College ROI

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Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ 910 Undergrads 67.4% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$52,548
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$21,655
After Aid
Median Earnings
$60,203
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$21,655
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$60,203
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$60,078
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate67.4%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average starting age (2015-17)22.7
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients39.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time94.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS68.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
83.1%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

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
+$531k
+$60k
+$44k
Median Cost$22k/yr
+$453k
-$17k
-$34k
Full Cost$53k/yr
+$341k
-$129k
-$145k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
39
∞
Median Cost$22k/yr
Never
-43%
Full Cost$53k/yr
Never
-77%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.
  • 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-50%

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-76%

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,692
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,669
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$76,758
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
Not scored

Not scored. Graduates of this program earn more than graduates of the school's bachelor's degree in the same field, and about 1.7× the national median for this credential. That usually means students arrived already holding a degree or years of work experience. Our model assumes a student starting right after high school, so it can't measure what this program added. Earnings are as reported by the College Scorecard. Run it with your own cost and expected pay →

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$65,044
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$40,047
Natl Median: $40,334
Lifetime Value Added
-$194k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$34,057
Natl Median: $53,588
Lifetime Value Added
-$246k
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,240
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$63,381
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$1k
Median Debt
$21,414
Earnings (4yr)
$72,527
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$73k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$45,098
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$150k
Median Debt
$19,255
Earnings (4yr)
$67,181
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
+$32k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,746
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
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)
$42,424
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$173k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,558
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,695
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,805
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,373
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$7k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,031
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$45,622
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$146k
Median Debt
$15,133
Earnings (4yr)
$61,358
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$15k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$51,273
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$30,750
Earnings (4yr)
$110,053
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$289k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$82,038
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$44k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$72,713
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
-$38k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$69,602
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$72,493
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$40k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$65,838
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $94,506
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,288
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,573
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.