Back to Colleges
California State University-Chico
Chico, CA 13,057 Undergrads 73.9% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$25,590
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$14,838
After Aid
Median Earnings
$64,172
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$14,838
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$64,172
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate73.9%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients41.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time90.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS76.4%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
93.7%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -
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
+$549k
+$153k
+$65k
Median Cost$15k/yr
+$496k
+$99k
+$11k
Full Cost$26k/yr
+$457k
+$61k
-$27k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
36
∞
Median Cost$15k/yr
55
21%
Full Cost$26k/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 Return44%
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-39%
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
$16,875
Earnings (5yr)
$80,392
Lifetime Value Added
+$143k
Agricultural Business and Management
BachCIP: 0101
Median Debt
$11,250
Earnings (5yr)
$67,962
Lifetime Value Added
+$50k
Agriculture, General
BachCIP: 0100
Median Debt
$14,750
Earnings (5yr)
$64,138
Lifetime Value Added
+$21k
Animal Sciences
BachCIP: 0109
Median Debt
$17,606
Earnings (5yr)
$56,684
Lifetime Value Added
-$38k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$18,263
Earnings (5yr)
$48,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$103k
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
$16,500
Earnings (5yr)
$46,659
Lifetime Value Added
-$120k
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
BachCIP: 2602
Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$289k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$17,600
Earnings (5yr)
$61,481
Lifetime Value Added
+$134
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$16,750
Earnings (5yr)
$79,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$135k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$21,125
Earnings (5yr)
$101,629
Lifetime Value Added
+$302k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$16,125
Earnings (5yr)
$59,510
Lifetime Value Added
-$15k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
BachCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$16,148
Earnings (5yr)
$61,935
Lifetime Value Added
+$4k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$18,972
Earnings (5yr)
$90,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$220k
Computer Engineering
BachCIP: 1409
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$107,580
Lifetime Value Added
+$347k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (5yr)
$125,103
Lifetime Value Added
+$477k
Construction Management
BachCIP: 5220
Median Debt
$19,341
Earnings (5yr)
$116,720
Lifetime Value Added
+$415k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$58,616
Lifetime Value Added
-$23k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
$18,227
Earnings (5yr)
$46,813
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology
BachCIP: 2613
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,598
Lifetime Value Added
-$258k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$18,300
Earnings (5yr)
$73,084
Lifetime Value Added
+$89k
Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1503
Median Debt
$18,822
Earnings (5yr)
$97,724
Lifetime Value Added
+$273k
Engineering-Related Fields
BachCIP: 1515
Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (5yr)
$92,561
Lifetime Value Added
+$235k
Engineering, Other
BachCIP: 1499
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (5yr)
$95,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$256k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$49,955
Lifetime Value Added
-$93k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$14,990
Earnings (5yr)
$44,754
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services
BachCIP: 1905
Median Debt
$17,375
Earnings (5yr)
$62,110
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
Geography and Cartography
BachCIP: 4507
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$72,207
Lifetime Value Added
+$82k
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
BachCIP: 4006
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$42,774
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$46,684
Lifetime Value Added
-$120k
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
BachCIP: 5100
Median Debt
$19,331
Earnings (5yr)
$56,376
Lifetime Value Added
-$40k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$16,838
Earnings (5yr)
$46,221
Lifetime Value Added
-$124k
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
BachCIP: 1907
Median Debt
$16,722
Earnings (5yr)
$46,310
Lifetime Value Added
-$123k
International Relations and National Security Studies
BachCIP: 4509
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$51,736
Lifetime Value Added
-$78k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$18,618
Earnings (5yr)
$56,247
Lifetime Value Added
-$42k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$15,688
Earnings (5yr)
$55,139
Lifetime Value Added
-$50k
Management Information Systems and Services
BachCIP: 5212
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$16,500
Earnings (5yr)
$62,551
Lifetime Value Added
+$9k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$22,353
Earnings (5yr)
$102,703
Lifetime Value Added
+$310k
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology
BachCIP: 2605
Median Debt
$23,500
Earnings (5yr)
$64,331
Lifetime Value Added
+$22k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$23,500
Earnings (5yr)
$39,537
Lifetime Value Added
-$180k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$58,420
Lifetime Value Added
-$24k
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies
BachCIP: 3101
Median Debt
$17,886
Earnings (5yr)
$56,924
Lifetime Value Added
-$36k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,771
Lifetime Value Added
-$238k
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences
BachCIP: 2609
Median Debt
$18,750
Earnings (5yr)
$59,339
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
Plant Sciences
BachCIP: 0111
Median Debt
$13,826
Earnings (5yr)
$70,548
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (5yr)
$62,565
Lifetime Value Added
+$9k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$52,482
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$16,500
Earnings (5yr)
$120,599
Lifetime Value Added
+$444k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
$17,200
Earnings (5yr)
$55,893
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
Social Sciences, General
BachCIP: 4501
Median Debt
$13,987
Earnings (5yr)
$50,545
Lifetime Value Added
-$88k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$15,829
Earnings (5yr)
$55,090
Lifetime Value Added
-$51k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$14,000
Earnings (5yr)
$46,999
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
Master's Degrees
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$18,750
Earnings (5yr)
$76,356
Lifetime Value Added
+$209k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
MastCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$30,000
Earnings (5yr)
$80,364
Lifetime Value Added
+$243k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$60,432
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$34,125
Earnings (5yr)
$72,367
Lifetime Value Added
+$175k
Public Administration
MastCIP: 4404
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$45,715
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$18,968
Earnings (5yr)
$73,410
Lifetime Value Added
+$184k
Special Education and Teaching
MastCIP: 1310
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$43,314
Lifetime Value Added
-$66k
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language
MastCIP: 1314
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Lifetime Value Added
-$128k
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.