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Cedar Crest College
Allentown, PA 834 Undergrads 55.7% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$57,206
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$18,659
After Aid
Median Earnings
$67,546
4yr Post-Grad
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$18,659
Peer Midpoint: $20,080.5
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$67,546
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Graduation Rate55.7%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients42.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time79.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS76.9%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
84.1%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: -57575th: -
SAT Math
25th: -54075th: -
ACT Composite
25th: -2575th: -
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
+$595k
+$128k
+$111k
Median Cost$19k/yr
+$528k
+$61k
+$44k
Full Cost$57k/yr
+$389k
-$78k
-$95k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
31
∞
Median Cost$19k/yr
44
65%
Full Cost$57k/yr
Never
-46%
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 Return5%
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-61%
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
Certificates
Health and Medical Administrative Services
CertCIP: 5107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Human Resources Management and Services
CertCIP: 5210
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,907
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
CertCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,190
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Special Education and Teaching
CertCIP: 1310
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,019
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
CertCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,631
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Bachelor's Degrees
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
BachCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$44,021
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
Criminology
BachCIP: 4504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$46,299
Natl Median: $55,556
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,141
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$267k
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services
BachCIP: 1905
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$54,330
Natl Median: $54,945
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
BachCIP: 5100
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Neurobiology and Neurosciences
BachCIP: 2615
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$28,000
Earnings (5yr)
$47,499
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$127k
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
BachCIP: 0909
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication
BachCIP: 0907
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$29,170
Earnings (4yr)
$84,041
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$170k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
BachCIP: 2313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Security Science and Technology
BachCIP: 4304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,805
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$47,431
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$127k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$32,925
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$233k
Post-Baccalaureate Certificates
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
PB-CertCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,414
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Master's Degrees
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,498
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$144k
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services
MastCIP: 1905
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,523
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
MastCIP: 5138
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
MastCIP: 5123
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
MastCIP: 2313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,035
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Security Science and Technology
MastCIP: 4304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,399
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Graduate Certificates
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services
Gr-CertCIP: 5131
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$56,822
Natl Median: $65,965
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.