College ROI

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Clarkson University

Potsdam, NY 2,196 Undergrads 75.8% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$79,022
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$30,305
After Aid
Median Earnings
$91,312
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$30,305
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$91,312
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$89,696
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate75.8%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.6
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients21.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS91.2%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
77.4%
SAT Avg
1,304
SAT Reading
25th: 59063075th: 690
SAT Math
25th: 61065075th: 700
ACT Composite
25th: 252975th: 32

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
+$777k
+$310k
+$292k
Median Cost$30k/yr
+$668k
+$201k
+$183k
Full Cost$79k/yr
+$492k
+$25k
+$8k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
26
∞
Median Cost$30k/yr
33
168%
Full Cost$79k/yr
61
3%
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 Return96%

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-37%
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
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$93,132
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$197k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$91,066
Natl Median: $98,207
Lifetime Value Added
+$181k
Applied Mathematics
BachCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $91,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$26,240
Earnings (4yr)
$77,791
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$80k
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (4yr)
$93,152
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$197k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$93,614
Natl Median: $98,158
Lifetime Value Added
+$201k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$49,058
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$82,387
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
+$115k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,076
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$147k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$107,790
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
+$309k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$25,615
Earnings (4yr)
$103,132
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$273k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,894
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,094
Earnings (4yr)
$97,750
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$232k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$88,793
Natl Median: $89,619
Lifetime Value Added
+$164k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$61,513
Natl Median: $61,027
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$77,891
Natl Median: $81,171
Lifetime Value Added
+$81k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$60,806
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$61k
Median Debt
$26,750
Earnings (4yr)
$90,286
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$175k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,883
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$25,813
Earnings (4yr)
$73,359
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$46k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,369
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$217k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,366
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$155,093
Earnings (4yr)
$140,359
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
+$535k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,371
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$42,610
Earnings (4yr)
$98,831
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$174k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $115,468
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Civil Engineering
MastCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $98,323
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$109,601
Natl Median: $133,654
Lifetime Value Added
+$269k
Median Debt
$14,100
Earnings (4yr)
$130,454
Natl Median: $125,651
Lifetime Value Added
+$449k
Engineering, Other
MastCIP: 1499
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $129,974
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,629
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$108,604
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
+$260k
Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities
MastCIP: 5132
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,487
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $112,705
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
MastCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$107,611
Natl Median: $115,974
Lifetime Value Added
+$251k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$110,878
Natl Median: $75,122
Lifetime Value Added
+$319k
Physics
MastCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $96,478
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$155,574
Earnings (4yr)
$70,324
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
-$76k
Median Debt
$29,256
Earnings (4yr)
$61,751
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,767
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $103,299
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities
Gr-CertCIP: 5132
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $112,957
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,709
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Chemistry
DocCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $115,386
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $157,305
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $133,482
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $130,845
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
DocCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,656
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
DocCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $130,153
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Professional Degrees

Median Debt
$197,792
Earnings (4yr)
$86,919
Natl Median: $81,641
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k

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.