Ascent College
Gainesville, VA 20155
About Ascent College
Ascent College is a private university in Gainesville, Virginia, enrolling about 82 students. Ascent College awards degrees and certificates tracked in federal College Scorecard and IPEDS reporting. Published tuition for full-time study is about $8,550 per year before aid; net price varies by family income. Student demographics in federal data include White (46.3%) and Race/ethnicity unknown (32.9%) among the largest enrollment groups.
Key findings
- Versus the Virginia median, sticker tuition is about 0.5×.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 100.00%.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ascent College | $8,550 | — | 1 |
| Private Non-profit (national median) | $29,325 | — | 1,444 |
| Virginia (state median) | $16,364 | $8,852 | 107 |
| Rural (locale median) | $14,160 | $18,700 | 1,649 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
How expensive is Ascent College really?
Key findings
- Ascent College charges about 0.3× the national private non-profit median tuition ($8,550).
- Versus the Virginia median, sticker tuition is about 0.5×.
Ascent College tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $8,550
Finding Ascent College charges about 0.3× the national private non-profit median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $8,550. That is about 0.3× the national private non-profit median ($29,325). Versus the Virginia median ($16,364), sticker tuition is about 0.5×. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is 28% below.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to private non-profit and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at Ascent College versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Ascent College: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Ascent College—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
High completion indicates students finish programs at scale; it does not alone measure instructional quality or labor-market fit.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$8,550
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $34,200. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Ascent College is known for
Top program completions
- Divinity/Ministry46
- Bible/Biblical Studies2
- Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries, Other1
See earnings & programs for more.
Is Ascent College a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Ascent College is a good school for those looking for high program completion rates.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Ascent College.
Campus
Location
Gainesville, VA
City / state
- ZIP
- 20155
- NCES locale
- Rural fringe
Compared with Rural campuses nationally, tuition is 40% below the median for Rural campuses.
Control
Institution type
Private Non-profit
Control
- Region
- Southeast
- Carnegie
- Special Focus Four-Year: Other Health Professions Schools
Size
Enrollment
82
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 127
- Full-time share
- 0%
Student aid
Debt & aid
- Pell grant share
- 27.47%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Ascent College.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Ascent College was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Ascent College in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | $8,050 | $8,050 | $10,863 |
| 2014 | $8,160 | $8,160 | $12,202 |
| 2015 | $8,100 | $8,100 | $16,126 |
| 2016 | $8,100 | $8,100 | — |
| 2017 | $8,100 | $8,100 | $11,154 |
| 2018 | $8,420 | $8,420 | — |
| 2019 | $8,420 | $8,420 | $12,011 |
| 2020 | $8,420 | $8,420 | — |
| 2021 | $9,092 | $9,092 | $6,357 |
| 2022 | $7,300 | $7,300 | — |
| 2023 | $7,680 | $7,680 | — |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
Acceptance rate data is not available for this institution.
Admissions funnel data is not available for this institution.
Test Scores
Test score data is not available for this institution.
Score distribution is not available for this institution.
Academic Requirements
GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.
Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Ascent College reported total enrollment of about 82 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 44% male and 56% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (46.3%), Race/ethnicity unknown (32.9%), and Black or African American (11.0%). About 27.47% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
0.0% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Ascent College in 2024 is 82 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 127 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
N/A%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
0.00% 100% Completion Time
100.00% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 0.00% of students graduating from Ascent College completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Divinity/Ministry: 22% male / 78% female
- Bible/Biblical Studies: 50% male / 50% female
- Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries, Other: 0% male / 100% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
What do Ascent College graduates earn—and in which programs?
Financial value and program completions for Ascent College from College Scorecard and IPEDS extracts.
Return on Investment
ROI data is not available for this institution.
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Ascent College.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 3 programs by IPEDS completions (4 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Ascent College.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Ascent College graduates.
How financially powerful is this institution?
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Ascent College—endowment assets (fiscal year 2023), instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Institutional endowment
$79,288
End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023
- Virginia median 0.00× the median ($30.9M)
- Southeast median 0.00× the median ($19.4M)
- U.S. median 0.00× the median ($26.4M)
- Virginia median 0.09× the median ($13,171)
- Southeast median 0.13× the median ($9,308)
- U.S. median 0.10× the median ($12,100)
Instructional Resources
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $2,500
- Virginia median 0.31× the median ($8,196)
- Southeast median 0.37× the median ($6,825)
- U.S. median 0.33× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $2,637
- Virginia median 0.36× the median ($7,382)
- Southeast median 0.40× the median ($6,602)
- U.S. median 0.36× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Ascent College at a glance
Ascent College
Ascent College is a private non-profit institution in Gainesville, VA, classified as Special Focus Four-Year: Other Health Professions Schools.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Divinity/MinistryBible/Biblical StudiesPastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries, Other
- Largest enrollment groups
- White or Caucasian46.3%Race/ethnicity unknown32.9%Black or African American11.0%
Schools near Ascent College
Other campuses in Gainesville, VA when available, plus nearby institutions in Virginia.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade A) within Virginia, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Ascent College located?
Ascent College is located in Gainesville, VA.
What is Ascent College's tuition?
Ascent College tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $8,550 in the latest College Scorecard data.
How much does Ascent College cost?
Reported tuition is $8,550 and average net price is N/A in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $11,960 annually.
What is the student body demographics at Ascent College?
Ascent College reports undergraduate enrollment of about 127 students, White (46.3%), Race/ethnicity unknown (32.9%) in federal College Scorecard data.
What is the graduation rate at Ascent College?
The 150%-time completion rate is 100.0% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
Is Ascent College public or private?
Ascent College is a private nonprofit institution located in Gainesville, VA.
Is Ascent College an HBCU?
No. Ascent College is not flagged as an HBCU in the IPEDS institutional directory.
Is Ascent College a tribal college?
No. Ascent College is not flagged as a tribal college in IPEDS.
Is Ascent College a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI)?
Using a 25% Hispanic enrollment threshold on College Scorecard demographics, Ascent College does not meet that proxy (reported share 6.1%).
Is Ascent College religiously affiliated?
Yes. IPEDS reports a religious affiliation for Ascent College: Assemblies of God Church.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.