College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Aurora University

Aurora, IL 3,974 Undergrads 67.0% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$42,013
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$19,385
After Aid
Median Earnings
$65,131
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$19,385
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$65,131
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$64,180
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate67.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average starting age (2015-17)23.4
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients50.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time92.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS81.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
80.8%
SAT Avg
1,076
SAT Reading
25th: 47054075th: 580
SAT Math
25th: 43051575th: 570
ACT Composite
25th: 212675th: 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
+$570k
+$99k
+$83k
Median Cost$19k/yr
+$500k
+$30k
+$13k
Full Cost$42k/yr
+$418k
-$52k
-$68k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
34
∞
Median Cost$19k/yr
54
19%
Full Cost$42k/yr
Never
-45%
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 Return8%

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-58%

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
$20,875
Earnings (4yr)
$74,820
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$99k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,159
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$16,293
Earnings (4yr)
$64,446
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$18k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$18,750
Earnings (4yr)
$50,079
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,928
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$18,800
Earnings (4yr)
$90,089
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$215k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$17,010
Earnings (4yr)
$60,808
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$52,231
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$44,786
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$77,436
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$119k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$18,750
Earnings (4yr)
$52,987
Natl Median: $61,911
Lifetime Value Added
-$76k
Try this program with your own numbers →
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$19,034
Earnings (5yr)
$48,359
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$123k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$18,325
Earnings (4yr)
$60,775
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$17,175
Earnings (4yr)
$64,813
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$21k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,503
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$30k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$18,250
Earnings (4yr)
$55,697
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$53k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$84,022
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$169k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$22,312
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,792
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$15,977
Earnings (4yr)
$55,546
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$54k
Try this program with your own numbers →
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
$19,999
Earnings (4yr)
$49,471
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$105k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$19,687
Earnings (4yr)
$46,609
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$129k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$265k
Try this program with your own numbers →

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$31,497
Earnings (4yr)
$81,740
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$46k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$73,726
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$25k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$32,874
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,800
Earnings (2yr)
$50,439
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$220k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$31,058
Earnings (4yr)
$83,746
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$63k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$76,260
Natl Median: $70,644
Lifetime Value Added
-$2k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Mathematics
MastCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$105,873
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$239k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$35,633
Earnings (4yr)
$61,710
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$64,110
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$30,400
Earnings (4yr)
$67,283
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$67,449
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k
Try this program with your own numbers →

Graduate Certificates

Social Work
Gr-CertCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,362
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$86,375
Natl Median: $83,031
Lifetime Value Added
-$50k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$136,318
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
+$293k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Social Work
DocCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $98,285
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.