College ROI

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Amherst College

Amherst, MA 1,907 Undergrads 95.0% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$83,650
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$18,246
After Aid
Median Earnings
$77,644
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$18,246
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$77,644
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate95.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients22.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time100.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS79.8%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
9.8%
SAT Avg
1,494
SAT Reading
25th: 69072075th: 770
SAT Math
25th: 67074075th: 780
ACT Composite
25th: 313375th: 35

ROI Sensitivity Analysis

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
+$649k
+$253k
+$165k
Median Cost$18k/yr
+$584k
+$187k
+$99k
Full Cost$84k/yr
+$348k
-$48k
-$136k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
29
∞
Median Cost$18k/yr
36
151%
Full Cost$84k/yr
Never
-45%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year 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 Return6%

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-64%
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 with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Bachelor's Degrees

Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$16,750
Earnings (5yr)
$194,751
Lifetime Value Added
+$978k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$16,662
Earnings (5yr)
$150,151
Lifetime Value Added
+$649k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Lifetime Value Added
-$222k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$158,858
Lifetime Value Added
+$714k
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies
BachCIP: 2202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Lifetime Value Added
-$193k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$13,900
Earnings (5yr)
$125,945
Lifetime Value Added
+$471k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$83,307
Lifetime Value Added
+$153k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$129,705
Lifetime Value Added
+$499k
Research and Experimental Psychology
BachCIP: 4227
Median Debt
$10,800
Earnings (2yr)
$46,087
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$67,101
Lifetime Value Added
+$62k

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.