Head-to-head comparison
Benedictine College vs Southwestern College: which has better ROI?
Option A Atchison, KS
Benedictine College
- Net price / year
- $27,891
- Earnings, 10 years
- $53,175
- Payback
- 23.2 yrs
Option B Winfield, KS
Southwestern College
- Net price / year
- $29,824
- Earnings, 10 years
- $55,646
- Payback
- 16.4 yrs
Southwestern College has the better ROI: it clears its 4-year net cost of $119,296 in 16.4 years versus 23.2 years at Benedictine College, on median earnings of $55,646 vs $53,175 ten years out. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Benedictine College | Southwestern College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $27,891 | $29,824 |
| Total net cost | $111,564 | $119,296 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $53,175 | $55,646 |
| Median debt | $24,599 | $25,000 |
| Payback | 23.2 yrs | 16.4 yrs |
| 20-year net return | -$15,264 | $26,424 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Benedictine College or Southwestern College?
Benedictine College, at $27,891 a year after aid versus $29,824 — a gap of $1,933 a year, or $7,732 across the full degree. These are net prices after grants and scholarships, not sticker prices, so they reflect what an aided student pays.
The short answer
Do Benedictine College or Southwestern College graduates earn more?
Southwestern College graduates report a median $55,646 ten years after entry, $2,471 more than the $53,175 at Benedictine College. Both are institution-wide medians from federal tax records, so a high-paying major at the lower school can beat the average at the higher one.
The short answer
Which leaves students with less debt, Benedictine College or Southwestern College?
Benedictine College: its completers carry a median $24,599 in federal loans versus $25,000 at Southwestern College, a difference of $401. The figure counts students who finished; it excludes private loans and anyone who left before graduating.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
62% of students finish at Benedictine College, against 36% at Southwestern College. Completion matters to the ROI arithmetic because a degree that is never finished still carries its cost and its debt, but earns none of the graduate premium above the $48,360 high-school baseline.