Best value among HBCUs, by years to recoup cost
These 50 HBCUs return the cost of attendance fastest: years to recoup the four-year net price from the annual earnings premium a graduate earns over a typical high-school graduate in the same state. Of 61 institutions with the data to compute it, Xavier University of Louisiana (New Orleans, LA) leads, recouping its net cost in about 3.9 yrs.
| # | Institution | Years to recoup | Net price / yr | Earnings premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Xavier University of LouisianaLA · Private | 3.9 yrs | $17,127 | $17,347 |
| 2 | North Carolina A & T State UniversityNC · Public | 4.3 yrs | $10,846 | $10,137 |
| 3 | Elizabeth City State UniversityNC · Public | 4.4 yrs | $6,364 | $5,723 |
| 4 | Hampton UniversityVA · Private | 4.8 yrs | $25,319 | $21,127 |
| 5 | Winston-Salem State UniversityNC · Public | 4.9 yrs | $13,479 | $11,041 |
| 6 | Delaware State UniversityDE · Public | 5.1 yrs | $13,910 | $10,851 |
| 7 | Florida Agricultural and Mechanical UniversityFL · Public | 5.2 yrs | $13,739 | $10,576 |
| 8 | University of the District of ColumbiaDC · Public | 5.2 yrs | $10,648 | $8,143 |
| 9 | Fayetteville State UniversityNC · Public | 5.4 yrs | $7,892 | $5,841 |
| 10 | Prairie View A & M UniversityTX · Public | 5.6 yrs | $13,570 | $9,658 |
| 11 | Bowie State UniversityMD · Public | 6.2 yrs | $19,298 | $12,506 |
| 12 | Spelman CollegeGA · Private | 6.3 yrs | $38,967 | $24,704 |
| 13 | Morgan State UniversityMD · Public | 6.9 yrs | $14,985 | $8,667 |
| 14 | St Philip's CollegeTX · Public | 6.9 yrs | $4,273 | $2,471 |
| 15 | North Carolina Central UniversityNC · Public | 7.1 yrs | $15,359 | $8,665 |
| 16 | Howard UniversityDC · Private | 7.5 yrs | $50,539 | $26,973 |
| 17 | Tennessee State UniversityTN · Public | 8.1 yrs | $15,796 | $7,763 |
| 18 | West Virginia State UniversityWV · Public | 8.3 yrs | $11,139 | $5,346 |
| 19 | Virginia State UniversityVA · Public | 8.4 yrs | $15,840 | $7,511 |
| 20 | Albany State UniversityGA · Public | 8.8 yrs | $11,898 | $5,385 |
| 21 | Morehouse CollegeGA · Private | 8.9 yrs | $39,013 | $17,600 |
| 22 | Coppin State UniversityMD · Public | 8.9 yrs | $9,977 | $4,459 |
| 23 | Norfolk State UniversityVA · Public | 9.2 yrs | $15,282 | $6,634 |
| 24 | Tuskegee UniversityAL · Private | 9.2 yrs | $35,013 | $15,171 |
| 25 | Southern University and A & M CollegeLA · Public | 9.4 yrs | $20,077 | $8,534 |
| 26 | University of Maryland Eastern ShoreMD · Public | 9.4 yrs | $13,338 | $5,666 |
| 27 | Johnson C Smith UniversityNC · Private | 10 yrs | $20,894 | $8,377 |
| 28 | Bethune-Cookman UniversityFL · Private | 10.1 yrs | $12,030 | $4,745 |
| 29 | Lincoln UniversityPA · Public | 10.9 yrs | $14,977 | $5,478 |
| 30 | Huston-Tillotson UniversityTX · Private | 11 yrs | $19,719 | $7,184 |
| 31 | Alabama A & M UniversityAL · Public | 11.4 yrs | $17,621 | $6,158 |
| 32 | Claflin UniversitySC · Private | 12.1 yrs | $17,800 | $5,892 |
| 33 | Savannah State UniversityGA · Public | 12.1 yrs | $8,172 | $2,692 |
| 34 | Fisk UniversityTN · Private | 12.2 yrs | $32,020 | $10,487 |
| 35 | Grambling State UniversityLA · Public | 12.6 yrs | $19,809 | $6,272 |
| 36 | Oakwood UniversityAL · Private | 12.8 yrs | $25,669 | $8,018 |
| 37 | Philander Smith UniversityAR · Private | 13.1 yrs | $14,224 | $4,357 |
| 38 | Wilberforce UniversityOH · Private | 15 yrs | $5,567 | $1,487 |
| 39 | Alcorn State UniversityMS · Public | 15.4 yrs | $13,265 | $3,447 |
| 40 | Jackson State UniversityMS · Public | 15.7 yrs | $23,836 | $6,086 |
| 41 | University of the Virgin IslandsVI · Public | 17.1 yrs | $7,469 | $1,750 |
| 42 | Bluefield State UniversityWV · Public | 17.8 yrs | $13,684 | $3,071 |
| 43 | South Carolina State UniversitySC · Public | 18.8 yrs | $18,097 | $3,850 |
| 44 | Kentucky State UniversityKY · Public | 19.2 yrs | $8,040 | $1,677 |
| 45 | Dillard UniversityLA · Private | 20.3 yrs | $22,094 | $4,359 |
| 46 | Clark Atlanta UniversityGA · Private | 20.3 yrs | $37,702 | $7,423 |
| 47 | Lincoln UniversityMO · Public | 20.7 yrs | $19,092 | $3,693 |
| 48 | Texas Southern UniversityTX · Public | 20.9 yrs | $16,590 | $3,171 |
| 49 | Fort Valley State UniversityGA · Public | 30 yrs | $10,338 | $1,377 |
| 50 | Florida Memorial UniversityFL · Private | 32.6 yrs | $23,238 | $2,851 |
Payback years = (average annual net price x 4) divided by (median earnings 10 years after entry minus the state median earnings of a high-school graduate, U.S. Census Bureau ACS). It is a transparent value signal, not an Ibex endorsement, a guarantee of any individual outcome, or a quality rating. Earnings reflect all students who entered, not only graduates, and net price is the average across income, so an individual’s figures will differ. Schools whose graduates do not out-earn a state high-school graduate, or that do not report net price or earnings, are excluded. Limited to institutions with at least 400 undergraduates. Per-school detail and peers appear on each institution’s profile.
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Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (2024-25); state earnings baselines from the U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2022 ACS 5-year). Compiled by Ibex Insights. For informational planning only, not financial advice. See the methodology.