College ROI

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California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt

Arcata, CA 5,612 Undergrads 63.0% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$25,170
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$13,171
After Aid
Median Earnings
$51,571
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$13,171
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$51,571
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$47,626
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate63.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age22.3
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients45.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time87.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS62.6%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
98.2%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

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
+$467k
-$161
-$18k
Median Cost$13k/yr
+$419k
-$48k
-$65k
Full Cost$25k/yr
+$376k
-$91k
-$108k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$13k/yr
Never
-137%
Full Cost$25k/yr
Never
-120%
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-114%

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-79%
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: $39,646
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$17,986
Earnings (4yr)
$41,464
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$151k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$19,875
Earnings (4yr)
$55,707
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$31k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$42,743
Natl Median: $49,245
Lifetime Value Added
-$140k
Median Debt
$15,448
Earnings (4yr)
$60,005
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$4k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,579
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$17,625
Earnings (4yr)
$74,620
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$117k
Criminology
BachCIP: 4504
Median Debt
$16,475
Earnings (4yr)
$55,174
Natl Median: $55,556
Lifetime Value Added
-$35k
Median Debt
$23,164
Earnings (2yr)
$17,470
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$355k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,175
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
Median Debt
$16,833
Earnings (4yr)
$43,310
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$135k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$78,225
Natl Median: $81,171
Lifetime Value Added
+$145k
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy
BachCIP: 0302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$47,629
Natl Median: $56,185
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$43,064
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
Median Debt
$22,100
Earnings (4yr)
$46,245
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
-$110k
Median Debt
$18,199
Earnings (4yr)
$34,812
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$208k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,525
Natl Median: $47,243
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
Forestry
BachCIP: 0305
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (4yr)
$79,849
Natl Median: $58,784
Lifetime Value Added
+$157k
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$50,093
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
Median Debt
$19,940
Earnings (4yr)
$53,371
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
-$50k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$42,119
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$39,178
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
-$170k
Median Debt
$15,993
Earnings (4yr)
$42,049
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$146k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$15,901
Earnings (4yr)
$49,706
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$283k
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,915
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$40,566
Natl Median: $50,983
Lifetime Value Added
-$158k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$22,192
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
-$311k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Plant Sciences
BachCIP: 0111
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,661
Natl Median: $56,567
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
Median Debt
$18,300
Earnings (4yr)
$41,994
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$146k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$45,889
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$113k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$15,750
Earnings (4yr)
$41,105
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$154k
Median Debt
$15,693
Earnings (2yr)
$22,087
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$312k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$18,250
Earnings (4yr)
$57,953
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$13k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$14,755
Earnings (4yr)
$48,143
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$19,750
Earnings (4yr)
$55,222
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$35k
Median Debt
$21,889
Earnings (4yr)
$47,003
Natl Median: $45,338
Lifetime Value Added
-$103k
Median Debt
$20,095
Earnings (4yr)
$38,495
Natl Median: $44,055
Lifetime Value Added
-$176k

Master's Degrees

Anthropology
MastCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,276
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,771
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
-$408k
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$45,995
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
-$270k
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
$24,185
Earnings (4yr)
$77,785
Natl Median: $74,607
Lifetime Value Added
+$21k
Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$38,684
Earnings (4yr)
$79,429
Natl Median: $64,711
Lifetime Value Added
+$36k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,443
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$29,654
Earnings (4yr)
$74,253
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k
Sociology
MastCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,330
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$72,162
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
-$28k

Graduate Certificates

Education, General
Gr-CertCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,448
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Other Programs

Biology, General
DegCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,021
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
DegCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,645
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,758
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,220
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,722
Natl Median: $56,308
Lifetime Value Added
-$302k
Mathematics
DegCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,761
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,216
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
DegCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,904
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.