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Is Blackburn College worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Blackburn, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Heavy lift
Blackburn lands in the heavy lift band for a typical family. The combination of $25,577 in yearly net price and $21,857 in median debt asks a lot relative to median earnings of $48,794. For context, Blackburn's net price is about 7% below the typical 4-year, private nonprofit school. This does not make the school wrong for every student, but it does mean the price deserves a closer test.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 1237 similar 4-year, private nonprofit schools
This school
$21,349
/yrAverage school like this
$22,837
/yrThis helps your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $1,488 less per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $6,000 in savings.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price is doing real work against the score and raises the financing burden quickly.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$25,577
Median earnings 10 years out
$48,794
Median debt at graduation
$21,857
Graduation rate
53%
At Blackburn, a typical graduate carries about $21,857 in student debt and earns roughly $48,794 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $249 per month, or 6% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $6,994 more than the typical high school graduate ($41,800) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties undergraduate student-loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
72% of former students here out-earned that benchmark ten years after entry, per College Scorecard.
Context, not a federal determination: the official test will use earnings measured four years after completion and thresholds the Department of Education has not yet published, which may vary by state. Our figure is College Scorecard median earnings ten years after entry. How this works
What this means for your family
Blackburn is a private nonprofit four year school in Carlinville, IL. Private pricing can swing more dramatically based on aid, so your personalized score matters more here than the national average view alone.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Private nonprofit 4-year
Wheaton
Wheaton, IL
Worth-It Score: 74/100
Median net price: $26,059
Private nonprofit 4-year
Lake Forest
Lake Forest, IL
Worth-It Score: 73/100
Median net price: $24,987
Private nonprofit 4-year
DePaul
Chicago, IL
Worth-It Score: 70/100
Median net price: $27,108
Private nonprofit 4-year
Illinois Wesleyan
Bloomington, IL
Worth-It Score: 72/100
Median net price: $27,863
Private nonprofit 4-year
Elmhurst
Elmhurst, IL
Worth-It Score: 69/100
Median net price: $23,165
Common questions about Blackburn
The median net price at Blackburn is $25,577 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at private colleges options in Illinois? See the most affordable private colleges in Illinois →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →
What families actually paid
The published price is rarely what anyone pays. Pick a household income range to see what students at Blackburn in that range paid on average, after grants and scholarships.
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All students who received aid
$18,460a year, on average
Average for first-time, full-time students who received federal financial aid, 2024. It does not include transfer or part-time students, and it is an average rather than a quote — what you pay depends on your own circumstances and the aid this school offers you. Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS.
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →