College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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Butler University

Indianapolis, IN 4,383 Undergrads 82.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$64,503
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$38,472
After Aid
Median Earnings
$77,235
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$38,472
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$77,235
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate82.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients14.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time98.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS85.2%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
85.9%
SAT Avg
1,282
SAT Reading
25th: 59062575th: 680
SAT Math
25th: 59062075th: 680
ACT Composite
25th: 262875th: 31

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
+$646k
+$250k
+$162k
Median Cost$38k/yr
+$508k
+$111k
+$23k
Full Cost$65k/yr
+$414k
+$18k
-$70k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
29
Median Cost$38k/yr
53
17%
Full Cost$65k/yr
Never
-30%
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 Return35%

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-53%
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

Bachelor's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$72,136
Lifetime Value Added
-$3k
Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$41,551
Lifetime Value Added
-$248k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$73,619
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$93,188
Lifetime Value Added
+$154k
Criminology
BachCIP: 4504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$44,373
Lifetime Value Added
-$224k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$72,572
Lifetime Value Added
-$211
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
BachCIP: 5207
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$66,952
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$77,354
Lifetime Value Added
+$36k
Insurance
BachCIP: 5217
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$75,956
Lifetime Value Added
+$25k
International Business
BachCIP: 5211
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$73,756
Lifetime Value Added
+$9k
Management Information Systems and Services
BachCIP: 5212
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$86,793
Lifetime Value Added
+$106k
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
BachCIP: 5213
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$79,363
Lifetime Value Added
+$51k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (5yr)
$71,635
Lifetime Value Added
-$7k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$45,152
Lifetime Value Added
-$218k
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
BachCIP: 0909
Median Debt
$26,588
Earnings (5yr)
$54,854
Lifetime Value Added
-$138k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
$26,870
Earnings (5yr)
$62,341
Lifetime Value Added
-$78k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$48,664
Lifetime Value Added
-$188k

Master's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$64,990
Lifetime Value Added
+$102k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
MastCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$107,199
Earnings (5yr)
$127,507
Lifetime Value Added
+$604k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$115,979
Lifetime Value Added
+$506k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$83,109
Lifetime Value Added
+$224k

Professional Degrees

Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration
ProfCIP: 5120
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (5yr)
$142,376
Lifetime Value Added
+$464k

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.