College ROI

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Anderson University

Anderson, SC 3,183 Undergrads 63.4% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$52,108
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$24,068
After Aid
Median Earnings
$53,246
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$24,068
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$53,246
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$51,191
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate63.4%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age22.5
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients26.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time96.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS73.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
54.7%
SAT Avg
1,202
SAT Reading
25th: 560-75th: 650
SAT Math
25th: 540-75th: 630
ACT Composite
25th: 22-75th: 29

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
+$474k
+$4k
-$12k
Median Cost$24k/yr
+$387k
-$83k
-$99k
Full Cost$52k/yr
+$287k
-$184k
-$200k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$24k/yr
Never
-114%
Full Cost$52k/yr
Never
-107%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.
  • 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-102%

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-89%

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)
$79,844
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$120k
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Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,240
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,533
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$22,750
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,354
Earnings (4yr)
$63,035
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,833
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
-$20k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,750
Earnings (4yr)
$49,825
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
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Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,980
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$44,221
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$167k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$36,872
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$230k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,961
Earnings (2yr)
$26,739
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$309k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,911
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,934
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)
$62,076
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$42,718
Natl Median: $48,597
Lifetime Value Added
-$179k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$53,985
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$84k
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Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,103
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Non-Professional Legal Studies
BachCIP: 2200
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,959
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,915
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$21,875
Earnings (5yr)
$52,182
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k
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Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,568
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$96k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$243k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$44,648
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
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Median Debt
$18,156
Earnings (4yr)
$76,147
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$92k
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Median Debt
$20,929
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$243k
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Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$21,404
Earnings (4yr)
$50,409
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
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Median Debt
$26,600
Earnings (4yr)
$43,612
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$172k
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Median Debt
$22,625
Earnings (4yr)
$46,273
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$149k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,535
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$33,795
Earnings (4yr)
$87,271
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$86k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$69,725
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
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Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$23,894
Earnings (4yr)
$53,016
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$224k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,447
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$135k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,558
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$114,508
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$324k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,804
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$150k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,300
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $138,131
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,982
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.