Bluefield State University

Bluefield, WV 1,042 Undergrads 50.9% Grad Rate

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Total Cost

$21,839

Sticker Price

Avg Net Price

$13,684

After Aid

Median Earnings

$61,729

4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$13,684

Peer Midpoint: $20,080.5

Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$61,729

Peer Midpoint: $60,428

Graduation Rate50.9%

Peer Midpoint: 58.9%

Socio-Economic Diversity

Pell Grant Recipients42.6%

Enrollment Status

Full-Time84.8%

Economic Outcomes

Earn More than HS59.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance

97.2%

SAT Avg

989

SAT Reading

25th: 44050075th: 540

SAT Math

25th: 43049575th: 540

ACT Composite

25th: 172075th: 22

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

+$550k

+$83k

+$65k

Median Cost$14k/yr

+$500k

+$33k

+$16k

Full Cost$22k/yr

+$471k

+$4k

-$13k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age

Return on Inv. %

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

∞

Median Cost$14k/yr

32%

Full Cost$22k/yr

Never

-17%

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 Return69%

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-28%

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

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions

AssocCIP: 5109

Median Debt

$12,450

Earnings (4yr)

$54,897

Natl Median: $65,389

Lifetime Value Added

+$71k

Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians

AssocCIP: 1502

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $64,519

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians

AssocCIP: 1503

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $67,792

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians

AssocCIP: 1508

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $64,773

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

AssocCIP: 5138

Median Debt

$15,500

Earnings (4yr)

$73,592

Natl Median: $80,813

Lifetime Value Added

+$243k

Bachelor's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services

BachCIP: 5203

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $76,194

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions

BachCIP: 5109

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$67,441

Natl Median: $70,786

Lifetime Value Added

+$61k

Biological and Physical Sciences

BachCIP: 3001

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $58,891

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Business Administration, Management and Operations

BachCIP: 5202

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $68,257

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians

BachCIP: 1502

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $76,549

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Computer and Information Sciences, General

BachCIP: 1101

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $92,374

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Criminal Justice and Corrections

BachCIP: 4301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$42,085

Natl Median: $55,378

Lifetime Value Added

-$147k

Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians

BachCIP: 1503

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $84,599

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Engineering-Related Fields

BachCIP: 1515

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $89,619

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Health and Medical Administrative Services

BachCIP: 5107

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $58,716

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

BachCIP: 2401

Median Debt

$19,426

Earnings (4yr)

$40,711

Natl Median: $53,072

Lifetime Value Added

-$159k

Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians

BachCIP: 1508

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $82,073

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

BachCIP: 5138

Median Debt

$25,000

Earnings (4yr)

$82,760

Natl Median: $88,910

Lifetime Value Added

+$178k

Social Sciences, General

BachCIP: 4501

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$40,355

Natl Median: $53,366

Lifetime Value Added

-$162k

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods

BachCIP: 1312

Median Debt

Earnings (2yr)

$28,236

Natl Median: $47,382

Lifetime Value Added

-$257k

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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.