Paine College
Paine College is a private nonprofit college in Augusta, GA, with about 310 students on campus.
Paine College, in brief
Paine College is a historically Black college
It was founded to educate Black students, and 95% of undergraduates today are Black. The students ↓
A lower graduation rate than at most 4-year colleges
Only 14% of students graduate within six years, fewer than at 96% of 4-year colleges. 54% of first-year students come back for a second year. Outcomes ↓
Fewer borrowers paying down loans than at most colleges
Only 16% of federal borrowers had paid down any of their loan within three years, fewer than at 99% of U.S. colleges. Outcomes ↓
Most students come from lower-income families
76% of undergraduates receive Pell grants, the federal grant for lower-income students. The students ↓
Paine College is very small
About 310 students attend on campus. With classes this small, a handful of students can move the graduation rate from one year to the next. The students ↓
This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard; at a college this small, rates can swing from year to year.
The students
388 degree-seeking undergraduates.
By race and ethnicity
Women and men
How hard is it to get into Paine College?
of applicants admitted
About 19 of every 20 applicants get in.
Test scores of admitted students
No SAT or ACT ranges reported. Paine College is likely test-optional and admits nearly everyone who applies.
The sticker price, and what families really pay
Sticker price: $27,431 a year
Before any grants
After grants, the average family on aid pays $16,670.
Your family’s price
Average net price after grants, by family income
About $68,932 over 4 years · 37% off the sticker price
Do students finish, and does it pay off?
Paying back loans
Federal student loans, this college
of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 1% of U.S. colleges.
Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).
Earnings by family background
Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment
What students study, and what it pays
Share of degrees by field
Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates
And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).
Living in Augusta
7% of Augusta’s 206,559 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Augusta pages.
Other colleges within 30 miles
Straight-line distances from Paine College; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.
Ask around
Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.