Private nonprofit · 4-year

Shorter University

Rome, Georgia

DR Rating

DegreeReturn Rating — Poor value

A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.

Poor return

$-24,874 over 10 years

Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 4 years.

On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.

14.9 yrs

Break-even

-33%

10-year ROI

$50,082

Median earnings as of 2024

77% of Shorter University students earn more than a typical U.S. high-school graduate (about $28,000/yr) ten years after starting — measured from IRS tax records, not surveys.

The numbers behind the verdict

$16,646

Average net price / yr as of 2024

$50,082

Median earnings (5 yr) as of 2024

$39,460

Median earnings (1 yr) as of 2024

$25,000

Median debt at graduation as of 2024

38%

Graduation rate as of 2024

77%

Earn more than a HS grad as of 2024

45%

Repaying their loans (3 yr) as of 2024

61%

Retention rate as of 2024

Lifetime ROI: the long view

Cumulative net gain over a high-school-only earner at different career lengths, with tuition and debt interest already subtracted. Built on IRS-verified federal earnings — not self-reported surveys.

$-24,874

After 10 years

$25,946

After 20 years

$76,766

After 30 years

$127,586

After 40 years

Conservative: holds year-5 earnings flat (no raises). Adjust the assumptions, or see the highest 20-year ROI colleges.

Equity & access

Who the college serves and whether the payoff reaches everyone — earnings ten years after starting (IRS-linked), with access measures from federal enrollment data.

By gender

Women

$42,764

Men

$51,849

18% gap between the two groups

By family-income background

From lower-income families

$38,613

From higher-income families

$53,917

28% gap between the two groups

By student status (FAFSA)

Dependent students

$45,499

Independent students

$43,766

4% gap between the two groups

35%

First-generation students

49%

Take federal student loans

92%

Born in the U.S.

Who studies here

White 59%Hispanic 10%Asian 1%Black 23%Other 7%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.

Net price by family income

What students actually pay after grants and scholarships, by household income as of 2024.

Family income	Average net price / yr
Family income $0–$30k	$15,929
$30k–$48k	$21,482
$48k–$75k	$22,944
$75k–$110k	$21,292
$110k+	$18,898

How Shorter University compares

This college against the Georgia and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.

Graduate earnings over time

Median earnings of Shorter University students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.

Best-paying majors at Shorter University

Fields of study ranked by their own ROI — earnings five years after graduating against the cost and debt. Click a major for the deep dive.

Major	Credential	Earnings (5 yr)	Median debt	10-yr ROI	Verdict
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing	Associate's	$87,314	$25,000	+898%	Strong return
Business Administration, Management and Operations	Associate's	$64,157	$33,500	+321%	Strong return
Business Administration, Management and Operations	Certificate	$60,036	$27,334	+96%	Strong return
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods	Certificate	$57,093	—	+82%	Strong return
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness	Associate's	$50,900	$24,704	+40%	Break-even
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods	Associate's	$50,082	$26,284	+19%	Break-even
Criminal Justice and Corrections	Associate's	$48,991	$26,500	-7%	Poor return
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities	Certificate	$46,220	$20,000	-49%	Poor return
Psychology, General	Associate's	$41,524	—	-204%	Poor return
Human Services, General	Associate's	$37,893	$39,668	-249%	Poor return
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities	Associate's	$37,465	—	-326%	Poor return