College ROI

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Canisius University

Buffalo, NY 1,685 Undergrads 68.3% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$45,546
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$18,178
After Aid
Median Earnings
$61,051
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$18,178
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$61,051
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$63,820
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate68.3%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.7
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients34.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS77.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
72.4%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: -57075th: -
SAT Math
25th: -58075th: -
ACT Composite
25th: -2875th: -

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
+$537k
+$67k
+$51k
Median Cost$18k/yr
+$472k
+$2k
-$15k
Full Cost$46k/yr
+$373k
-$97k
-$113k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
38
∞
Median Cost$18k/yr
Never
-22%
Full Cost$46k/yr
Never
-69%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.
  • 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-35%

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-71%

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$82,563
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$162k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$24,982
Earnings (4yr)
$48,104
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,955
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$11k
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Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,975
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,475
Earnings (4yr)
$54,529
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
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Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$59,350
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$848
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Median Debt
$21,206
Earnings (4yr)
$60,674
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$8k
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Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$22,507
Earnings (4yr)
$65,757
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$33k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$45,180
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,027
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$70,001
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$66k
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History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$31,038
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$249k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$51,522
Natl Median: $48,597
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,565
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
-$154k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$66,256
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$37k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$45,233
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
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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
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$62,398
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$6k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$39,148
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$189k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$51,532
Natl Median: $55,695
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,471
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)
$58,469
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$26k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,317
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
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Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$23,987
Earnings (4yr)
$57,036
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$38k
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Statistics
BachCIP: 2705
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,425
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,625
Earnings (4yr)
$40,174
Natl Median: $44,055
Lifetime Value Added
-$180k
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Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$10,348
Earnings (4yr)
$84,080
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$68k
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Median Debt
$120,858
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$93,286
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$149k
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Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,044
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$45,696
Natl Median: $70,644
Lifetime Value Added
-$266k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$59,160
Natl Median: $78,149
Lifetime Value Added
-$165k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $124,807
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$58,532
Earnings (4yr)
$60,008
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$146k
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Nutrition Sciences
MastCIP: 3019
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,126
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$36,246
Earnings (4yr)
$54,413
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$199k
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Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$30,835
Earnings (4yr)
$62,097
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
-$127k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,750
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$139k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,958
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$128k
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Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,723
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$225k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$57,530
Natl Median: $65,767
Lifetime Value Added
-$170k
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Median Debt
$40,780
Earnings (4yr)
$59,671
Natl Median: $60,772
Lifetime Value Added
-$150k
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Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
$27,575
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,288
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,166
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,655
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,178
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.