College ROI

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Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Fayette, MO 1,040 Undergrads 55.0% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$43,635
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$22,766
After Aid
Median Earnings
$51,668
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$22,766
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$51,668
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$48,991
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate55.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age27.8
Warning: High average starting age indicates non-traditional students with prior work experience, which may inflate the median earnings shown.
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients38.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS77.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
56.9%
SAT Avg
1,048
SAT Reading
25th: 44050175th: 490
SAT Math
25th: 52051375th: 555
ACT Composite
25th: 172175th: 23

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)
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$468k
+$647
-$17k
Median Cost$23k/yr
+$386k
-$81k
-$99k
Full Cost$44k/yr
+$310k
-$156k
-$174k

ROI Efficiency Metrics
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$23k/yr
Never
-121%
Full Cost$44k/yr
Never
-111%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
  • 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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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-107%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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-88%
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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,491
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
AssocCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,288
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$16,750
Earnings (4yr)
$52,836
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$89k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,533
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$46,344
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$144k
Median Debt
$18,111
Earnings (4yr)
$51,274
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,523
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$15,451
Earnings (4yr)
$59,648
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
-$33k
Median Debt
$18,084
Earnings (4yr)
$45,805
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$148k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,842
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$15,500
Earnings (5yr)
$31,842
Natl Median: $49,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$274k
Education, Other
BachCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$43,653
Natl Median: $49,113
Lifetime Value Added
-$166k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,245
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$13,150
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,911
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$39,671
Natl Median: $48,568
Lifetime Value Added
-$201k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,375
Earnings (4yr)
$51,637
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$31,133
Natl Median: $50,468
Lifetime Value Added
-$264k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$16,062
Earnings (4yr)
$42,219
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$179k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,093
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$15,917
Earnings (4yr)
$85,140
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$163k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,130
Earnings (2yr)
$28,816
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$285k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$35,452
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$237k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,374
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$280k

Post-Baccalaureate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $129,561
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,669
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$56,615
Earnings (4yr)
$57,976
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$173k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$34,980
Earnings (4yr)
$45,220
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$295k
Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities
MastCIP: 5132
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$94,410
Natl Median: $100,487
Lifetime Value Added
+$149k
Mathematics
MastCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
MastCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,285
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$115,434
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$333k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,707
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.