Bethune-Cookman University — admissions, outcomes, merit aid & scholarships

🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Affordable on average — net price runs around $12,030/yr.

✅ Best for

Families wanting a small undergraduate experience

🎯 The reality

Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 830, or ACT below 15 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification

Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus

Total enrollment

2,732

1,000 - 4,999

In-state tuition

$14,794

sticker, before aid

Tuition

$14,794

flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)

Admit rate

99.9%

Accepts the majority

SAT middle 50%

830–1000

EBRW + Math composite

ACT middle 50%

15–18

composite

Test policy

Test-optional

2023

10-yr earnings

$38,518

median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry

$28,282

Earnings, 10 yrs after entry

$38,518

4-year completion

31%

Median debt (completers)

$31,000

Cost of attendance

$29,764

sticker price, not net

Pell-eligible students

78%

💰 True ROI

8.0× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)

$48,120

$12,030/yr avg net

Aid that hides behind the sticker

$70,936

vs sticker $119,056

10-yr earnings total

$385,180

$38,518/yr median, 10 yrs out

Years to recoup actual cost

1.2 yrs

at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At Bethune-Cookman University, the average net price is $12,030/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k

$10,896/yr

Family income $30-48k

$11,487/yr

Family income $48-75k

$14,346/yr

Family income $75-110k

$17,882/yr

Family income $110k+

$18,654/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use Bethune-Cookman University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Bethune-Cookman University →

Opens on Bethune-Cookman University's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Bethune-Cookman University

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Bethune-Cookman University actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Liberal Arts, Humanities, & General Studies

64 degrees · 28.1%

Typical career outcomes

Management Analyst $99k Marketing Specialist $75k HR Specialist $68k

Flexible degree → many paths. Real outcomes depend on the second skill (data, coding, teaching cert).

2. Business, Management, & Marketing

46 degrees · 20.2%

Typical career outcomes

Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k

Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.

3. Psychology

44 degrees · 19.3%

Typical career outcomes

HR Specialist $68k Market Research Analyst $75k Clinical Psychologist (post-PhD) $93k Social Worker $58k

Most undergrad psych grads go into non-clinical roles. Clinical/counseling psych requires a master's or doctoral.

4. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, & Firefighting

39 degrees · 17.1%

Typical career outcomes

Police Officer $72k Federal Special Agent $102k Detective / Investigator $91k

Public-sector careers in law enforcement, corrections, security. Strong pensions, modest base.

5. Communication, Journalism, & Related

35 degrees · 15.4%

Typical career outcomes

Public Relations Specialist $67k Marketing Manager $158k Writer / Editor $75k Reporter / Journalist $58k

Media, PR, marketing communications. Salary spread is wide.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at Bethune-Cookman University

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP)	Credential	Cohort	1-yr earnings	4-yr earnings
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	Bachelor's Degree	10	—	$76,641
Gerontology.	Bachelor's Degree	9	—	$51,623
Business Administration, Management and Operations.	Bachelor's Degree	42	—	$50,413
Criminal Justice and Corrections.	Bachelor's Degree	57	—	$46,540
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities.	Bachelor's Degree	41	$25,459	$42,127
Psychology, General.	Bachelor's Degree	60	—	$37,793
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas.	Bachelor's Degree	6	—	$33,933
Communication and Media Studies.	Bachelor's Degree	41	—	$30,852

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Bethune-Cookman University

CS degrees (annual)

3

CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Bethune-Cookman University vs. another college

Type the college you want to compare against. We'll show admit rates, net price by your family income, top majors with career outcomes, and merit aid — all in one side-by-side view.

Alternatives to Bethune-Cookman University

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options

These similar-selectivity schools have published auto-merit grids that Bethune-Cookman University doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.

Alabama State University

AL · Public

3 auto-merit scholarships on file

Texas State University

TX · Public

3 auto-merit scholarships on file

The University of Texas at Arlington

TX · Public

2 auto-merit scholarships on file

💰 Better out-of-state value

For families paying $110k+ income tuition, these schools cost meaningfully less than Bethune-Cookman University.

Fairmont State University