Paine College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Paine College charges a net price of $16,670/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $66,680. Median earnings ten years after entry are $33,338, below the $48,360 high-school baseline, so on this institution-wide metric the degree does not clear its cost. Program choice is what changes that. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
On institution-wide earnings, Paine College does not clear its cost — it ranks #80 of 100 Georgia colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $16,670/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $66,680 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $33,338 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$15,022/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$367,120 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Paine College's own numbers. Net price $16,670 × 4 years = $66,680 total. Median earnings $33,338 fall $15,022 short of the $48,360 high-school baseline, so the premium this formula divides by is not positive and no break-even year exists on institution-wide pay. A programme here earning $58,360 would clear the $66,680 bill in about 6.7 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Paine College students graduate?
14% finish their degree — 86% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $66,680 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $476,286 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Paine College expensive compared with other Georgia colleges?
Its $16,670 net price runs $995 above the $15,675 median across the 100 Georgia colleges we profile, or $3,980 more across the full degree.