College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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Bemidji State University

Bemidji, MN 3,120 Undergrads 55.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$23,066
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$17,050
After Aid
Median Earnings
$53,755
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$17,050
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$53,755
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate55.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients30.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time72.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS78.9%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
70.7%
SAT Avg
1,090
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: 182275th: 23

ROI Sensitivity Analysis

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
+$468k
+$71k
-$17k
Median Cost$17k/yr
+$406k
+$10k
-$78k
Full Cost$23k/yr
+$385k
-$12k
-$100k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$17k/yr
Never
-127%
Full Cost$23k/yr
Never
-120%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year 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-114%

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-77%
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 with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Associate's Degrees

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$41,922
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k

Bachelor's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$16,000
Earnings (5yr)
$65,245
Lifetime Value Added
+$21k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$19,696
Earnings (5yr)
$58,785
Lifetime Value Added
-$29k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$19,125
Earnings (5yr)
$58,292
Lifetime Value Added
-$33k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$17,749
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Lifetime Value Added
-$217k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$88,278
Lifetime Value Added
+$195k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$16,375
Earnings (5yr)
$61,873
Lifetime Value Added
-$5k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
$21,908
Earnings (5yr)
$34,819
Lifetime Value Added
-$228k
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology
BachCIP: 2613
Median Debt
$20,600
Earnings (5yr)
$54,285
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Engineering Technology, General
BachCIP: 1500
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$80,665
Lifetime Value Added
+$138k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$27,439
Lifetime Value Added
-$277k
Geography and Cartography
BachCIP: 4507
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,941
Lifetime Value Added
-$191k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$46,167
Lifetime Value Added
-$132k
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$79,984
Lifetime Value Added
+$132k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Lifetime Value Added
-$217k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$47,260
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$20,102
Earnings (5yr)
$51,767
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$15,254
Earnings (5yr)
$79,411
Lifetime Value Added
+$128k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
BachCIP: 2313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$36,034
Lifetime Value Added
-$218k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (5yr)
$51,542
Lifetime Value Added
-$88k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$21,132
Earnings (5yr)
$43,816
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (5yr)
$48,268
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.