Barton College
Private College in Wilson, NC. Six-year graduation rate 46%. Median 10-year earnings $47,913.
The median ten-year earnings figure of $47,913 sits near the national middle rather than at either extreme. 46% finish within six years — respectable, though a meaningful share still leave without a credential. Graduates carry a median of $25,877 in debt — in line with the national norm.
Earnings: College Scorecard, median ten years after entry across students who received federal aid — completers and non-completers alike.
- ✓ 3-year loan default 0.0% — below national benchmark
- ! Mobility score 0.5 — limited economic uplift documented
Admissions
Barton College admits 94% of applicants — effectively open admission, so the application is a formality rather than a hurdle. 2,657 students applied in the most recent cycle — a mid-sized pool drawn mostly from the surrounding region. Only 10% of admitted students enroll — the great majority of admits go elsewhere or nowhere.
Test score bands (middle 50% of submitters)
These bands describe the enrolled first-years who submitted a score, not the entering class. Where most students apply test-optional the submitters are a self-selected, higher-scoring group.
| Test | 25th–75th percentile | Submitted |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading | — | — |
| SAT Math | — | |
| ACT Composite | — | — |
IPEDS Admissions · 2024
Apply at Barton College →Academics
Six-year completion sits at 46%, meaning about one in two students who enroll leave without finishing. First-year retention is 65% — the single largest point of attrition on this campus. Retention and completion are close, which places the gap between entering and finishing almost entirely in year one. At 14:1, students get materially more instructor contact than at a typical public university. As a private nonprofit four-year college, the relevant comparison is other four-year schools rather than the national average across all institutions.
Financial Aid
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · grant and loan rates against 1,020 degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates
Average net price after grant aid is $23,962 a year — mid-range for a four-year institution. Net price swings hard on family income here, from $19,641 at the $0–30k band to $30,286 at $110k+. 97% of students get grant aid averaging $25,171, so the published price is a poor guide to what most pay. Most students borrow — 69% take federal loans to cover the gap.
Entering first-year students
A different, smaller group than the rates above: full-time students in their first year of college anywhere. The grant series here also excludes the "other sources" counted in the all-undergraduate figure, so the two are not comparable.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · 281 students
Net price by family income
The same students as the headline above, limited to those who received Title IV federal aid — a narrower group, with a lower overall average. IPEDS publishes no combined figure across these bands, so they should not be averaged into one.
| Family income band | Average net price |
|---|---|
| $0–30k | $19,641 |
| $30–48k | $18,497 |
| $48–75k | $22,510 |
| $75–110k | $25,308 |
| $110k+ | $30,286 |
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Federal student loans went to 702 of these 1,020 students, totalling $4,598,835 — an average of $6,551 each.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Local housing costs
Typical rents near campus (Wilson County) — budget these against any cost-of-attendance housing estimate.
HUD Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities) · FY2026
Veterans & GI Bill
VA GI Bill Comparison Tool (Veterans Affairs GIDS)