College ROI

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Bemidji State University

Bemidji, MN 3,139 Undergrads 55.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$22,744
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$15,261
After Aid
Median Earnings
$60,307
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$15,261
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$60,307
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$53,755
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate55.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age24.0
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 Recipients31.5%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time73.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS78.9%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
56.0%
SAT Avg
1,090
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: 182275th: 24

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
+$538k
+$71k
+$54k
Median Cost$15k/yr
+$483k
+$16k
-$1k
Full Cost$23k/yr
+$456k
-$11k
-$28k

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
37
∞
Median Cost$15k/yr
Never
-2%
Full Cost$23k/yr
Never
-34%
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 Return38%

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-38%
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.

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,365
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,528
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
+$25k

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$16,000
Earnings (4yr)
$72,153
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$91k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$19,696
Earnings (4yr)
$50,548
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
Median Debt
$19,125
Earnings (4yr)
$64,086
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$29k
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
$17,749
Earnings (4yr)
$48,877
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$95k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$88,278
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$201k
Median Debt
$16,375
Earnings (4yr)
$58,519
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$16k
Median Debt
$21,908
Earnings (4yr)
$54,642
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
Median Debt
$20,600
Earnings (4yr)
$45,822
Natl Median: $48,842
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General
BachCIP: 1500
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$90,868
Natl Median: $80,526
Lifetime Value Added
+$234k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,619
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$27,439
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$270k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,941
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
-$184k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$76,882
Natl Median: $80,890
Lifetime Value Added
+$127k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$211k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$47,260
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$93k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$49,001
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$20,102
Earnings (4yr)
$49,116
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$93k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$15,254
Earnings (4yr)
$84,436
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$185k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$36,034
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$211k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,366
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$56,345
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$33k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$57,357
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$25k
Median Debt
$21,132
Earnings (4yr)
$44,719
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$130k
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (4yr)
$47,137
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$110k
Median Debt
$18,750
Earnings (4yr)
$49,040
Natl Median: $45,338
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k

Master's Degrees

Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$63,456
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
-$109k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $74,607
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$29,500
Earnings (4yr)
$65,503
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,166
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.