College ROI

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Augustana College

Rock Island, IL 2,490 Undergrads 77.7% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$63,553
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$22,736
After Aid
Median Earnings
$60,377
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$22,736
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$60,377
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$62,971
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate77.7%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.6
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients23.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS79.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
62.7%
SAT Avg
1,165
SAT Reading
25th: 520-75th: 630
SAT Math
25th: 510-75th: 640
ACT Composite
25th: 21-75th: 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
+$539k
+$72k
+$54k
Median Cost$23k/yr
+$457k
-$10k
-$27k
Full Cost$64k/yr
+$310k
-$157k
-$174k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
37
∞
Median Cost$23k/yr
Never
-34%
Full Cost$64k/yr
Never
-76%
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-50%

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-78%
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

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$91,143
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$209k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Applied Mathematics
BachCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $91,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$68,648
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$37k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$81,562
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$136k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,429
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,375
Earnings (4yr)
$63,730
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$846
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$60,223
Natl Median: $58,928
Lifetime Value Added
-$29k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,015
Natl Median: $55,384
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$83,339
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$150k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$49,518
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$125k
Median Debt
$26,955
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$77,027
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$90k
Engineering Physics
BachCIP: 1412
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$85,993
Natl Median: $89,154
Lifetime Value Added
+$170k
Median Debt
$26,759
Earnings (4yr)
$43,492
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$168k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,763
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,025
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
-$175k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,459
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$60,119
Natl Median: $61,911
Lifetime Value Added
-$39k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$26,243
Earnings (4yr)
$45,048
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$154k
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$75,672
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
+$91k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,937
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$166k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$62,757
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$60,107
Natl Median: $62,451
Lifetime Value Added
-$39k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,295
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,818
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$89k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$33,950
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$250k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,909
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$26,497
Earnings (4yr)
$57,943
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$47,613
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,092
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$95k

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.