, employer recruitment patterns, or geographic constraints that limit career mobility and advancement opportunities.
Brevard College offers relatively predictable pricing across income levels, though costs remain substantial for a small private institution. Low-income students pay about $17,493 annually after aid, while middle-income families see net prices around $21,716, and higher-income families pay approximately $23,961. These figures place Brevard in the bottom 28% nationally for affordability, meaning most comparable institutions offer better value propositions for families.
The college's aid structure provides some relief for lower-income students, with net prices dropping by about $6,500 from the highest to lowest income bands. However, even the most generous aid packages leave low-income families with significant annual costs that can accumulate over four years. Federal student loan debt averages $25,000 for graduates, while Parent PLUS borrowing adds another $18,984 on average for families who choose this option.
Despite the debt levels, Brevard maintains a 0% federal loan default rate, suggesting that graduates, while earning modest salaries, can generally meet their repayment obligations. The loan repayment trajectory shows that by year 3, about 14% of borrowers have paid off their loans entirely, with modest progress continuing through year 4. This pattern indicates that while earnings are limited, debt levels remain within manageable bounds for most graduates, though families should expect extended repayment periods given the salary constraints.
Brevard College Hub Overview
Executive summary with admissions, cost, outcomes, and program analysis
