College ROI

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Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, MA 7,829 Undergrads 61.7% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$26,160
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$16,383
After Aid
Median Earnings
$59,669
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$16,383
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$59,669
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$57,466
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate61.7%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age22.0
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients32.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time84.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS74.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
87.8%
SAT Avg
1,180
SAT Reading
25th: 55056075th: 650
SAT Math
25th: 51054575th: 613
ACT Composite
25th: 252475th: 30

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
+$533k
+$66k
+$49k
Median Cost$16k/yr
+$474k
+$7k
-$10k
Full Cost$26k/yr
+$439k
-$28k
-$45k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
38
∞
Median Cost$16k/yr
Never
-17%
Full Cost$26k/yr
Never
-48%
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 Return10%

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-48%
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

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,689
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$79,315
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$142k
Air Transportation
BachCIP: 4901
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$70,215
Natl Median: $85,825
Lifetime Value Added
+$72k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,872
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,376
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$87k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$60,880
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$582
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$80,287
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
+$149k
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (4yr)
$56,968
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$32k
Median Debt
$24,009
Earnings (4yr)
$50,059
Natl Median: $58,928
Lifetime Value Added
-$89k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$24,586
Earnings (4yr)
$87,099
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$201k
Median Debt
$24,135
Earnings (4yr)
$64,178
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
+$26k
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,980
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$23,421
Earnings (4yr)
$70,473
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$74k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,020
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
Median Debt
$24,681
Earnings (4yr)
$45,747
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$126k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$57,550
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
-$27k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$52,219
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$26,750
Earnings (4yr)
$52,936
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$64,769
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
+$30k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$54,709
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$51k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$21,234
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$331k
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
$20,814
Earnings (4yr)
$58,936
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$16k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$24,030
Earnings (4yr)
$51,939
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$28,300
Earnings (4yr)
$56,609
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$35k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$59,510
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$25,248
Earnings (4yr)
$54,224
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,692
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,523
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k
Median Debt
$24,490
Earnings (4yr)
$58,255
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$22k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$17,089
Earnings (4yr)
$99,020
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$202k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
-$336k
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$114,541
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$337k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,030
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
MastCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $145,571
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$75,101
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
-$8k
Education, Other
MastCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,348
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,644
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,844
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
MastCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
MastCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,285
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
MastCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $96,478
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$47,260
Natl Median: $64,711
Lifetime Value Added
-$245k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$40,772
Earnings (4yr)
$75,783
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$2k
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$64,424
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
Median Debt
$30,750
Earnings (4yr)
$62,371
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$57,978
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$161k
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$69,937
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$53k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$65,938
Natl Median: $65,767
Lifetime Value Added
-$89k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,288
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,774
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Other Programs

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,308
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.