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Arcadia University
Glenside, PA 1,948 Undergrads 63.0% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$64,645
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$29,466
After Aid
Median Earnings
$60,044
4yr Post-Grad
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$29,466
Peer Midpoint: $20,080.5
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$60,044
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Graduation Rate63.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients29.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time93.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS71.8%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
80.2%
SAT Avg
1,190
SAT Reading
25th: 55060075th: 650
SAT Math
25th: 51558075th: 615
ACT Composite
25th: -2575th: -
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
+$536k
+$69k
+$52k
Median Cost$29k/yr
+$430k
-$37k
-$54k
Full Cost$65k/yr
+$303k
-$163k
-$181k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
38
∞
Median Cost$29k/yr
Never
-51%
Full Cost$65k/yr
Never
-78%
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-53%
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-79%
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
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$73,901
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$53k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$73,377
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$49k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Business/Managerial Economics
BachCIP: 5206
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $77,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$40,740
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$215k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$26,358
Earnings (4yr)
$86,116
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$147k
Criminology
BachCIP: 4504
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$47,772
Natl Median: $55,556
Lifetime Value Added
-$156k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,369
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$214k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$39,087
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$230k
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$40,802
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$215k
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
BachCIP: 5006
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$26,975
Earnings (4yr)
$37,489
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$243k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
BachCIP: 5107
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$59,441
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$56,331
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$84k
International Business
BachCIP: 5211
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$58,788
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
International Relations and National Security Studies
BachCIP: 4509
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,307
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
-$109k
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies
BachCIP: 2202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
BachCIP: 5213
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$43,798
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$174k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$66,995
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$367
Medical Illustration and Informatics
BachCIP: 5127
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,739
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
BachCIP: 3099
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$27,488
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$321k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,517
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication
BachCIP: 0907
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$301k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
BachCIP: 2313
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,810
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$245k
Special Education and Teaching
BachCIP: 1310
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$32,925
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$272k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,766
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
Master's Degrees
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
MastCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$105,774
Earnings (4yr)
$132,612
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
+$470k
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
MastCIP: 4228
Median Debt
$35,750
Earnings (4yr)
$68,618
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$89k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$88,514
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$86k
English Language and Literature, General
MastCIP: 2301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$47,260
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
-$269k
Genetics
MastCIP: 2608
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$93,422
Natl Median: $92,660
Lifetime Value Added
+$128k
International Business
MastCIP: 5211
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$95,337
Natl Median: $97,121
Lifetime Value Added
+$145k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
MastCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,716
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
MastCIP: 3099
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,122
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
MastCIP: 3005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$55,263
Natl Median: $70,267
Lifetime Value Added
-$211k
Public Health
MastCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$116,631
Natl Median: $82,751
Lifetime Value Added
+$331k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
MastCIP: 2313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,358
Natl Median: $55,035
Lifetime Value Added
-$238k
Security Science and Technology
MastCIP: 4304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$67,378
Natl Median: $82,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
Special Education and Teaching
MastCIP: 1310
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$69,227
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$84k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$33,223
Earnings (4yr)
$62,167
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$147k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
MastCIP: 1313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,242
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$155k
Graduate Certificates
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Gr-CertCIP: 5123
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,852
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Doctoral Degrees
Educational Administration and Supervision
DocCIP: 1304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
DocCIP: 5123
Median Debt
$87,258
Earnings (4yr)
$84,021
Natl Median: $82,893
Lifetime Value Added
-$130k
Special Education and Teaching
DocCIP: 1310
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $90,739
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Other Programs
Special Education and Teaching
DegCIP: 1310
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,406
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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.