College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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Carroll College

Helena, MT 1,092 Undergrads 69.2% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$55,626
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$23,960
After Aid
Median Earnings
$59,396
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$23,960
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$59,396
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$61,772
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate69.2%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.4
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients19.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time98.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS74.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
70.9%
SAT Avg
1,200
SAT Reading
25th: 54060075th: 660
SAT Math
25th: 51059075th: 640
ACT Composite
25th: 212575th: 27

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
+$531k
+$64k
+$46k
Median Cost$24k/yr
+$445k
-$22k
-$40k
Full Cost$56k/yr
+$331k
-$136k
-$154k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
39
Median Cost$24k/yr
Never
-46%
Full Cost$56k/yr
Never
-77%
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-50%

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-76%
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

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,325
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$24,050
Earnings (4yr)
$79,048
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$112k
Applied Mathematics
BachCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $91,532
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)
$32,530
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$267k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$60,597
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$30k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$50,856
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
-$93k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $78,929
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $93,437
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering Science
BachCIP: 1413
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $93,782
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,250
Earnings (4yr)
$62,284
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Literature
BachCIP: 2314
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,173
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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 (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,321
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$123k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$25,250
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$80,878
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$126k
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (4yr)
$49,309
Natl Median: $55,792
Lifetime Value Added
-$123k
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 (2yr)
$33,281
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$249k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,448
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$97k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,535
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,688
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $95,833
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.