Is William Carey University Worth It?

William Carey University's financial return depends almost entirely on what you study. The median graduate earns $43,087 ten years out against a net price near $17,000 a year, which puts most of the payoff on the nursing side of campus and leaves other majors trailing badly.

Nursing is the clear winner. It pays $56,415, more than $22,000 above the next bachelor's program listed, and it carries the same debt load a business or education graduate takes on for far less money. If you come here for the nursing program, the math works, and the Hattiesburg and broader Mississippi market keeps hospital demand steady enough to back that number up.

Everything else is a harder sell. Teacher education pays $33,993, business administration $29,685, biology $26,353, and health and physical education $24,325. Those last three sit below the median earnings for the whole school, meaning you would borrow around $20,000 to land in a job that pays under $30,000. Biology at $26,353 is the weakest return-per-dollar of the group. that degree usually only pays off after graduate school, which adds cost and time this data doesn't cover.

The specific risk here is graduation. Only 41% of students finish, so you face real odds of paying tuition without leaving with a degree, and debt without a credential is the worst outcome on the table. Retention at 80% is healthier, which suggests the drop-off comes later.

Net price barely moves by income. A family under $30,000 pays about $15,400, while one over $110,000 pays $19,800, so lower-income families don't get the steep discounts common at other private schools. This school fits you if you're set on nursing. If you want business, biology, or physical education, price the same degree at a cheaper public option first.