College ROI

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Adelphi University

Garden City, NY 5,276 Undergrads 71.8% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$63,189
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$30,783
After Aid
Median Earnings
$83,002
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$30,783
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$83,002
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$75,482
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate71.8%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age21.7
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients30.5%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS80.6%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
65.9%
SAT Avg
1,219
SAT Reading
25th: 57059575th: 660
SAT Math
25th: 55060075th: 680
ACT Composite
25th: 242675th: 30

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
+$713k
+$246k
+$229k
Median Cost$31k/yr
+$602k
+$136k
+$118k
Full Cost$63k/yr
+$486k
+$19k
+$1k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
27
∞
Median Cost$31k/yr
37
107%
Full Cost$63k/yr
64
1%
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 Return93%

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-36%
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

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,242
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$100,895
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$255k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,891
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$75,921
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$64k
Median Debt
$19,250
Earnings (4yr)
$69,087
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$12k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$71,498
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
+$19k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$50,556
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
Median Debt
$24,032
Earnings (4yr)
$64,190
Natl Median: $58,928
Lifetime Value Added
-$26k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$77,155
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$73k
Median Debt
$23,228
Earnings (4yr)
$54,469
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$32,810
Natl Median: $39,980
Lifetime Value Added
-$295k
Median Debt
$24,125
Earnings (4yr)
$37,630
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$247k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,625
Earnings (5yr)
$48,524
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$162k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$97,175
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$226k
Median Debt
$23,500
Earnings (4yr)
$50,759
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$135k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Homeland Security
BachCIP: 4303
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,193
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,273
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$77,418
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$75k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$86,028
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$141k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$347k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$34,704
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$260k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,654
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$306k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$22,875
Earnings (4yr)
$61,393
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$48k
Median Debt
$25,375
Earnings (4yr)
$112,945
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$346k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$41,924
Natl Median: $53,366
Lifetime Value Added
-$210k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$20,750
Earnings (4yr)
$66,162
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$66,003
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$70,416
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$22k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$114,578
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$311k
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$40,500
Earnings (4yr)
$101,097
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$193k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$79,753
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$7k
Median Debt
$92,680
Earnings (4yr)
$75,285
Natl Median: $67,030
Lifetime Value Added
-$33k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,269
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$73,800
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$46k
Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities
MastCIP: 5132
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,487
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Homeland Security
MastCIP: 4303
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $96,660
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$52,433
Earnings (4yr)
$96,747
Natl Median: $101,441
Lifetime Value Added
+$155k
Median Debt
$80,084
Earnings (4yr)
$61,410
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$156k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $74,607
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,141
Natl Median: $64,711
Lifetime Value Added
-$385k
Public Health
MastCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,751
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$53,604
Earnings (4yr)
$137,582
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$510k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,035
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$50,286
Earnings (4yr)
$71,718
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
Median Debt
$52,625
Earnings (4yr)
$80,788
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
+$15k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$79,199
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
+$1k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$48,250
Earnings (4yr)
$85,752
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
+$59k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,767
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $77,692
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, Other
Gr-CertCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,921
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $126,911
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
Gr-CertCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,362
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$79,784
Natl Median: $69,147
Lifetime Value Added
+$86k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$59,417
Natl Median: $59,417
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,444
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,178
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
$144,795
Earnings (4yr)
$124,820
Natl Median: $99,878
Lifetime Value Added
+$167k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $88,343
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $138,131
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
DocCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $98,285
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.