College ROI

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California State University-Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA 8,577 Undergrads 64.4% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$19,522
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$5,652
After Aid
Median Earnings
$59,109
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$5,652
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$59,109
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$59,009
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate64.4%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age23.2
Warning: High average starting age indicates non-traditional students with prior work experience, which may inflate the median earnings shown.
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients61.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time83.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS69.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
93.8%
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)
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$529k
+$62k
+$44k
Median Cost$6k/yr
+$508k
+$41k
+$24k
Full Cost$20k/yr
+$458k
-$9k
-$26k

ROI Efficiency Metrics
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
39
∞
Median Cost$6k/yr
47
117%
Full Cost$20k/yr
Never
-37%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
  • 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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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 Return36%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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-34%
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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,647
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,834
Natl Median: $65,681
Lifetime Value Added
-$53k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,885
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$22k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,705
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$45k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$68,270
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
+$86k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,989
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$93,797
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
+$291k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$80,432
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$189k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,715
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$20k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$78,029
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$171k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$97,998
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$323k
Engineering Science
BachCIP: 1413
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$88,948
Natl Median: $93,782
Lifetime Value Added
+$254k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,420
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$31k
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy
BachCIP: 0302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$82,315
Natl Median: $56,185
Lifetime Value Added
+$203k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$43,534
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$69,989
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
+$109k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,911
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$56,081
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$778
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,850
Natl Median: $48,568
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$57,529
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
+$11k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$64,470
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$66k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Natural Sciences
BachCIP: 3018
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,935
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)
$51,882
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$35k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,207
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$63,595
Natl Median: $65,093
Lifetime Value Added
+$50k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$102,298
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$356k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,618
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$29k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,553
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$22k

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 (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$120,351
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$407k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$68,014
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$51k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$92,010
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
+$160k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $79,463
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,122
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$85,123
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
+$100k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$111,769
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$372k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,728
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$86,527
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
+$112k
Sociology
MastCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,330
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$82,248
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
+$74k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Graduate Certificates

Computer Science
Gr-CertCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $125,742
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$90,856
Natl Median: $126,911
Lifetime Value Added
+$265k

Other Programs

Education, General
DegCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,645
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.