College ROI

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Citadel Military College of South Carolina

Charleston, SC 2,705 Undergrads 73.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$33,880
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$20,723
After Aid
Median Earnings
$74,517
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$20,723
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$74,517
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$72,085
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate73.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age21.7
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients19.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time94.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS83.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
22.7%
SAT Avg
1,208
SAT Reading
25th: 540-75th: 640
SAT Math
25th: 545-75th: 645
ACT Composite
25th: 22-75th: 27

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
+$648k
+$182k
+$164k
Median Cost$21k/yr
+$574k
+$107k
+$89k
Full Cost$34k/yr
+$526k
+$60k
+$42k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
29
∞
Median Cost$21k/yr
38
120%
Full Cost$34k/yr
47
35%
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 Return159%

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-10%
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)
$83,337
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$157k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$192k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$73,116
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$79k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$23,481
Earnings (4yr)
$81,055
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
+$139k
Median Debt
$19,750
Earnings (2yr)
$59,124
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Median Debt
$24,189
Earnings (4yr)
$65,574
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
+$21k
Median Debt
$22,873
Earnings (4yr)
$88,869
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$199k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$25,524
Earnings (4yr)
$64,869
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
+$15k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,803
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$83,912
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$161k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,025
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$167k
Median Debt
$20,250
Earnings (4yr)
$68,504
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$43k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$75,261
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$84k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$66,934
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$31k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,729
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$179k

Master's Degrees

Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$29,192
Earnings (4yr)
$107,824
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$271k
Civil Engineering
MastCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $98,323
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,438
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$156k
Computer Science
MastCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $145,571
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,980
Earnings (4yr)
$73,085
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$34k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $133,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$113,053
Natl Median: $125,651
Lifetime Value Added
+$297k
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $107,835
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $115,974
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $78,850
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,416
Natl Median: $64,711
Lifetime Value Added
-$374k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,443
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,347
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
-$157k
Median Debt
$49,592
Earnings (4yr)
$57,347
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$175k
Median Debt
$33,550
Earnings (4yr)
$57,004
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$178k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$55,758
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$200k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $94,506
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$113,528
Natl Median: $121,041
Lifetime Value Added
+$410k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
Gr-CertCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,774
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Systems Engineering
Gr-CertCIP: 1427
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $148,730
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$55,869
Natl Median: $69,444
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k

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.