College ROI

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Abilene Christian University

Abilene, TX 3,195 Undergrads 59.4% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$59,256
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$26,182
After Aid
Median Earnings
$59,305
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$26,182
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$59,305
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$55,736
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate59.4%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.9
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients22.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS74.1%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
66.0%
SAT Avg
1,194
SAT Reading
25th: 54058575th: 650
SAT Math
25th: 53057575th: 620
ACT Composite
25th: 222575th: 28

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 4 Years to Graduation

This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.

Lifetime Value Added (NPV)

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$530k
+$63k
+$46k
Median Cost$26k/yr
+$436k
-$31k
-$48k
Full Cost$59k/yr
+$317k
-$150k
-$168k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
39
∞
Median Cost$26k/yr
Never
-51%
Full Cost$59k/yr
Never
-79%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
  • Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
  • Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
  • NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.

Social Impact ROINew

Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.

Donor Return-54%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew

Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.

Taxpayer Return-78%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator, or for more sophisticated analysis, the Guided ROI Interview, with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$93,032
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$211k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,647
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Animal Sciences
BachCIP: 0109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,634
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,161
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,173
Natl Median: $44,533
Lifetime Value Added
-$285k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$25,625
Earnings (5yr)
$51,357
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$122k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$63,259
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,202
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$132k
Median Debt
$15,100
Earnings (4yr)
$70,864
Natl Median: $58,928
Lifetime Value Added
+$42k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$91,894
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$202k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$31,741
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$270k
Median Debt
$21,875
Earnings (4yr)
$49,818
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$127k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,753
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,375
Earnings (4yr)
$83,525
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$139k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Gerontology
BachCIP: 3011
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,051
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,525
Natl Median: $48,568
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$22,864
Earnings (4yr)
$65,244
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$1k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$51,695
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (4yr)
$51,705
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,568
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$218k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,850
Earnings (4yr)
$89,079
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$181k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$53,877
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$93k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$21,375
Earnings (4yr)
$62,645
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$22k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,334
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,566
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$129k
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$47,663
Natl Median: $43,566
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$99,319
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$186k
Median Debt
$36,818
Earnings (4yr)
$105,173
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$237k
Median Debt
$63,621
Earnings (4yr)
$60,600
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$155k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,953
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$54,837
Earnings (4yr)
$64,230
Natl Median: $67,030
Lifetime Value Added
-$122k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,269
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$57,443
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$184k
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,649
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$201k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$57,049
Earnings (4yr)
$55,407
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$203k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,204
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$40,875
Earnings (4yr)
$84,172
Natl Median: $75,122
Lifetime Value Added
+$54k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,024
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$40,999
Earnings (4yr)
$54,949
Natl Median: $70,267
Lifetime Value Added
-$208k
Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,711
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$55,660
Earnings (4yr)
$78,976
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,737
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,816
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$153k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,300
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $94,506
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,965
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,288
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$33,823
Earnings (4yr)
$56,391
Natl Median: $59,095
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
$64,561
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,854
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$45,439
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $138,131
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.

For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate decision moving forward. Note that the institution's average undergraduate net price is used as a proxy for annual cost, which may differ from actual graduate tuition. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.

Completers Only: Federal median earnings data strictly reflects outcomes for students who successfully graduated. Students who do not complete their degree typically earn significantly less and face higher risks of debt default.