College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Capital University

Columbus, OH 1,585 Undergrads 66.0% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$57,739
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$20,550
After Aid
Median Earnings
$59,692
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$20,550
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$59,692
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$58,937
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate66.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age22.0
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients39.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time98.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS79.6%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
70.2%
SAT Avg
1,068
SAT Reading
25th: 45057575th: 590
SAT Math
25th: 46055575th: 590
ACT Composite
25th: 182375th: 25

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
+$526k
+$56k
+$40k
Median Cost$21k/yr
+$453k
-$18k
-$34k
Full Cost$58k/yr
+$319k
-$151k
-$168k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
40
∞
Median Cost$21k/yr
Never
-46%
Full Cost$58k/yr
Never
-81%
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-58%

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-79%

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
-
Earnings (4yr)
$79,157
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$128k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$59,224
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$38k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,240
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$61,416
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$23,750
Earnings (4yr)
$71,710
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$71k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$84,669
Natl Median: $77,981
Lifetime Value Added
+$170k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$311k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$59,846
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
-$4k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Criminology
BachCIP: 4504
Median Debt
$24,500
Earnings (4yr)
$49,041
Natl Median: $55,556
Lifetime Value Added
-$113k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$66,462
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$30k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (4yr)
$44,403
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$43,125
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$56,686
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$49k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,958
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,426
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$110k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,967
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$304k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$77,807
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$117k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$46,807
Natl Median: $55,792
Lifetime Value Added
-$140k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,135
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$138k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,078
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$62k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$48,785
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$45,924
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$139k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$24,188
Earnings (4yr)
$46,383
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$135k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$46,055
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$138k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,851
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$89k
Try this program with your own numbers →

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$108,101
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$274k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities
MastCIP: 5132
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,487
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $101,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,024
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Religious Music and Worship
MastCIP: 3905
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,264
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Taxation
MastCIP: 5216
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $114,810
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$57,201
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$188k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$67,660
Natl Median: $61,300
Lifetime Value Added
-$56k
Try this program with your own numbers →

Graduate Certificates

Legal Support Services
Gr-CertCIP: 2203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$69,338
Natl Median: $69,929
Lifetime Value Added
+$39k
Try this program with your own numbers →

Professional Degrees

Law
ProfCIP: 2201
Median Debt
$105,027
Earnings (4yr)
$85,015
Natl Median: $107,773
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
Try this program with your own numbers →

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.