College ROI

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Clark University

Worcester, MA 2,214 Undergrads 77.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$68,432
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$28,714
After Aid
Median Earnings
$63,965
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$28,714
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$63,965
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$62,381
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate77.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.7
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients22.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.3%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS70.1%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
39.5%
SAT Avg
1,370
SAT Reading
25th: 65866675th: 740
SAT Math
25th: 63064575th: 720
ACT Composite
25th: 302975th: 33

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
+$567k
+$100k
+$83k
Median Cost$29k/yr
+$464k
-$3k
-$21k
Full Cost$68k/yr
+$321k
-$146k
-$163k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
34
∞
Median Cost$29k/yr
Never
-20%
Full Cost$68k/yr
Never
-66%
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 Return-33%

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-73%
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

Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$26,010
Earnings (4yr)
$58,429
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Median Debt
$25,250
Earnings (4yr)
$84,234
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$135k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,429
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$53,365
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$115,804
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$375k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$91,094
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$187k
Education, Other
BachCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,113
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,168
Earnings (4yr)
$46,113
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$167k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$15,552
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
-$429k
Median Debt
$26,870
Earnings (4yr)
$38,844
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$229k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,580
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,041
Earnings (4yr)
$49,230
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
-$141k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,926
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$62,411
Natl Median: $79,811
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
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
$25,360
Earnings (4yr)
$52,075
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,875
Earnings (4yr)
$68,174
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$12k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$61,203
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$42k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,649
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$45,710
Natl Median: $56,812
Lifetime Value Added
-$170k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$23,889
Earnings (4yr)
$64,988
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,629
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Applied Mathematics
MastCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $116,060
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $80,271
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$46,087
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
-$279k
Median Debt
$32,550
Earnings (4yr)
$93,174
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$128k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$31,423
Natl Median: $71,953
Lifetime Value Added
-$430k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,101
Natl Median: $67,597
Lifetime Value Added
-$155k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $124,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,005
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$165k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$76,513
Natl Median: $79,784
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $124,807
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$75,449
Natl Median: $74,607
Lifetime Value Added
-$28k
Physics
MastCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $96,478
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$83,740
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
+$45k
Public Health
MastCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,751
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,304
Natl Median: $64,286
Lifetime Value Added
-$144k

Doctoral Degrees

Biology, General
DocCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,983
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
DocCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $115,386
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
DocCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $135,560
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$57,318
Natl Median: $86,469
Lifetime Value Added
-$311k
History
DocCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,550
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $98,707
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.