College ROI

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Aurora University

Aurora, IL 3,974 Undergrads 67.2% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$40,625
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$18,838
After Aid
Median Earnings
$64,521
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$18,838
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$64,521
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$58,709
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate67.2%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age23.4
Warning: High average starting age indicates non-traditional students with prior work experience, which may inflate the median earnings shown.
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients45.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time92.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS81.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
80.8%
SAT Avg
1,076
SAT Reading
25th: 47052575th: 580
SAT Math
25th: 43052075th: 570
ACT Composite
25th: 212275th: 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)
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$572k
+$105k
+$87k
Median Cost$19k/yr
+$504k
+$37k
+$19k
Full Cost$41k/yr
+$425k
-$42k
-$59k

ROI Efficiency Metrics
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
33
∞
Median Cost$19k/yr
51
29%
Full Cost$41k/yr
Never
-40%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
  • 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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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 Return18%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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-54%
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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$74,820
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$99k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$22,133
Earnings (4yr)
$52,159
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
Median Debt
$20,595
Earnings (4yr)
$64,446
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$19k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$75,737
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
+$94k
Median Debt
$19,653
Earnings (4yr)
$50,079
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,928
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$22,850
Earnings (4yr)
$90,089
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$215k
Median Debt
$19,597
Earnings (4yr)
$60,808
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k
Median Debt
-
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 (2yr)
$28,236
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$276k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$44,786
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
-$143k
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$77,436
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$119k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,050
Earnings (4yr)
$52,987
Natl Median: $61,911
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$27,048
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$287k
Median Debt
$23,313
Earnings (4yr)
$60,775
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$64,813
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$22k
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
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,983
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
-$29k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$18,585
Earnings (4yr)
$55,697
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$51k
Median Debt
$22,654
Earnings (4yr)
$84,022
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$169k
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,792
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$21,579
Earnings (4yr)
$55,546
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$53k
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
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,471
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$103k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,887
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,406
Earnings (4yr)
$46,609
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$127k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$263k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$23,199
Earnings (4yr)
$84,867
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$73k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$65,882
Natl Median: $71,241
Lifetime Value Added
-$105k
Median Debt
$30,785
Earnings (4yr)
$81,740
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$46k
Median Debt
$27,588
Earnings (4yr)
$73,726
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$25k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$50,439
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$218k
Median Debt
$23,641
Earnings (4yr)
$83,746
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$63k
Median Debt
$20,505
Earnings (4yr)
$76,260
Natl Median: $70,644
Lifetime Value Added
-$2k
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 (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$30,695
Earnings (4yr)
$61,710
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
Median Debt
$32,101
Earnings (4yr)
$64,110
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$110k
Median Debt
$22,386
Earnings (4yr)
$67,283
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$68,751
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k

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
-$49k
Median Debt
$50,408
Earnings (4yr)
$136,318
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
+$295k
Social Work
DocCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $98,285
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Other Programs

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,406
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,802
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.