College Azimuth

Research brief & institution hub

Berea College

KYSmall private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #166 nationally

Data snapshot Updated

Azimuth ranks Berea College #166 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions.

Who it’s a good fit for

Berea College is a private nonprofit university in Berea, Kentucky, where the degree mix is led by Business and Computer & Information Sciences. Affordability is among the highest we track, and access is among the highest we track.

Graduates earn less than predicts for students like them. The model attributes a subtraction to the factors it measures and a subtraction to the remainder it cannot explain.

The is low across every income band, and the spread between the lowest and highest bands is narrow. Aid covers most of the published cost for the average aid recipient, and borrowers who finish carry very little federal debt.

The admission rate is well below the median for comparable institutions. Most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study, and the largest program is also the highest-earning one.

Berea College at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate[1]
19.3%
Six-year completion[2]
58.2%
Four-year earnings[3]
$42,924

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[6]
$8,132
Median student debt[4]
$3,591
Median Parent PLUS debt[7]
Not reported

Berea College rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]

Berea College is a private nonprofit university in Berea, Kentucky, enrolling 1,513 undergraduates. The composite rank sits in the top fifth of nonprofit four-year institutions, but the behind it are far apart.

Berea College admits 19.3% of applicants, a rate far below the 75.7% median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Among full-time first-year students, 79.2% return for a second year, against a peer median of 74.2%.

The six-year graduation rate for that cohort is 58.2%, compared with a peer median of 54.9%. An estimated 10.1% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the graduation rate describes a majority of the student body but not all of it.

Affordability is the strongest pillar, and access is close behind. Return is the weakest of the four, while mobility sits in the middle.

Affordability is the pillar that sets Berea College apart, at the 99th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions in the Azimuth coverage set. Access is nearly as strong, in the 99th percentile.

Return is the weakest of the four pillars, at the 7th percentile. Mobility sits between the two extremes, in the 61st percentile.

The undergraduate body at Berea College draws heavily on Pell recipients, at 83.7%. Among enrolled students who submitted scores, the middle 50% of submitted SAT scores fell between 1,156 and 1,335.

The middle 50% of submitted ACT scores fell between 23 and 28. That concentration of Pell recipients supports the access pillar.

Azimuth places the college at #9 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth places the college at #456 on mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $7,963 less than the model expects for similar students.

How value-added outcomes are assessed · How to interpret program rankings

Berea College rankings in context
GeographyRank
National#166
Kentucky#1
South#60

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility
National percentile: 61
Access & reach
National percentile: 99
Affordability
National percentile: 99
Return on investment
National percentile: 7

01 / Berea College briefing

Berea College cost & financial aid[6][7]

Azimuth ranks Berea College #1 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Tuition and fees run $51,658, room and board add $8,208, and the total published cost of attendance is $60,718.

Grants and scholarships reduce that sticker price by $54,612 for the average aid recipient, leaving an average net price of $6,106. Aid covers about 90% of the published cost for the average aid recipient.

The resulting net price sits $16,241 below the $22,347 median among comparable institutions (same type and size). That places the college in the 99th percentile.

The published cost of attendance is $60,718, but the average aid recipient pays far less. Azimuth ranks Berea College #1 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $5,428. For those earning $48,001 to $75,000, it is $8,132, and for those earning over $110,000, it is $13,700.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $8,272. Aid covers about 90% of the published cost for the average aid recipient.

The average net price across all aid recipients is $6,106, which is $16,241 below the $22,347 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who finish carry a median of $3,591 in federal student loans, $21,409 below the $25,000 peer median.

15.3% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $41 a month if repaid over ten years.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$8,132

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at Berea College

Federal borrowing is light at Berea College. 15.3% of federal aid recipients take federal loans, and those who finish carry a median of $3,591 in federal student debt.

The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $25,000, making the university's median $21,409 below. If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $41 a month.

Berea College asks families to weigh a striking affordability profile against a modest earnings picture. The median federal debt at graduation is $3,591, $21,409 below the $25,000 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $41 a month. Four years after completion, graduates earn a median of $42,924.

That figure is $12,991 below the $55,915 peer median, and it sits at the 7th percentile nationally. Graduates earn about $7,963 less than the model expects for similar students.

That places the gap at the 25th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from a downside of $35,478 to an upside of $76,518.

The return picture is mixed: the debt load is light, but the raw earnings and the gap against the model's expectation both run below the national norm.

For borrowers with median federal student debt, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $41 a month if repaid over ten years.

How Financial GPS measures payment burden · The four risk-and-reward zones

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt
$3,591
Institution Parent PLUS debt
No federal loan data

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

Estimated student payment · monthly
$41/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
No federal loan data

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS
Read the full cost & aid brief

02 / Berea College briefing

Berea College career outcomes & earnings[3][8][9]

Return is the weakest pillar for Berea College, and the earnings figures show why. Four years after completion, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $42,924.

That median sits at the 7th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $55,915, so the university's figure is $12,991 below that benchmark.

Graduates earn about $7,963 less than the model expects for similar students. That gap is at the 25th percentile.

The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) subtracts $1,457. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $6,506. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $3,328.

Four years after completing a degree at Berea College, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $42,924. That figure sits at the 7th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, drawn from an earnings cohort of 347 completers.

Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, show the range: a downside scenario of $35,478, a typical scenario of $42,924, and an upside scenario of $76,518. The spread between the downside and upside scenarios is wide.

An estimated 28.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The four-year earnings figures reflect the observed cohort of federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled.

The median earnings for federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled are $42,924 four years after completion, at the 7th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $55,915, which means this institution sits $12,991 below that benchmark for its peer group.

Azimuth ranks Berea College #1,359 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $7,963 less than the model expects for similar students.

That places the earnings-beyond-expectations gap at the 25th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings beyond expectations measure the gap between what graduates actually earn and what the model expects for similar students with comparable backgrounds.

The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment patterns and the local labor market) subtracts $1,457. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $6,506.

The STEM component within the measured factors adds $3,328. The bachelor's degrees awarded span technical fields, natural sciences, social sciences and humanities.

Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from $35,478 on the downside to $76,518 on the upside. An estimated 28.7% of graduates continue on to graduate study, based on that mix.

The earnings scenarios show a wide spread: from $35,478 on the downside to $76,518 on the upside. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates.

The highest-earning program is Computer and Information Sciences, where graduates earn $82,491 four years after completion. Engineering Technologies/Technicians follows at $55,830, and Communication and Media Studies at $41,723.

Graduates of Berea College earn about $7,963 less than the model expects for similar students. The median federal student loan debt for borrowers who finish is $3,591, which is $21,409 below the peer median of $25,000 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $41 a month if repaid over ten years. The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $6,106.

That average is $16,241 below the peer median of $22,347 at comparable institutions. Aid covers about 90% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, though this is an average rather than a personal quote.

The return picture is mixed: earnings land below the model's expectation, but the debt load is light. A graduate's monthly payment is a small fraction of even the downside earnings scenario.

That means the financial risk of borrowing is low even if earnings come in at the lower end of the range.

What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
-$1,457
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
-$6,506
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
-$7,963

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

Read the full outcomes brief

03 / Berea College briefing

Berea College acceptance rate & admissions[1][10][11]

Berea College admits 19.3% of applicants, a rate far below the median of 75.7% for comparable institutions (same type and size).

SAT: approximate enrolled-student range
Admission rate
19.3%
Approximate lower endpoint
1156
Reported average
1249
Approximate upper endpoint
1335

Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. The endpoints add section percentiles; they are not verified composite-score percentiles. A separate SAT-equivalent average is not plotted as a median. Source: College Scorecard; sum of section 25th/75th percentiles; enrolled score-submitters.

Read the full admissions brief

04 / Berea College briefing

What are the largest majors at Berea College?[12]

The earnings spread across Berea College's largest programs is wide, and the highest-earning field is also the one awarding the most degrees. Computer and Information Sciences leads with 22 degrees awarded and a median of $82,491 four years after completion.

In contrast, Biology awards nearly as many degrees at 21 but its completers earn $32,729 four years after completion, less than half the median of the top-earning program. Engineering Technologies/Technicians sits between the two, with 17 degrees awarded and median earnings of $55,830.

At the more moderate end, Psychology and Communication and Media Studies each award 17 and 15 degrees, with completers earning $40,768 and $41,723 four years after completion respectively. Earnings vary widely by program at Berea College.

Business accounts for 8.2% of bachelor's degrees awarded, with Computer & Information Sciences and Health Professions each at 7.5%. The largest program with published earnings is Computer and Information Sciences, at 22 degrees a year.

Its completers earn a median of $82,491 four years after completion, the highest figure among the school's programs. Psychology and Communication and Media Studies round out the largest programs with published earnings, with 17 and 15 degrees awarded and medians of $40,768 and $41,723.

Berea College awards bachelor's degrees across a wide mix of fields, with Business accounting for 8.2% of degrees awarded and Computer & Information Sciences and Health Professions tied at 7.5% each. The college has 8 programs with published four-year earnings data.

The largest program with published earnings is Computer and Information Sciences, at 22 degrees a year, followed by Biology at 21 and Engineering Technologies/Technicians at 17. Computer and Information Sciences, the largest program, also reports the highest earnings.

Its median is $82,491 four years after completion and its benchmark ratio is 0.89x against the national median for its field. Engineering Technologies/Technicians graduates earn a median of $55,830 four years after completion.

English Language and Literature reports median earnings of $40,722 from 12 degrees awarded a year. The best-paid field is a single technical program.

Biology, the second-largest field, posts a benchmark ratio of 0.57x against the national median for its discipline, and across all fields 30.1% of degrees awarded are in STEM. Four-year earnings for fields where graduates commonly pursue graduate study understate later trajectories.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Business Administration, Management and Operations 24 degrees awarded
Too few graduates to report
Computer and Information Sciences, General 22 degrees awarded
$82,491
Biology, General 21 degrees awarded
$32,729
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services 19 degrees awarded
Too few graduates to report
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General 17 degrees awarded
$55,830
Psychology, General 17 degrees awarded
$40,768

Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings.

Read the full majors brief

05 / Berea College briefing

What colleges are similar to Berea College?[15]

Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. How matching works.

A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with Berea College.

Admissions peerCitadel Military College of South Carolina22.7% admitted
Comparison with Berea College
MeasureBerea CollegeCitadel Military College of South Carolina
Peer earnings · 4 years$42,924$74,517+$31,593 vs Berea College
Average annual net price$6,106$20,723+$14,617 vs Berea College · higher cost
Admission rate19.3%22.7%
Explore Citadel Military College of South Carolina →
Higher-admission alternativeKentucky State University96.1% admitted
Comparison with Berea College
MeasureBerea CollegeKentucky State University
Peer earnings · 4 years$42,924$46,766+$3,842 vs Berea College
Average annual net price$6,106$8,040+$1,934 vs Berea College · higher cost
Admission rate19.3%96.1%
Nearby alternativeAsbury UniversityNearby option · KY
Comparison with Berea College
MeasureBerea CollegeAsbury University
Peer earnings · 4 years$42,924$45,728+$2,804 vs Berea College
Average annual net price$6,106$21,401+$15,295 vs Berea College · higher cost
Admission rate19.3%63.4%
Similar profileBenedict CollegeMatched across several measures
Comparison with Berea College
MeasureBerea CollegeBenedict College
Peer earnings · 4 years$42,924$41,293-$1,631 vs Berea College
Average annual net price$6,106$18,250+$12,144 vs Berea College · higher cost
Admission rate19.3%95.7%

Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable.

Read the full similar schools brief

Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated Governed hub narrative Governed spoke corpus

Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection.

Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them.

Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects.

Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.

Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations · About College Azimuth

Read the analysis behind value-added earnings and the change to four-year graduate earnings. These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com.

Data notes & source fields

Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation; notes with a different source link it below.

  1. Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.

    Source fields: ADM_RATE

  2. Six-year completion. First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree.

    Source fields: C150_4

  3. Four-year institutional earnings. Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion.

    Source fields: MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

  4. Median federal student debt. Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students.

    Source fields: GRAD_DEBT_MDN

  5. National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks. Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ.

    Source fields: Azimuth rankings

    College Azimuth · Ranking methodology

  6. Annual net price by family income. Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers.

    Source fields: NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV

  7. Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration. Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations.

    Source fields: PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations

    College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology

  8. Downside and upside earnings; yellow band. The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median.

    Source fields: Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios

    College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology

  9. Value added and its components. Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

    Source fields: Azimuth statistical model

    College Azimuth · Value-added methodology

  10. SAT score range and reported midpoint. Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range.

    Source fields: SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG

  11. First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.

    Source fields: RET_FT4

  12. Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots. Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity.

    Source fields: EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE

    College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation

  13. Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.

    Source fields: PCTPELL

  14. Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group. This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns.

    Source fields: 1 − PFTFTUG1_EF

  15. Peer earnings and signed differences. Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure.

    Source fields: Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

    College Azimuth · Comparison methodology

How to interpret program rankings