Benedict College is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Columbia, South Carolina. It enrolls 1,536 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (4-Year Selective). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Fair
46/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes7
Value11
Affordability77
Selectivity9
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
With an acceptance rate of 95.7%, Benedict College is broadly accessible to qualified applicants.
Acceptance Rate
95.7%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test PolicyTest OptionalApplicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Benedict College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Getting more selective ↓
9.5 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Benedict College isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $18,250 per year. That's below the typical net price for private nonprofit colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$18,250
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
62%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
63%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$17,440
Room & Board (on-campus)
$7,146
Room & Board (off-campus)
$7,146
Books & Supplies
$1,600
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$5,406
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$5,406
Total Cost of Attendance
$32,000
Application fee: $25 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$17,177
$30,001 – $48,000
$18,686
$48,001 – $75,000
$19,295
$75,001 – $110,000
$20,250
Over $110,000
$20,328
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$4,75010%percentile
$7,75025%percentile
$32,500Medianpercentile
$37,00075%percentile
$49,25090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $17,500
↓ $15,000
No Pell $9,500
↓ $23,000
Dependent students $15,558
↓ $16,942
Independent students $19,334
↓ $13,166
Female students $17,968
↓ $14,532
Male students $15,000
↓ $17,500
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $11,000, less than completers ($32,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
16% of full-time students who enrolled at Benedict College graduate within six years, and 61% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
16%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
61%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Benedict College earn a median of $31,902 ten years after first enrolling. That's below the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$31,902
Earning > $25K
53%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$25,500
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$29,000
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$25,800
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$29,100
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$30,400
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
16.4 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Concerning. Only 32% of graduates are actively reducing principal even seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Benedict College is home to 1,536 students, a mid-sized community. Some distinctive traits: 41% are first-generation college students.
Total Enrolled
1,536
Part-Time
3%
First-Generation
41%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Black 78.6%1,207
International 10.4%159
Other 2.9%45
Hispanic 2.7%42
White 1.2%18
Asian 0.1%2
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Benedict College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Midsize CityColumbia, South Carolina
Housing
Strongly residential1,689 beds for 1,536 students
Adult Learners
7%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
Designation
Historically Black College / University (HBCU)
Designation
Religiously affiliated
What You Can Study
Benedict College offers
a varied set of programs:
27 distinct programs across
18 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Benedict College is 14:1, close to the national average.
Student : Faculty
14:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$104M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$64,907
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
100 instructional faculty across 5 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
12
12%
$70,527
Associate Professors
28
28%
$72,360
Assistant Professors
30
30%
$69,968
Instructors
28
28%
$50,620
No Rank
2
2%
$50,958
Pros & Cons of Benedict College
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Benedict College tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Below-average net price
Accessible admissions for most applicants
Reasonable class sizes
Wide reach of need-based federal aid
First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
First-year retention is below typical
Below-average post-graduation earnings
Higher than typical student debt at graduation
Best for:
Based on the data, Benedict College is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.
Frequently Asked Questions about Benedict College
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Benedict College.
Is Benedict College hard to get into?
Benedict College has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted. Acceptance rate: 95.7%.
What is the acceptance rate at Benedict College?
Benedict College has an acceptance rate of 95.7%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
How much does Benedict College cost?
The average net price after aid at Benedict College is $18,250 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Benedict College worth it?
Moderate return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $31,902 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $18,250 per year. That's roughly 1.7x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Benedict College known for?
Benedict College is best known for its programs in Biology, Business Administration, Kinesiology. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Benedict College graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Benedict College are $31,902, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Benedict College accredited?
Yes. Benedict College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Benedict College?
Benedict College enrolls 1,536 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Benedict College?
Benedict College graduates 16% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Benedict College a public or private college?
Benedict College is a Private Nonprofit institution.
Where is Benedict College located?
Benedict College is located in Columbia, South Carolina.
What programs does Benedict College offer?
Benedict College offers 27 distinct programs. The most popular include Biology, Business Administration, Kinesiology.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Benedict College?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Benedict College is 14:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in South Carolina
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