College ROI

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Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL 6,124 Undergrads 32.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$27,732
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$18,255
After Aid
Median Earnings
$54,446
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$18,255
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$54,446
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+32%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$41,266
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate32.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average starting age (2015-17)20.3
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients65.5%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time92.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS51.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
58.0%
SAT Avg
938
SAT Reading
25th: 42047075th: 530
SAT Math
25th: 39044075th: 510
ACT Composite
25th: 141775th: 19

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
+$484k
+$14k
-$2k
Median Cost$18k/yr
+$418k
-$52k
-$68k
Full Cost$28k/yr
+$384k
-$86k
-$102k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$18k/yr
Never
-104%
Full Cost$28k/yr
Never
-102%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
  • 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-87%

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-75%

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,503
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$1k
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Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields, Other
BachCIP: 0199
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,543
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Animal Sciences
BachCIP: 0109
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,634
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,115
Earnings (4yr)
$42,272
Natl Median: $44,889
Lifetime Value Added
-$162k
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Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$44,145
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$146k
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Median Debt
$30,000
Earnings (4yr)
$58,176
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$28k
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Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,874
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$27,748
Earnings (2yr)
$47,260
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
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Median Debt
$22,792
Earnings (4yr)
$88,490
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$207k
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Construction Engineering Technology/Technician
BachCIP: 1510
Median Debt
$27,503
Earnings (5yr)
$75,844
Natl Median: $93,843
Lifetime Value Added
+$99k
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Median Debt
$28,500
Earnings (4yr)
$48,912
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
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Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (4yr)
$98,045
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$280k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,027
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$44,814
Natl Median: $48,460
Lifetime Value Added
-$141k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,568
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
-$190k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,873
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Forestry
BachCIP: 0305
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$64,749
Natl Median: $58,784
Lifetime Value Added
+$25k
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Median Debt
$27,375
Earnings (4yr)
$43,770
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$150k
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Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,307
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
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Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,205
Earnings (4yr)
$87,291
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$198k
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Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
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
$26,971
Earnings (4yr)
$42,127
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$164k
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Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$30,500
Earnings (4yr)
$47,121
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
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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
$23,843
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$193k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$42,159
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$170k
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Master's Degrees

Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields, Other
MastCIP: 0199
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,313
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$54,216
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
-$201k
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Median Debt
$40,436
Earnings (4yr)
$68,819
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
-$66k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$47,260
Natl Median: $79,665
Lifetime Value Added
-$250k
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Median Debt
$71,443
Earnings (4yr)
$48,983
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$252k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$59,307
Natl Median: $71,953
Lifetime Value Added
-$164k
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Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$59,981
Natl Median: $67,030
Lifetime Value Added
-$147k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $124,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$79,157
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$11k
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Engineering, Other
MastCIP: 1499
Median Debt
$30,472
Earnings (4yr)
$103,898
Natl Median: $129,974
Lifetime Value Added
+$242k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,397
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $88,332
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
MastCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $96,478
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$39,229
Earnings (4yr)
$51,295
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$229k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$42,494
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
-$315k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,412
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$143k
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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.