More selective than 100% of Kentucky colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $60,718. College Scorecard.
Higher than 75% of Kentucky colleges we cover and 59% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 31% of Kentucky colleges we cover and 20% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Berea College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 2,073 applicants, Berea College admitted 678 and 413 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1156–1335 on the SAT or 23–28 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Berea College tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Berea College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Berea College took 4.3 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Kentucky. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $5,428 | $23,612 | 2.5 years |
| $30–48k | $4,598 | $20,001 | 2.1 years |
| $48–75k | $8,132 | $35,374 | 3.7 years |
| $75–110k | $7,570 | $32,930 | 3.4 years |
| $110k+ | $13,700 | $59,595 | 6.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (41% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($43,150) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in KY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $9,634 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Berea College majors, earnings & careers
Berea College offers 36 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 10
- Science & Math · 6
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Arts & Design · 3
- Business & Finance · 3
- Education · 3
- Health & Medicine · 3
- Communications & Media · 1
- Engineering · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Berea College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $82,491 | — |
| Engineering Technologies / Technicians | $55,830 | — |
| Business | $52,456 | — |
| Communications | $41,723 | $5,801 |
| Psychology | $40,768 | — |
| English | $40,722 | — |
| Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences | $38,352 | — |
| Education | $36,412 | — |
Quick list of all 36 majors
- Agriculture—
- Applied Mathematics—
- Area Studies—
- Biology$32,729
- Business$52,456
- Business Administration—
- Chemistry—
- Communications$41,723
- Computer and Information Sciences$82,491
- Economics—
- Education$36,412
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Engineering Technologies / Technicians$55,830
- English$40,722
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences$38,352
- German—
- Health Sciences—
- History—
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Mathematics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Nursing—
- Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$40,768
- Religious Studies—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art$29,013
- Theatre—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Computer and Information Sciences → Software developer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Berea
2 bedrooms $993.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 51 inches of rain a year, 7 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Madison County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Madison County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Berea College with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Kentucky by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berea College | 19% | $6,106 | 58% | $43,150 | This school |
| Brescia University | 35% | $8,709 | 54% | $45,500 | |
| Asbury University | 63% | $21,401 | 65% | $42,368 | |
| Lindsey Wilson College | — | $15,070 | 44% | $41,129 | |
| Centre College | 54% | $20,781 | 81% | $66,240 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Berea College would cost you $2,603 less per year than Brescia University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Berea College, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$20,108).
- Berea College gives aided families $18,993 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Kentucky resident | Berea College | Brescia University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $51,658 | $31,550 | +$20,108 |
| Books & supplies | $700 | $3,000 | −$2,300 |
| Housing & meals | $7,892 | $10,935 | −$3,043 |
| Personal & travel | $2,800 | $2,100 | +$700 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,332 | −$3,257 | +$925 |
| Sticker price | $60,718 | $44,328 | +$16,390 |
| Average grants | −$54,612 | −$35,619 | −$18,993 |
| You pay | $6,106 | $8,709 | −$2,603 |
“+” means Berea College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Berea College
What is the Berea College acceptance rate?
Berea College accepts 19% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 678 of 2,073 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1156–1335 on the SAT or 23–28 on the ACT.
How much does Berea College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $60,718 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $6,106 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $5,428 and families earning $110k+ pay $13,700.
How much do Berea College graduates earn?
Former Berea College students earn a median $43,150 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Berea College graduation rate?
58% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 79% return for their second year.
How long does a Berea College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Berea College costs about $35,374 after grants ($8,132 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $43,150 ten years after starting, $9,634 more than high school graduates in Kentucky ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 3.7 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Berea College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/berea-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).