College ROI

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Bellarmine University

Louisville, KY 2,161 Undergrads 66.3% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$60,872
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$17,991
After Aid
Median Earnings
$67,897
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$17,991
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$67,897
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$64,121
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate66.3%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.7
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients35.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS76.2%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
86.1%
SAT Avg
1,210
SAT Reading
25th: 51059575th: 630
SAT Math
25th: 52060075th: 620
ACT Composite
25th: 232475th: 28

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
+$591k
+$121k
+$105k
Median Cost$18k/yr
+$526k
+$56k
+$40k
Full Cost$61k/yr
+$372k
-$98k
-$114k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
32
∞
Median Cost$18k/yr
45
62%
Full Cost$61k/yr
Never
-52%
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-8%

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-66%

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 (5yr)
$71,942
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$71k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$79,698
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
+$141k
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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: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$23,456
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$318k
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Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$63,991
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$20k
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Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,975
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,665
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (4yr)
$51,527
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
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Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$49,331
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
-$84k
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Median Debt
$20,505
Earnings (4yr)
$45,612
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
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Median Debt
$19,900
Earnings (4yr)
$84,262
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$176k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$33,209
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$246k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,375
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$23,579
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$316k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,228
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k
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Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$24,218
Earnings (4yr)
$53,413
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$67k
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Median Debt
$22,875
Earnings (4yr)
$82,814
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$165k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,792
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,990
Earnings (5yr)
$43,094
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$162k
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Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (4yr)
$61,841
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$2k
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Median Debt
$26,990
Earnings (4yr)
$43,808
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$148k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,535
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Post-Baccalaureate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,165
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,639
Earnings (4yr)
$89,391
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$115k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $90,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,953
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$71,227
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $78,149
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$107,394
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$273k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,895
Earnings (4yr)
$54,573
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$197k
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Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $138,131
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$159,094
Earnings (4yr)
$81,343
Natl Median: $82,893
Lifetime Value Added
-$109k
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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.