College ROI

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Carroll University

Waukesha, WI 2,523 Undergrads 65.7% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$52,639
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$15,193
After Aid
Median Earnings
$66,639
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$15,193
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$66,639
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$58,009
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate65.7%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.3
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients23.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time96.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS84.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
66.8%
SAT Avg
1,190
SAT Reading
25th: 51059075th: 640
SAT Math
25th: 53059075th: 630
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)
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$588k
+$121k
+$104k
Median Cost$15k/yr
+$533k
+$66k
+$49k
Full Cost$53k/yr
+$399k
-$68k
-$86k

ROI Efficiency Metrics
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
32
∞
Median Cost$15k/yr
42
90%
Full Cost$53k/yr
Never
-45%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
  • 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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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 Return7%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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-60%
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
$25,434
Earnings (4yr)
$87,085
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$205k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,608
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$67,070
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$52k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$64,807
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$35k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $77,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$57,287
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$34k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$79,438
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$147k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,960
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, Other
BachCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$48,682
Natl Median: $49,113
Lifetime Value Added
-$97k
Engineering Physics
BachCIP: 1412
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,154
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$250k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$79,884
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$150k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$47,327
Natl Median: $43,283
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (4yr)
$66,689
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
+$49k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$83,340
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
+$164k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$32,382
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$225k
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$72,961
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
+$97k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$25,549
Earnings (4yr)
$62,400
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$16k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
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
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,446
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$40k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$66,494
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
+$48k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$78,698
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$141k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,570
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$77,095
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$129k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,285
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$48,979
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$39,677
Natl Median: $44,055
Lifetime Value Added
-$173k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$91,152
Earnings (4yr)
$115,204
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
+$345k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$94,526
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$164k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $136,736
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,484
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$72,062
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$33k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$52,089
Natl Median: $67,681
Lifetime Value Added
-$225k
Median Debt
$51,250
Earnings (4yr)
$71,598
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
-$37k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$66,141
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$96k

Professional Degrees

Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$82,601
Natl Median: $81,641
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k

Other Programs

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,426
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,308
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.