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Central Washington University
Ellensburg, WA 8,081 Undergrads 63.5% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$25,148
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$14,715
After Aid
Median Earnings
$61,580
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$14,715
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$61,580
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate63.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients34.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time86.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS76.2%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
90.2%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -
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
+$529k
+$133k
+$45k
Median Cost$15k/yr
+$476k
+$80k
-$8k
Full Cost$25k/yr
+$439k
+$42k
-$46k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
39
∞
Median Cost$15k/yr
Never
-15%
Full Cost$25k/yr
Never
-51%
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 Return7%
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
Certificates
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
CertCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$19,972
Earnings (5yr)
$61,893
Lifetime Value Added
+$190k
Bachelor's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$16,500
Earnings (5yr)
$73,436
Lifetime Value Added
+$92k
Air Transportation
BachCIP: 4901
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (5yr)
$86,851
Lifetime Value Added
+$192k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
BachCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$107,747
Lifetime Value Added
+$349k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$36,723
Lifetime Value Added
-$203k
Apparel and Textiles
BachCIP: 1909
Median Debt
$17,249
Earnings (5yr)
$47,884
Lifetime Value Added
-$109k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$21,166
Earnings (5yr)
$51,199
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (5yr)
$65,927
Lifetime Value Added
+$35k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$19,687
Earnings (5yr)
$60,029
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$21,065
Earnings (5yr)
$53,167
Lifetime Value Added
-$66k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$20,137
Earnings (5yr)
$73,779
Lifetime Value Added
+$94k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$19,435
Earnings (5yr)
$106,796
Lifetime Value Added
+$341k
Construction Management
BachCIP: 5220
Median Debt
$24,120
Earnings (5yr)
$103,530
Lifetime Value Added
+$317k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$61,698
Lifetime Value Added
+$2k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$24,500
Earnings (5yr)
$32,946
Lifetime Value Added
-$236k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$14,744
Earnings (5yr)
$72,632
Lifetime Value Added
+$86k
Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$111,285
Lifetime Value Added
+$375k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$42,777
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
BachCIP: 5006
Median Debt
$22,118
Earnings (5yr)
$41,604
Lifetime Value Added
-$162k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (5yr)
$36,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$202k
Geography and Cartography
BachCIP: 4507
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,964
Lifetime Value Added
-$76k
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
BachCIP: 4006
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$55,728
Lifetime Value Added
-$45k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$13,000
Earnings (5yr)
$43,355
Lifetime Value Added
-$147k
Human Services, General
BachCIP: 4400
Median Debt
$17,523
Earnings (5yr)
$43,254
Lifetime Value Added
-$148k
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
BachCIP: 5213
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$44,170
Lifetime Value Added
-$118k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$82,411
Lifetime Value Added
+$159k
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1508
Median Debt
$22,190
Earnings (5yr)
$83,351
Lifetime Value Added
+$166k
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
BachCIP: 3099
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$42,177
Lifetime Value Added
-$157k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$35,760
Lifetime Value Added
-$211k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
$21,137
Earnings (5yr)
$44,975
Lifetime Value Added
-$134k
Nutrition Sciences
BachCIP: 3019
Median Debt
$20,306
Earnings (5yr)
$54,285
Lifetime Value Added
-$57k
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management
BachCIP: 3103
Median Debt
$22,883
Earnings (5yr)
$44,094
Lifetime Value Added
-$141k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,540
Lifetime Value Added
-$39k
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences
BachCIP: 2609
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (5yr)
$60,504
Lifetime Value Added
-$7k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$14,385
Earnings (5yr)
$61,390
Lifetime Value Added
-$136
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$18,834
Earnings (5yr)
$50,290
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$20,326
Earnings (5yr)
$55,484
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
BachCIP: 0909
Median Debt
$20,250
Earnings (5yr)
$55,380
Lifetime Value Added
-$48k
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1507
Median Debt
$25,333
Earnings (5yr)
$92,822
Lifetime Value Added
+$237k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,845
Lifetime Value Added
-$36k
Social Sciences, General
BachCIP: 4501
Median Debt
$18,584
Earnings (5yr)
$60,508
Lifetime Value Added
-$7k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$21,950
Earnings (5yr)
$57,042
Lifetime Value Added
-$35k
Special Education and Teaching
BachCIP: 1310
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$64,230
Lifetime Value Added
+$22k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$20,205
Earnings (5yr)
$62,318
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$22,068
Earnings (5yr)
$62,919
Lifetime Value Added
+$12k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$96,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$384k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
MastCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$25,891
Earnings (2yr)
$47,260
Lifetime Value Added
-$26k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
$32,338
Earnings (5yr)
$102,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$433k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$23,950
Earnings (5yr)
$67,447
Lifetime Value Added
+$132k
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.