College ROI

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Chatham University

Pittsburgh, PA 1,232 Undergrads 69.0% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$61,261
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$29,954
After Aid
Median Earnings
$65,078
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$29,954
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$65,078
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$52,410
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate69.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age22.8
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients26.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time92.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS74.8%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
62.0%
SAT Avg
1,198
SAT Reading
25th: 550-75th: 670
SAT Math
25th: 520-75th: 625
ACT Composite
25th: 21-75th: 30

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
+$576k
+$109k
+$92k
Median Cost$30k/yr
+$468k
+$1k
-$16k
Full Cost$61k/yr
+$355k
-$111k
-$129k

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
33
∞
Median Cost$30k/yr
Never
-15%
Full Cost$61k/yr
Never
-58%
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-18%

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-68%
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
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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
$24,563
Earnings (4yr)
$65,750
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$42,204
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$205k
Criminology
BachCIP: 4504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,556
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,842
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
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: $42,907
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$32,382
Natl Median: $60,369
Lifetime Value Added
-$278k
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $88,839
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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 (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$20,250
Earnings (4yr)
$56,980
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,721
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$14,093
Earnings (4yr)
$86,034
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$144k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$25,587
Earnings (4yr)
$73,633
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$49k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,887
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$48,432
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
-$258k
Median Debt
$136,482
Earnings (4yr)
$120,476
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
+$364k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $77,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$41,271
Earnings (4yr)
$67,992
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
-$95k
Median Debt
$36,163
Earnings (5yr)
$89,095
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$74k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $96,656
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$61,500
Earnings (4yr)
$55,034
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$214k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,953
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $124,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,486
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,523
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,993
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Natl Median: $60,869
Lifetime Value Added
-$406k
Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$48,768
Earnings (2yr)
$34,526
Natl Median: $64,711
Lifetime Value Added
-$400k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$69,017
Earnings (4yr)
$71,403
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Median Debt
$37,450
Earnings (4yr)
$48,110
Natl Median: $55,035
Lifetime Value Added
-$280k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,897
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$55,059
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$214k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $98,707
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$30,489
Earnings (4yr)
$152,458
Natl Median: $138,131
Lifetime Value Added
+$373k
Median Debt
$71,750
Earnings (4yr)
$79,353
Natl Median: $82,893
Lifetime Value Added
-$167k

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.