College ROI

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Calvin University

Grand Rapids, MI 3,193 Undergrads 77.3% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$54,222
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$22,992
After Aid
Median Earnings
$60,889
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$22,992
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$60,889
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$58,375
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate77.3%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.8
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients16.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time94.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS76.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
70.9%
SAT Avg
1,233
SAT Reading
25th: 55061575th: 660
SAT Math
25th: 53361575th: 670
ACT Composite
25th: 242775th: 30

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
+$543k
+$76k
+$58k
Median Cost$23k/yr
+$460k
-$7k
-$24k
Full Cost$54k/yr
+$348k
-$119k
-$137k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
36
∞
Median Cost$23k/yr
Never
-29%
Full Cost$54k/yr
Never
-70%
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-38%

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-73%
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

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$75,085
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$86k
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$66,093
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$19,682
Earnings (4yr)
$44,763
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$158k
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$73,155
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$71k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,477
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,429
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$43,138
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$172k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$60,986
Natl Median: $58,928
Lifetime Value Added
-$24k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$18,250
Earnings (4yr)
$95,410
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$241k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $78,929
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,642
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,169
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
-$129k
Median Debt
$22,409
Earnings (4yr)
$82,326
Natl Median: $89,359
Lifetime Value Added
+$141k
Median Debt
$19,750
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$35,350
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$245k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,459
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$45,411
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$160k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Literature
BachCIP: 2314
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,173
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,337
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$199k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$23,693
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$333k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$278k
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 (2yr)
$33,993
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$239k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$23,767
Earnings (4yr)
$54,412
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,281
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$95k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,250
Earnings (4yr)
$74,810
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$84k
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,792
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$32,843
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$261k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$50,218
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,811
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,598
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$288k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,009
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$193k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$24,833
Earnings (4yr)
$53,949
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$47,157
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
Median Debt
$26,022
Earnings (4yr)
$45,579
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$151k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$36,079
Earnings (4yr)
$63,146
Natl Median: $67,030
Lifetime Value Added
-$126k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,707
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.