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Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH 6,108 Undergrads 85.5% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$81,533
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$38,909
After Aid
Median Earnings
$87,989
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$38,909
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$87,989
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate85.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients16.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS87.7%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
28.7%
SAT Avg
1,501
SAT Reading
25th: 70071075th: 750
SAT Math
25th: 73076075th: 790
ACT Composite
25th: 323475th: 35
ROI Sensitivity Analysis
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
+$725k
+$329k
+$241k
Median Cost$39k/yr
+$585k
+$189k
+$101k
Full Cost$82k/yr
+$432k
+$35k
-$53k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
27
∞
Median Cost$39k/yr
40
72%
Full Cost$82k/yr
Never
-18%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year 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 Return57%
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-48%
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 with your specific estimates of cost and salary.
Program ROI Analysis
Bachelor's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$90,949
Lifetime Value Added
+$136k
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
BachCIP: 1402
Median Debt
$26,061
Earnings (5yr)
$90,949
Lifetime Value Added
+$136k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$62,745
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
BachCIP: 2602
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (5yr)
$64,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$63,457
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
BachCIP: 1405
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$99,721
Lifetime Value Added
+$201k
Chemical Engineering
BachCIP: 1407
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$98,005
Lifetime Value Added
+$189k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$63,474
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$25,190
Earnings (2yr)
$61,814
Lifetime Value Added
-$54k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$25,391
Earnings (5yr)
$119,949
Lifetime Value Added
+$352k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$23,883
Earnings (5yr)
$79,150
Lifetime Value Added
+$48k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$23,074
Earnings (5yr)
$113,649
Lifetime Value Added
+$305k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$25,019
Earnings (5yr)
$50,155
Lifetime Value Added
-$178k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$25,909
Earnings (5yr)
$92,413
Lifetime Value Added
+$147k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$24,855
Earnings (5yr)
$92,158
Lifetime Value Added
+$145k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$52,742
Lifetime Value Added
-$157k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$52,552
Lifetime Value Added
-$158k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$26,580
Earnings (5yr)
$79,780
Lifetime Value Added
+$52k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$94,632
Lifetime Value Added
+$322k
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
MastCIP: 5108
Median Debt
$185,764
Earnings (5yr)
$189,814
Lifetime Value Added
+$1131k
Bioethics/Medical Ethics
MastCIP: 5132
Median Debt
$61,262
Earnings (5yr)
$72,105
Lifetime Value Added
+$128k
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$43,798
Lifetime Value Added
-$105k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$65,000
Earnings (5yr)
$124,675
Lifetime Value Added
+$579k
Engineering-Related Fields
MastCIP: 1515
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$99,198
Lifetime Value Added
+$361k
Finance and Financial Management Services
MastCIP: 5208
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$121,294
Lifetime Value Added
+$550k
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services
MastCIP: 1905
Median Debt
$70,658
Earnings (5yr)
$66,569
Lifetime Value Added
+$80k
Human Resources Management and Services
MastCIP: 5210
Median Debt
$44,573
Earnings (5yr)
$91,541
Lifetime Value Added
+$295k
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences
MastCIP: 2609
Median Debt
$90,486
Earnings (5yr)
$66,429
Lifetime Value Added
+$79k
Public Health
MastCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$69,447
Earnings (5yr)
$69,012
Lifetime Value Added
+$101k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
MastCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$124,668
Earnings (5yr)
$119,948
Lifetime Value Added
+$539k
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$95,735
Earnings (5yr)
$60,265
Lifetime Value Added
+$24k
Graduate Certificates
Dental Residency Programs
Gr-CertCIP: 6001
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$172,023
Lifetime Value Added
+$1147k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Gr-CertCIP: 5138
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$110,325
Lifetime Value Added
+$580k
Doctoral Degrees
Business Administration, Management and Operations
DocCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$183,796
Lifetime Value Added
+$761k
Professional Degrees
Dentistry
ProfCIP: 5104
Median Debt
$360,396
Earnings (5yr)
$159,604
Lifetime Value Added
+$587k
Law
ProfCIP: 2201
Median Debt
$98,460
Earnings (5yr)
$100,147
Lifetime Value Added
+$157k
Medicine
ProfCIP: 5112
Median Debt
$187,457
Earnings (5yr)
$119,638
Lifetime Value Added
+$299k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
ProfCIP: 5138
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$110,275
Lifetime Value Added
+$231k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.