College ROI

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Berea College

Berea, KY 1,513 Undergrads 65.2% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$60,718
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$6,106
After Aid
Median Earnings
$42,924
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$6,106
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$42,924
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$43,150
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate65.2%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.8
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients83.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS58.1%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
19.3%
SAT Avg
1,249
SAT Reading
25th: 58859875th: 680
SAT Math
25th: 56859675th: 655
ACT Composite
25th: 232675th: 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
+$394k
-$73k
-$91k
Median Cost$6k/yr
+$372k
-$95k
-$113k
Full Cost$61k/yr
+$175k
-$292k
-$309k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$6k/yr
Never
-513%
Full Cost$61k/yr
Never
-142%
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-163%

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-104%
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 (5yr)
$41,799
Natl Median: $53,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$129k
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$32,729
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$201k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,456
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
-$32k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$41,723
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$123k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$82,491
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$203k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$37,255
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$168k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$36,412
Natl Median: $49,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$169k
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General
BachCIP: 1500
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$55,830
Natl Median: $80,526
Lifetime Value Added
-$4k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$40,722
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$132k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
-$217k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$38,352
Natl Median: $48,460
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$29,013
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$233k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,459
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$24,035
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$269k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$17,846
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$326k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$13,702
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$365k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
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)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$40,768
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$61,814
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$64k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$23,579
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$273k
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
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,562
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.