College ROI

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Carthage College

Kenosha, WI 2,660 Undergrads 65.3% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$50,822
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$26,565
After Aid
Median Earnings
$59,751
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$26,565
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$59,751
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$56,950
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate65.3%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.2
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients26.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.3%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS74.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
87.1%
SAT Avg
1,150
SAT Reading
25th: -55075th: -
SAT Math
25th: -54075th: -
ACT Composite
25th: 202475th: 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
+$534k
+$67k
+$49k
Median Cost$27k/yr
+$438k
-$29k
-$46k
Full Cost$51k/yr
+$351k
-$116k
-$134k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
38
∞
Median Cost$27k/yr
Never
-48%
Full Cost$51k/yr
Never
-73%
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-43%

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
$22,250
Earnings (4yr)
$86,561
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$160k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$55,576
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$72,468
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$53k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$26,318
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,429
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,125
Earnings (4yr)
$55,654
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$106,611
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$313k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$60,633
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$39k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,431
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$140k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$19,227
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$387k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,642
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$67,703
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$16k
Median Debt
$26,634
Earnings (4yr)
$47,935
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$144k
Median Debt
$25,709
Earnings (4yr)
$86,952
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$163k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,459
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
-$256k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,459
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,136
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$26,697
Earnings (4yr)
$69,045
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$27k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$72,160
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$50k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$45,258
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$174k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,562
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$138k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$65,733
Natl Median: $62,451
Lifetime Value Added
+$1k
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
$19,345
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$54,636
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$88k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$68,708
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
+$24k
Median Debt
$26,320
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,640
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,366
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$54,975
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,134
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$232k
Median Debt
$25,454
Earnings (5yr)
$47,182
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$158k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$26,949
Earnings (4yr)
$54,832
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,349
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$140k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$71,099
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
-$62k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$71,094
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$62k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,111
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.