College ROI

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Cedarville University

Cedarville, OH 4,024 Undergrads 74.4% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$49,320
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$24,468
After Aid
Median Earnings
$60,679
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$24,468
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$60,679
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$55,443
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate74.4%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.7
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients18.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS79.0%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
65.3%
SAT Avg
1,241
SAT Reading
25th: 58063075th: 690
SAT Math
25th: 55060575th: 670
ACT Composite
25th: 222675th: 29

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
+$541k
+$74k
+$57k
Median Cost$24k/yr
+$453k
-$14k
-$31k
Full Cost$49k/yr
+$364k
-$103k
-$121k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
37
∞
Median Cost$24k/yr
Never
-36%
Full Cost$49k/yr
Never
-68%
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-34%

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-70%
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
$22,125
Earnings (4yr)
$77,937
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$102k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,559
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,375
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,533
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$23,998
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$64,395
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$2k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $77,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,697
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$34,958
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$247k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$73,635
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
+$92k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$109,817
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$345k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,813
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$67,101
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$40k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$16,750
Earnings (4yr)
$86,487
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$167k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,697
Earnings (4yr)
$86,062
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$164k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,103
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$23,649
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$338k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,915
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (4yr)
$87,777
Natl Median: $116,539
Lifetime Value Added
+$177k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$48,993
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$135k
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$47,782
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$73,789
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Religious Education
BachCIP: 3904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,633
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Religious Music and Worship
BachCIP: 3905
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,456
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
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,805
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$52,471
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$19,750
Earnings (4yr)
$44,418
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$166k
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (4yr)
$43,308
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$175k
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (4yr)
$44,668
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$164k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,028
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$100,257
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$198k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,193
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$321k
Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities
MastCIP: 5132
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,487
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$36,896
Earnings (4yr)
$117,244
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$346k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,226
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $126,911
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
$125,673
Earnings (4yr)
$130,961
Natl Median: $136,696
Lifetime Value Added
+$235k

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.