BaccalaureatePrivate nonprofitHBCU

Benedict College

Columbia, South Carolina·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Southeast·benedict.edu
6-yr Graduation
24%
-14.5pp vs Baccalaureate
Total enrollment
1,691
peer median 1,462
Avg net price
$18,250
-$1.8k vs Baccalaureate
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
5,098
5,098 candidates competed
Admitted
4,879
95.7% acceptance rate
Enrolled
390
8.0% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
24%-14.5pp vs Baccalaureate
4-year graduation
13%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
24%
Full-time retention
57%

Pell equity

36.5pp gap
Pell recipients
17%95 of 563
Non-Pell (all)
54%76 of 142
No Federal Aid
54%76 of 142

Non-Pell students graduate at a 36.5-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 39 Title IV programs, 7 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 32 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
39
Passing
7
17.9% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

39programs
  • Passing7 · 17.9%
  • No Data32 · 82.1%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
1
Watch
4
Safe
2
No data
32

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

7
Human Development Family Studies and Related Services
Bachelor Degree · Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
+3.5%
$34,129 vs $32,989
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
+12.1%
$36,966 vs $32,989
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+14.1%
$37,638 vs $32,989
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Bachelor Degree · Security And Protective Services
+19.2%
$39,337 vs $32,989
Public Relations Advertising and Applied Communication
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+24.8%
$41,158 vs $32,989
Parks Recreation and Leisure Studies
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+25.4%
$41,372 vs $32,989
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+26.7%
$41,811 vs $32,989

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Human Development Family Studies and Related Services
Bachelor Degree · Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
+3.5%
+$1,140

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

6
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Bachelor Degree · Security And Protective Services
112%
$44,000 debt · $39,337 earn
Human Development Family Studies and Related Services
Bachelor Degree · Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
99%
$33,750 debt · $34,129 earn
Parks Recreation and Leisure Studies
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
93%
$38,500 debt · $41,372 earn
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
93%
$34,375 debt · $36,966 earn
Public Relations Advertising and Applied Communication
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
91%
$37,250 debt · $41,158 earn
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
89%
$37,000 debt · $41,811 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Accredited since 1946Next review Jun 2027

Programmatic accreditations · 2

Action history · 9

  1. May 2024Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  2. Dec 2022Grant Substantive Change: Degree
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  3. Dec 2022Renewal of Accreditation
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  4. Dec 2021Accreditation Reaffirmed: Probation Removed
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  5. Nov 2021Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$17,177
$30–48k$18,686
$48–75k$19,295
$75–110k$20,250
$110k+$20,328

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$18,250
-$1,821vs Baccalaureate median $20,072
Federal loans
63.3%
In-state tuition
$17,440
Out-of-state
$17,440

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 1,247 students received $7.6M in Pell grants, alongside $13.3M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
1,247
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$7.6M
$7,647,819 total
Direct Loans
$13.3M
2,610 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
20
1k
21
1k
22
1k
23
1k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$4.3M
1,099 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$4.6M
1,125 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$825K
39 loan awards
Parent PLUS$3.6M
347 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 880 borrowers who entered repayment, 105 (11.9%) defaulted within three years above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
11.9%
+9.6pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
880
Defaulted
105
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
18.5%
2017
28.7%
2018
28.2%
2019
11.9%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Benedict College

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs35
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

297 total completions
01Business
9331.3%
02Biological Sciences
4916.5%
03Security/Protective
3913.1%
04Parks/Recreation
3010.1%
05Psychology
258.4%
06Visual/Performing Arts
175.7%
07Public Admin
144.7%
08Communication
124.0%
09Computer Sciences
93.0%
10Health Professions
93.0%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
1,691
12-mo unduplicated
1,837
Undergraduate
1,770
Graduate
67

Gender split

Men
49%907
Women
51%930

Race / ethnicity composition

Black
78.6%
Non-resident
10.3%
Unknown
4.1%
Hispanic
2.7%
Two or more
2.5%
White
1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.3%
Asian
0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
314
215 M · 99 W
Women athletes
31.5%
Athletic aid
$2.3M
Total student aid
Budget
$5.5M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$1.5M
$793K
Recruiting expense
$20K
$3K
Head-coach salaries
$46K
$28K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 9

Football
152 M ·
$1.5M
Track and Field (Indoor)
46 M · 28 W
$313K
Track and Field (Outdoor)
46 M · 28 W
$313K
Basketball
16 M · 25 W
$969K
Baseball
30 M ·
$343K
Volleyball
12 M · 15 W
$340K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.00
0 offenses · 1,731 students

3-year trend

3.142 yrs ago2.171 yr ago0.00Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
10
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
0
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
1

Criminal offenses by type

No criminal offenses reported.

By location

0total

    VAWA offenses

    0
    Domestic violence
    0
    Dating violence
    0
    Stalking
    0 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

    Hate crimes by bias

    No hate crimes reported.

    Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

    CategoryArrestsReferrals
    Weapons60
    Drugs80
    Liquor00

    Residence-hall fires

    No residence-hall fires reported.

    Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

    Student-faculty ratio

    Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

    Student-to-faculty
    13.0:1
    Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
    103

    Benedict College vs Peer comparison

    The peer institutions Benedict College selected for federal comparison reporting.

    GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
    This institutionPeer median

    A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

    Carnegie
    SubjectBenedict College
    24%1,691$18,250Baccalaureate
    34%97.3%1,807$19,588Baccalaureate
    45%89.8%1,536$21,656Baccalaureate
    43%65.4%578$13,335Baccalaureate
    17%383$20,555Baccalaureate
    47%74.7%1,388$24,639Baccalaureate
    Peer group median39%82.2%1,462$20,072

    Institutions like Benedict College

    Explore the federal data for institutions in Benedict College's comparison group.

    Benedict College Institutional Research office

    The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

    Office
    Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
    Reports to Division of Academic Affairs
    Email
    oir [at] benedict.edu
    Phone
    803-705-4562
    Address
    1600 Harden Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29204

    The purpose of the OIRA is to provide the resources needed for evidence-based planning and operations. The office is responsible for collecting, analyzing and disseminating data for internal decision-making; reporting data to external agencies on behalf of the College; coordinating campus assessment processes; and ensuring College-wide accreditation compliance.

    Visit IR office page
    Team
    2 members
    • Verna Orr, Ph.D.
      Executive Vice President & Chief of Staff
    • Melissa M. Lockard, Ph.D.
      Director of Institutional Planning & Assessment

    Frequently asked questions about Benedict College

    Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Benedict College.

    What is the graduation rate at Benedict College?

    Benedict College reports a 6-year graduation rate of 24% per the latest IPEDS.

    How many students attend Benedict College?

    Benedict College reports a total enrollment of 1,691 students per the latest IPEDS.

    What is the average net price at Benedict College?

    The average net price at Benedict College is $18,250 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

    What is the yield rate at Benedict College?

    Benedict College's yield rate is 8.0%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

    Where is Benedict College located?

    Benedict College is located in Columbia, South Carolina 29204-1086.

    Who runs Institutional Research at Benedict College?

    Benedict College's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, which reports to Division of Academic Affairs.

    About the data on this page

    Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

    IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
    Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
    College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
    Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
    FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
    Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
    DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
    Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
    Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
    Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
    Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
    Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
    Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
    Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
    Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
    Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
    Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
    Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.

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