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California State University-Sacramento
Sacramento, CA 27,867 Undergrads 70.6% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$22,714
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$10,512
After Aid
Median Earnings
$64,876
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$10,512
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$64,876
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate70.6%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients49.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time80.3%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS76.8%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
93.6%
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
+$555k
+$158k
+$70k
Median Cost$11k/yr
+$517k
+$120k
+$32k
Full Cost$23k/yr
+$473k
+$76k
-$12k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
35
∞
Median Cost$11k/yr
45
85%
Full Cost$23k/yr
Never
-14%
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 Return74%
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-28%
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
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$18,750
Earnings (5yr)
$48,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$88k
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
BachCIP: 2602
Median Debt
$16,500
Earnings (2yr)
$41,025
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$14,900
Earnings (5yr)
$67,859
Lifetime Value Added
+$65k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$13,490
Earnings (5yr)
$68,332
Lifetime Value Added
+$69k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$26,263
Earnings (5yr)
$72,393
Lifetime Value Added
+$99k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$18,000
Earnings (5yr)
$95,595
Lifetime Value Added
+$273k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$63,101
Lifetime Value Added
+$28k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
BachCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$16,250
Earnings (5yr)
$62,467
Lifetime Value Added
+$23k
Computer Engineering
BachCIP: 1409
Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (5yr)
$107,734
Lifetime Value Added
+$364k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$15,004
Earnings (5yr)
$108,027
Lifetime Value Added
+$366k
Construction Engineering
BachCIP: 1433
Median Debt
$14,514
Earnings (5yr)
$127,606
Lifetime Value Added
+$511k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$13,138
Earnings (5yr)
$63,820
Lifetime Value Added
+$34k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
$15,750
Earnings (5yr)
$56,723
Lifetime Value Added
-$22k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$16,396
Earnings (5yr)
$34,162
Lifetime Value Added
-$210k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$15,493
Earnings (5yr)
$67,897
Lifetime Value Added
+$65k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$16,500
Earnings (5yr)
$106,616
Lifetime Value Added
+$355k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$51,013
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies
BachCIP: 0502
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$52,252
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1901
Median Debt
$13,750
Earnings (5yr)
$58,232
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
BachCIP: 5006
Median Debt
$15,568
Earnings (5yr)
$53,310
Lifetime Value Added
-$50k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$15,173
Earnings (5yr)
$43,739
Lifetime Value Added
-$129k
Geography and Cartography
BachCIP: 4507
Median Debt
$15,974
Earnings (5yr)
$66,360
Lifetime Value Added
+$54k
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
BachCIP: 4006
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$81,480
Lifetime Value Added
+$167k
Gerontology
BachCIP: 3011
Median Debt
$19,831
Earnings (5yr)
$61,963
Lifetime Value Added
+$19k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$17,000
Earnings (5yr)
$61,913
Lifetime Value Added
+$19k
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
BachCIP: 5100
Median Debt
$14,979
Earnings (5yr)
$66,096
Lifetime Value Added
+$52k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$18,471
Earnings (5yr)
$57,550
Lifetime Value Added
-$15k
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
BachCIP: 1907
Median Debt
$15,625
Earnings (5yr)
$51,711
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k
Interior Architecture
BachCIP: 0405
Median Debt
$16,500
Earnings (5yr)
$67,938
Lifetime Value Added
+$66k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (5yr)
$56,697
Lifetime Value Added
-$22k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$55,823
Lifetime Value Added
-$29k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$16,716
Earnings (5yr)
$63,062
Lifetime Value Added
+$28k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$16,532
Earnings (5yr)
$91,357
Lifetime Value Added
+$241k
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
BachCIP: 3099
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$58,914
Lifetime Value Added
-$5k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$19,241
Earnings (5yr)
$32,255
Lifetime Value Added
-$226k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (5yr)
$71,352
Lifetime Value Added
+$91k
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies
BachCIP: 3101
Median Debt
$19,181
Earnings (5yr)
$60,227
Lifetime Value Added
+$6k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
$14,753
Earnings (5yr)
$37,380
Lifetime Value Added
-$183k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$15,850
Earnings (5yr)
$66,718
Lifetime Value Added
+$56k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$55,115
Lifetime Value Added
-$35k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$13,750
Earnings (5yr)
$138,606
Lifetime Value Added
+$592k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
$18,000
Earnings (5yr)
$53,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$49k
Social Sciences, General
BachCIP: 4501
Median Debt
$16,097
Earnings (5yr)
$57,162
Lifetime Value Added
-$19k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$16,750
Earnings (5yr)
$56,867
Lifetime Value Added
-$21k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$14,975
Earnings (5yr)
$58,159
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Special Education and Teaching
BachCIP: 1310
Median Debt
$16,500
Earnings (5yr)
$42,702
Lifetime Value Added
-$138k
Master's Degrees
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$54,435
Lifetime Value Added
+$53k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$33,324
Earnings (5yr)
$107,931
Lifetime Value Added
+$488k
Civil Engineering
MastCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$102,565
Lifetime Value Added
+$442k
Communication and Media Studies
MastCIP: 0901
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$52,107
Lifetime Value Added
+$30k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
MastCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$33,556
Earnings (5yr)
$78,900
Lifetime Value Added
+$239k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$38,810
Earnings (5yr)
$90,404
Lifetime Value Added
+$338k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
$19,137
Earnings (5yr)
$69,986
Lifetime Value Added
+$162k
English Language and Literature, General
MastCIP: 2301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,416
Lifetime Value Added
-$139k
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$33,556
Earnings (5yr)
$75,373
Lifetime Value Added
+$208k
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
MastCIP: 1907
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,337
Lifetime Value Added
-$109k
Mechanical Engineering
MastCIP: 1419
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$78,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$275k
Public Administration
MastCIP: 4404
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$58,221
Lifetime Value Added
+$90k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
MastCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$22,103
Earnings (5yr)
$113,277
Lifetime Value Added
+$534k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
MastCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$56,415
Lifetime Value Added
+$72k
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$33,556
Earnings (5yr)
$84,839
Lifetime Value Added
+$290k
Special Education and Teaching
MastCIP: 1310
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$72,912
Lifetime Value Added
+$187k
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
MastCIP: 1311
Median Debt
$34,021
Earnings (5yr)
$75,711
Lifetime Value Added
+$211k
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language
MastCIP: 1314
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$47,260
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Doctoral Degrees
Educational Administration and Supervision
DocCIP: 1304
Median Debt
$64,500
Earnings (2yr)
$106,421
Lifetime Value Added
+$352k
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
DocCIP: 5123
Median Debt
$78,936
Earnings (5yr)
$110,544
Lifetime Value Added
+$335k
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.