Private Nonprofit Graduate Good 69/100

Mary Baldwin University

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Staunton, Virginia

About Mary Baldwin University

Thinking about Mary Baldwin University, a college in Virginia where more students graduate in Health than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Mary Baldwin University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Staunton, Virginia. It enrolls 1,090 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
—
Graduation
44.1%
Net Price
$12,756
Median Earnings (10yr)
$44,427
Enrollment
1,090
Student : Faculty
14:1

Accreditor Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic Calendar 4-1-4 Plan

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Open / Online), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
69/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 54
Value 54
Affordability 61
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Mary Baldwin University does not report an acceptance rate. Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.

Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $12,756 a year on average, it sits below what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$12,756
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
55%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
71%
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
$34,152
Room & Board (on-campus)
$11,411
Room & Board (off-campus)
$11,940
Books & Supplies
$900
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,110
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,030
Total Cost of Attendance
$45,935

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
    $12,717
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $9,527
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $11,537
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $14,801
  • Over $110,000
    $14,806

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.

$4,683
10% percentile
$7,781
25% percentile
$26,586
Median percentile
$29,250
75% percentile
$41,442
90% 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 $13,750 ↓ $12,836
No Pell $10,750 ↓ $15,836
Dependent students $10,250 ↓ $16,336
Independent students $19,300 ↓ $7,286
Female students $15,000 ↓ $11,586
Male students $7,500 ↓ $19,086
Pell recipients: 18.0% (4,775 students)No Pell: 14.0% (3,734 students)Dependent students: 13.4% (3,560 students)Independent students: 25.2% (6,703 students)Female students: 19.6% (5,210 students)Male students: 9.8% (2,605 students)Overall Median$26,586
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,250, less than completers ($26,586), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

44% of students who start here finish within six years, and 64% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
44%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
64%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $44,427 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$44,427
Earning > $25K
71%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$38,000$40,000$42,000$43,000$45,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$38,500

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$37,600

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$42,600

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 ↑ 23.9 pts across 6 years
56.4%1yr64.4%3yr68.9%5yr80.2%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 80% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,090 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 40% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
1,090
Part-Time
17%
First-Generation
40%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 47.1% 513
Black 26.0% 283
Hispanic 9.3% 101
Other 5.9% 64
International 2.7% 29
Asian 1.2% 13
White: 47.1% (513 students)Black: 26.0% (283 students)Hispanic: 9.3% (101 students)Other: 5.9% (64 students)International: 2.7% (29 students)Asian: 1.2% (13 students)Total1,090

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Mary Baldwin University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Small City Staunton, Virginia
Housing
Mostly residential 749 beds on campus
Adult Learners
22% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
4-1-4 Plan scheduling structure
Designation
Religiously affiliated

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Business graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Mary Baldwin University offers a varied set of programs: 39 distinct programs across 14 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.

7 Programs
4 Programs
5 Programs
1 Program
1 Program
3 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 14 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
14:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$59M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$70,907
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

86 instructional faculty across 4 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 19 22% $69,652
Associate Professors 27 31% $73,524
Assistant Professors 37 43% $70,574
Instructors 3 3% $59,417

Pros & Cons of Mary Baldwin University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Mary Baldwin University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
  • Reasonable class sizes
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Below-average completion rate
  • First-year retention is below typical
  • Most students take on federal loans
Best for: Based on the data, Mary Baldwin University is a fit for students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mary Baldwin University

The questions families ask most about Mary Baldwin University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

How much does Mary Baldwin University cost?
Budget around $12,756 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Mary Baldwin University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $44,427 a year against a net price of $12,756, about 3.5 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Mary Baldwin University known for?
Mostly Rehabilitation, Counseling Psychology, Drama & Theatre. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Mary Baldwin University graduates earn?
About $44,427 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Mary Baldwin University accredited?
Yes. Mary Baldwin University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Mary Baldwin University?
1,090 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Mary Baldwin University?
44% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Mary Baldwin University a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Mary Baldwin University located?
Mary Baldwin University is located in Staunton, Virginia.
What programs does Mary Baldwin University offer?
39 different programs, most commonly Rehabilitation, Counseling Psychology, Drama & Theatre. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Mary Baldwin University?
14 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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