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Private nonprofit · 4-year

Blackburn College

Carlinville, Illinois

37
D
DR Rating
DegreeReturn Rating — Weak value

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

Break-even
+$25,976 over 10 years

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

The payoff is roughly break-even — the degree recovers its cost, but slowly.

7.6 yrs
Break-even
+31%
10-year ROI
$55,865
Median earnings as of 2024
69% of Blackburn College 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

$18,460
Average net price / yr as of 2024
$55,865
Median earnings (5 yr) as of 2024
Median earnings (1 yr) as of 2024
$24,242
Median debt at graduation as of 2024
57%
Graduation rate as of 2024
69%
Earn more than a HS grad as of 2024
76%
Repaying their loans (3 yr) as of 2024
67%
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.

$25,976
After 10 years
$134,626
After 20 years
$243,276
After 30 years
$351,926
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
$45,346
Men
$48,947

7% gap between the two groups

By family-income background
From lower-income families
$40,280
From higher-income families
$52,745

24% gap between the two groups

By student status (FAFSA)
Dependent students
$48,676
Independent students
$39,241

19% gap between the two groups

44%
First-generation students
61%
Take federal student loans
97%
Born in the U.S.
Who studies here
White 75%Hispanic 10%Black 14%Other 2%

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 incomeAverage net price / yr
Family income $0–$30k$16,838
$30k–$48k$14,781
$48k–$75k$12,329
$75k–$110k$23,013
$110k+$23,305

How Blackburn College compares

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

Graduate earnings over time

Median earnings of Blackburn College students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.

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Best-paying majors at Blackburn College

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.

MajorCredentialEarnings (5 yr)Median debt10-yr ROIVerdict
Biology, GeneralAssociate's$63,009$23,250+297%Strong return
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's$55,865+194%Strong return
Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's$49,345$21,500-3%Poor return

Calculate your own ROI

Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.

ROI at Blackburn College

Or pick your to set cost

Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.

10-yr net gain
Break-even
10-yr ROI

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Admissions & profile

63%
Admission rate
0
Average SAT
20
Median ACT
471
Undergraduates

Location

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.

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