College ROI

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Bellarmine University

Louisville, KY 2,161 Undergrads 65.0% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$61,691
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$21,499
After Aid
Median Earnings
$64,564
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$21,499
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$64,564
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$62,069
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate65.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.7
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients28.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS81.3%

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
+$572k
+$105k
+$88k
Median Cost$21k/yr
+$495k
+$28k
+$10k
Full Cost$62k/yr
+$350k
-$117k
-$134k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
33
∞
Median Cost$21k/yr
56
13%
Full Cost$62k/yr
Never
-61%
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-22%

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-69%
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
-
Earnings (2yr)
$55,512
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$79,698
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
+$126k
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 (5yr)
$67,798
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$25k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$63,991
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$6k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,519
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
-$24k
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
$25,853
Earnings (4yr)
$50,665
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$103k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,990
Earnings (4yr)
$51,527
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$95k
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
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$49,331
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
-$97k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$45,612
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$84,262
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$161k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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
-
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
-$328k
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
$25,226
Earnings (4yr)
$52,228
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$25,990
Earnings (4yr)
$53,413
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$82,814
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$150k
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
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$45,601
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$153k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$25,841
Earnings (4yr)
$61,841
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$43,808
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$161k
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
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,018
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,735
Earnings (4yr)
$89,391
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$108k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$103,952
Natl Median: $125,988
Lifetime Value Added
+$218k
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)
-
Natl Median: $120,083
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$71,227
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$51k
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
+$265k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Taxation
MastCIP: 5216
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $114,810
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,137
Earnings (4yr)
$54,573
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$203k

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
$136,158
Earnings (4yr)
$81,343
Natl Median: $82,893
Lifetime Value Added
-$122k

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.