Degree Dividend
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Blackburn College — ROI, Cost & Payback

Private nonprofit · Carlinville, IL · 471 students

The verdict

Blackburn College charges a net price of $18,460/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $73,840. Median earnings ten years after entry are $46,802, 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.)

Share
$18,460
Net price / yr
Scorecard, 2026
$46,802
Median earnings, 10 yrs
Scorecard, 2026
Payback
Our math, 2026
63%
Admission rate
Scorecard, 2026
Blackburn College: cost, earnings and payback
MeasureValueSource
Net price (after aid)$18,460/yrScorecard, 2026
Total net cost (4 yrs)$73,840our math
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry$46,802Scorecard, 2026
Earnings premium over HS baseline$-1,558/yrour math
Median debt (completers)$24,242Scorecard, 2026
Paybackdoes not clearour math
20-year net return$-105,000our math

College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.

How we compute this. Payback = total net cost ÷ annual earnings premium, where the premium is median earnings 10 years after entry minus the $48,360 baseline (BLS 2024 median for a high-school-diploma worker 25+). Total net cost = net price × 4 years. We do not discount future dollars. The institution-wide earnings figure blends every major — a specific program's payback can be far better or worse. Full method on the methodology page.