Students at Covenant College benefit from a supportive educational environment that emphasizes personal development and meaningful career preparation over purely financial outcomes.
The college's 0% default rate and solid graduation rates demonstrate its commitment to student success, even as graduates often choose service-oriented careers that prioritize purpose alongside compensation.
Covenant College is a small private Christian institution nestled in the mountains of Georgia, serving roughly 1,000 students in a tight-knit academic community. While the college doesn't rank among the top performers nationally for overall value, it offers something distinctive: a faith-centered liberal arts education that emphasizes personal growth and community engagement over purely economic outcomes.
Graduates earn a median of $50,412 ten years after enrollment, placing the college around the 61st percentile nationally for earnings—a solid middle-tier performance that reflects the institution's focus on fields like education, ministry, and liberal arts rather than high-earning technical disciplines. The college serves a relatively affluent student body, with only 18% receiving Pell Grants, and maintains strong graduation rates of about 72% within six years.
For families drawn to Covenant's mission and educational philosophy, the college provides a supportive environment where students develop both academically and spiritually. The small scale means personalized attention from faculty and deep relationships with peers, though families should expect to invest significantly in this distinctive educational experience.
While specific program-level data is limited, Covenant College's mission and outcomes suggest strength in preparing students for careers in education, ministry, counseling, and other service-oriented fields. The college's liberal arts foundation provides broad intellectual preparation that serves students well in graduate programs and professional schools, creating pathways to careers that may not immediately show high earnings but offer long-term professional growth and personal fulfillment.
The small scale of the college means that every program benefits from close faculty mentorship and personalized attention. Students often develop deep expertise in their chosen fields through independent research, internships, and community engagement opportunities that larger institutions cannot easily provide. This intensive, relationship-based education helps explain why graduates successfully manage their educational debt despite pursuing careers that prioritize service and calling.
Covenants's approach emphasizes developing the whole person rather than maximizing any single metric, whether earnings or enrollment numbers. Students graduate with strong critical thinking skills, ethical grounding, and a clear sense of purpose that serves them well across diverse career paths, even if those paths don't always generate the highest possible financial returns.
Covenant College graduates achieve moderate but steady earnings that reflect the institution's liberal arts focus and mission-driven career paths. Ten years after enrollment, graduates earn a median of $50,412, with many pursuing careers in education, ministry, nonprofit work, and other service-oriented fields that prioritize purpose alongside financial compensation. About 90 students in recent cohorts earn more than $75,000 annually, showing that strong financial outcomes are achievable, though not the primary institutional emphasis.
The college's earnings performance sits around the 61st percentile nationally, indicating solid middle-tier outcomes that align with its educational mission. Many graduates choose career paths that emphasize service and calling over maximum earning potential, which helps explain why the institution's earnings don't reach the levels seen at more vocationally-focused colleges. However, the strong liberal arts foundation and close faculty mentorship often prepare students well for graduate school and professional programs, creating pathways to higher earnings over time.
What distinguishes Covenant is the intentional preparation for meaningful work rather than purely high-paying careers. The small college environment fosters deep relationships and personalized guidance that help students identify their calling and develop the skills needed to pursue it effectively, even if that path doesn't immediately maximize financial returns.
Affordability at Covenant College requires careful family planning, as net prices are substantial across all income levels. Low-income families pay about $18,897 annually after aid, while middle-income families see costs around $22,783, and higher-income families pay approximately $29,241 per year. These figures place Covenant in the lower tier nationally for affordability, reflecting the reality that small private colleges typically carry higher price tags than public alternatives.
Most students rely on a combination of federal loans and family contributions to cover costs. Typical graduates leave with about $22,500 in federal student loan debt, while families often supplement with Parent PLUS loans averaging $21,200. The college maintains a 0% federal loan default rate, suggesting that graduates generally manage their debt obligations successfully despite the moderate earning levels.
The investment in a Covenant education reflects the premium families pay for small class sizes, personalized attention, and a distinctive Christian liberal arts experience. While the upfront costs are significant, the college's strong graduation rates and supportive community help ensure that students complete their degrees and enter careers where they can service their educational investment, even if those careers prioritize mission over maximum compensation.
Covenant College Hub Overview
Executive summary with admissions, cost, outcomes, and program analysis
