Benedict College
Columbia, SC 29204-1086
About Benedict College
Benedict College is a private research university in Columbia, South Carolina, enrolling about 1,536 students. Admission is moderately selective for first-time degree-seeking undergraduates reporting admissions data to the Education Department. The acceptance rate is about 95.70% in the latest College Scorecard admissions data. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $31,902 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- Benedict College charges about 0.6× the national private non-profit median tuition ($17,440).
- Versus the South Carolina median, sticker tuition is 34% above.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 24.26%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $31,902.
Research findings
Finding
Modeled return on investment at Benedict College is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 337% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benedict College | $17,440 | $18,250 | 1 |
| Private Non-profit (national median) | $29,325 | — | 1,444 |
| South Carolina (state median) | $12,978 | $11,376 | 63 |
| Suburban (locale median) | $13,135 | $18,048 | 684 |
| 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 Benedict College really?
Key findings
- Benedict College charges about 0.6× the national private non-profit median tuition ($17,440).
- Versus the South Carolina median, sticker tuition is 34% above.
Benedict College tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $17,440
Finding Benedict College charges about 0.6× the national private non-profit median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $17,440. That is about 0.6× the national private non-profit median ($29,325). Versus the South Carolina median ($12,978), sticker tuition is 34% above. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is 47% above.
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 Benedict College versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at Benedict College versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Benedict College is $18,250.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $18,250 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $6,874 above the South Carolina median net price. Versus suburban campuses, net price runs $202 above the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Key takeaway At Benedict College, average net price exceeds published tuition alone because net price uses a fuller cost-of-attendance base.
Benedict College: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Benedict College—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
The combination of completion and 10-year earnings is a multidimensional outcomes signal; it does not measure educational quality by itself.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$17,440
Avg. net price
$18,250
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $17,177 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $18,686 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $19,295 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $20,250 |
| $110,001+ | $20,328 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $69,760. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Benedict College is known for
Top program completions
- Business Administration and Management, General59
- Sport and Fitness Administration/Management44
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General32
- Psychology, General22
- Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration22
See earnings & programs for more.
Admissions landscape
- Broad access — most applicants are admitted.
- Yield: 6% of admitted students enrolled.
- Average SAT: 910
See Admissions for the full funnel.
Is Benedict College a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Benedict College is a good school for those looking for strong completion alongside solid mid-career earnings.
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 Benedict College.
Campus
Location
Columbia, SC
City / state
- ZIP
- 29204-1086
- NCES locale
- Suburb
Compared with Suburban campuses nationally, net price is 1% above the median for Suburban campuses ($18,048 median).
Control
Institution type
Private Non-profit
Control
- Region
- Southeast
- Carnegie
- Special Focus Four-Year: Faith-Related Institutions
Size
Enrollment
1,536
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 1,770
- Graduate
- 63
- Full-time share
- 97%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$32,500
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 62.34%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Benedict 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 Benedict 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 Benedict 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 | $18,254 | $18,254 | $18,108 |
| 2014 | $18,288 | $18,288 | $17,105 |
| 2015 | $18,288 | $18,288 | $16,583 |
| 2016 | $19,566 | $19,566 | $16,601 |
| 2017 | $19,958 | $19,958 | $19,134 |
| 2018 | $16,600 | $16,600 | $21,564 |
| 2019 | $16,600 | $16,600 | $14,291 |
| 2020 | $17,200 | $17,200 | $12,678 |
| 2021 | $17,200 | $17,200 | $12,157 |
| 2022 | $17,200 | $17,200 | $18,456 |
| 2023 | $18,000 | $18,000 | $17,781 |
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
This institution has a moderate acceptance rate, accepting most qualified applicants.
Applicants → admits → first-time enrollment from College Scorecard / IPEDS. Bar widths are scaled for readability at highly selective schools.
Test Scores
Average 910 (middle 50% not reported)
Scores for enrollees who submitted tests (College Scorecard).
Academic Requirements
Estimated from admission selectivity and test scores. Scorecard does not publish admitted-student GPA for most institutions.
Estimated range · median 3.20
Estimated GPA band from selectivity and test scores — not an official requirement.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Benedict College reported total enrollment of about 1,536 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 49% male and 51% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes Black or African American (78.6%), Non-Resident Alien (10.3%), and Race/ethnicity unknown (4.1%). About 62.34% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 40.8% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
96.8% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Benedict College in 2024 is 1,536 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 1,770 students. Graduate enrollment is about 63 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
57.3%
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
12.91% 100% Completion Time
24.26% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 12.91% of students graduating from Benedict College completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Business Administration and Management, General: 61% male / 39% female
- Sport and Fitness Administration/Management: 80% male / 20% female
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General: 16% male / 84% 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.
Benedict College graduates earn a median of $31,902 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Benedict College.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $31,902. Median federal loan debt: $32,500. Average net price used in cost models: $18,250.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway Benedict College graduates report median earnings of $31,902 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Benedict College.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 10 programs by IPEDS completions (26 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Benedict College.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Benedict College graduates.
How financially powerful is this institution?
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Benedict 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
$26.1M
End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023
- South Carolina median 2.0× the median ($12.8M)
- Southeast median 1.3× the median ($19.4M)
- U.S. median near the median ($26.4M)
- South Carolina median 1.9× the median ($7,041)
- Southeast median 1.5× the median ($9,308)
- U.S. median 1.1× the median ($12,100)
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 73.3%
- South Carolina median 12.6 pp above median (60.7%)
- Southeast median 13.9 pp above median (59.4%)
- U.S. median 15.4 pp above median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $6,890
- South Carolina median near the median ($6,831)
- Southeast median near the median ($6,825)
- U.S. median 0.90× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $5,465
- South Carolina median 0.67× the median ($8,125)
- Southeast median 0.83× the median ($6,602)
- U.S. median 0.75× 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.
Benedict College at a glance
Benedict College
Benedict College is a private non-profit institution in Columbia, SC, classified as Special Focus Four-Year: Faith-Related Institutions.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Business Administration and Management, GeneralSport and Fitness Administration/ManagementBiology/Biological Sciences, General
- Largest enrollment groups
- Black or African American78.6%Non-Resident Alien10.3%Race/ethnicity unknown4.1%
Schools near Benedict College
Other campuses in Columbia, SC when available, plus nearby institutions in South Carolina.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade F) within South Carolina, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Benedict College located?
Benedict College is located in Columbia, SC.
What is Benedict College's acceptance rate?
The acceptance rate at Benedict College is 95.7% among first-time degree-seeking students reporting admissions data. IPEDS reports 8,073 applicants and 5,433 admits in the latest admissions cycle in our extract.
What is Benedict College's tuition?
Benedict College tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $17,440 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $18,250 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does Benedict College cost?
Reported tuition is $17,440 and average net price is $18,250 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $7,146 annually.
What explains Benedict College's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($18,250), completion (24.3% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($31,902). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
What is the student body demographics at Benedict College?
Benedict College reports undergraduate enrollment of about 1,770 students, Black or African American (78.6%), Non-Resident Alien (10.3%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Benedict College?
About 40.8% of students at Benedict College are first-generation college students.
What test scores do students need for Benedict College?
Among enrolled students who submitted scores, Benedict College reports midpoint SAT about 910.
What do graduates of Benedict College earn?
Median earnings are $24,908 six years after entry and $31,902 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at Benedict College?
The 150%-time completion rate is 24.3% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do Benedict College students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $32,500.
Is Benedict College public or private?
Benedict College is a private nonprofit institution located in Columbia, SC.
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.