Is Longwood University Worth It?

Longwood University gives you a moderate financial return that hinges heavily on your major. With a median debt of $25,000 against median earnings around $52,000 a decade out, most graduates can pay down their loans, but the margin is thin outside a few fields. The 61.6% graduation rate is the bigger risk: if you leave without a degree, you still owe the debt without the earnings to cover it.

Nursing is the clear winner here. It pays close to $60,000 and carries debt roughly in line with everything else, so the return on that borrowing is strong. Business Administration lands in the middle at about $45,000. After that, the numbers get uncomfortable. Health and Physical Education graduates borrow $27,000 but earn under $37,000, and Communication and Media Studies pairs $26,000 of debt with the lowest earnings on the list. If you plan to major in those fields, the debt outpaces the payoff, and you should keep your borrowing well below the median.

The specific risk at Longwood is a mismatch between roughly uniform debt across programs and wildly different earnings. Everyone borrows about $25,000, but a communication grad and a nursing grad face very different repayment realities.

This school fits you if you're headed into nursing or a health-care field, where the regional demand and starting pay justify the cost. If you're set on communication, fitness, or general liberal arts, look hard at cheaper options or a clear career plan before enrolling.

On price, the income tiers move sharply. If your family earns under $30,000, you pay less than $15,000 a year. above $110,000, you pay over $26,000. Lower-income families get a real discount here, which softens the risk if you pick a lower-paying major.