Rust College
#5 Best HBCUs for Education- Graduation Rate
- 17% F
- Lower completion rate than most colleges
- Earnings (10yr)
- $32,275 D+
- Below average for college graduates
- Net Price
- $12,587 B-
- 27% less than the typical college
- Acceptance Rate
- 49% B+
- Selective, but achievable with strong credentials
Bottom line: A C overall grade — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges. 17.2× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $17.2 over 20 years. Ranked #5 in Best HBCUs for Education.
Every $1 spent returns $17.2 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $817,960.
What The Data Says
-
A C overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.
-
Graduate earnings fall 21% below the national college median.
-
Graduation of 17% — 70% below the national average.
-
Social mobility rate of 2.35% — an engine of upward economic mobility.
-
Every $1 invested returns $17.2 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Why Rust College Matters
Rust College is a private liberal arts college in Holly Springs, MS and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a strong record of moving students up the income ladder. The result: durable upward mobility for the students it enrolls.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Private Liberal Arts College
- Carnegie Class
- Baccalaureate · Arts & Sciences
- Enrollment
- 467
- Setting
- Town
- Designations
- HBCU · 71
- Primary Strengths
- Business & Marketing, Education, Biology & Biomedical, Computer Science & IT
Why students choose Rust College
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
Selective — admits about 49% of applicants. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $12,587 a year after grants and scholarships — 27% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $32,275 ten years after enrolling — 21% below the typical college, against $26,159 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 2.3% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 20% nationally for mobility. High social capital (0.87 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
With an enrollment of 467 students, Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi, is a good fit for those seeking a close-knit community where individual attention is a priority. We see a diverse range of academic paths here, particularly in Biology and Biomedical studies, Business and Marketing, Communications, and Computer Science and IT. This variety allows students to explore their interests while also preparing for specific career fields.
After graduation, students can expect to earn around $32,275 within ten years. This number gives a glimpse into the potential outcomes for graduates, though it’s essential to consider the context of affordability. With a significant 71% of students receiving Pell Grants, financial support is available for many, making it easier to manage the costs associated with college.
Looking at the practical aspects, the net price after aid stands at $12,587, which is relatively manageable compared to the median debt of $26,159. While the graduation rate is on the lower side at 17%, students who thrive here often seek a supportive environment and are motivated to make the most of the resources available. Rust College can be a stepping stone for those ready to engage deeply with their education and community.
Rankings
- #5 Best HBCUs for Education
- #7 Best Education Colleges in Mississippi
- #8 Best Computer Science Colleges in Mississippi
- #8 Best Biology Colleges in Mississippi
- #8 Best Data Science Colleges in Mississippi
- #10 Best HBCUs for Social Work
- #10 Best Bachelor's Programs in Mississippi
- #10 Best Master's Programs in Mississippi
Can I Get In?
How selective Rust College is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Rust College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Rust College, located in Holly Springs, Mississippi, reviews applications selectively. The acceptance rate runs near 49%. The graduation rate is roughly 17%.
- Acceptance Rate
- 49%
- Retention Rate
- 84%
- Full-Time Faculty
- 86%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $5,096
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 8:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.16
- First-Gen Students
- 46%
- Applicants
- 2,467
- Admitted
- 1,943
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Rust College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Rust College is $13,265, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $12,587. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $12,546 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $26,159 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $13,265
- Out-of-State
- $13,265
- Avg Net Price
- $12,587
- Median Debt
- $26,159
- Pell Grant Rate
- 71%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 70%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $12,546
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $9,481
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $13,878
- Family Income $110K+
- $18,356
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Rust College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Rust College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Rust College report median earnings of $32,275, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $25,641
- 8 Years
- $26,918
- 10 Years
- $32,275
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.81x
- Earning > $25K
- 27%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (36)
- 14%
- 100% (36)
- 14%
- 100% (36)
- 14%
- 100% (36)
- 14%
How Rust Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Rust College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Rust College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $12,587/year ($50,348 total). Graduates earn $32,275 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $868,308 in total earnings — a net gain of $817,960 (17.2× your investment). The median debt is $26,159, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 17% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $50,348
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $868,308
- Net Return
- $817,960
- ROI Multiple
- 17.2×
- Cost Per Year
- $12,587
- Median Debt
- $26,159
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 17%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Rust College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Rust College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 2.35%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 35.5% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 6.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $33,000, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 2.35%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 6.6%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 35.5%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $44,835
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Federal Grants
- $8,314,299
- Investment Income
- $-5,283,667
Top Programs
The fields Rust College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Business & Marketing 23%
- Education 23% $23,116 early-career
- Biology & Biomedical 17% $20,906 early-career
- Computer Science & IT 13%
- Social Sciences 12%
- Mathematics & Statistics 4%
- Communications 2% $23,387 early-career
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Rust College's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- C+Marketing Manager$156,580 · 8% growthAdaptable 64
- B-AI/ML Engineer$156,000 · 23% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Computer Vision Engineer$145,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CPhysicist$142,850 · 5% growthAdaptable 66
- CAstronomer$142,850 · 4% growthAdaptable 66
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Rust College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Rust College, located in Holly Springs, Mississippi, reviews applications selectively. The acceptance rate runs near 49%. The graduation rate is roughly 17%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Rust College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Rust College is $13,265, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $12,587. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $12,546 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $26,159 in federal student loans.
Is Rust College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Rust College report median earnings of $32,275, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
Does Rust College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Rust College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 2.35%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 35.5% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 6.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $33,000, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Rust College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs around the national average at Rust College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.87, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.08), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 3% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Rust College.
- Carolina UniversityWinston-Salem, NC · Close peer24% grad $32,864 earn 40% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Livingstone CollegeSalisbury, NC · Close peer26% grad $32,600 earn 59% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Paul Quinn CollegeDallas, TX · Close peer33% grad $29,288 earn 40% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar size
- Allen UniversityColumbia, SC · Close peer13% grad $30,497 earn 73% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Andrew CollegeCuthbert, GA · Close peer30% grad $38,475 earn 46% acceptWhy: similar selectivity · similar size
- Tougaloo CollegeTougaloo, MS · Close peer33% grad $34,724 earn 60% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar size · same state
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Rust College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs around the national average at Rust College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.87, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.08), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 3% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note