College ROI

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Clarkson University

Potsdam, NY 2,196 Undergrads 74.4% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$81,706
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$32,137
After Aid
Median Earnings
$92,246
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$32,137
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$92,246
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$92,494
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate74.4%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average starting age (2015-17)19.6
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients22.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS89.7%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
77.4%
SAT Avg
1,304
SAT Reading
25th: 59064075th: 690
SAT Math
25th: 61066075th: 700
ACT Composite
25th: 252875th: 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
+$774k
+$304k
+$288k
Median Cost$32k/yr
+$658k
+$188k
+$172k
Full Cost$82k/yr
+$480k
+$10k
-$6k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
26
∞
Median Cost$32k/yr
34
149%
Full Cost$82k/yr
Never
-2%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.
  • 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 Return85%

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-41%

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$93,132
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$193k
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Median Debt
$26,197
Earnings (4yr)
$91,066
Natl Median: $98,207
Lifetime Value Added
+$177k
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Applied Mathematics
BachCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $91,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$77,791
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$75k
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Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$93,152
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$193k
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Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$93,614
Natl Median: $98,158
Lifetime Value Added
+$196k
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Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$49,058
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
-$138k
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Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$26,731
Earnings (4yr)
$82,387
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
+$111k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$272k
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Median Debt
$26,700
Earnings (4yr)
$107,790
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
+$304k
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Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$23,993
Earnings (4yr)
$103,132
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$269k
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Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,093
Earnings (4yr)
$97,750
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$228k
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Median Debt
$24,908
Earnings (4yr)
$88,793
Natl Median: $89,619
Lifetime Value Added
+$159k
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Median Debt
$24,125
Earnings (5yr)
$74,363
Natl Median: $61,027
Lifetime Value Added
+$38k
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Median Debt
$25,987
Earnings (4yr)
$77,891
Natl Median: $81,171
Lifetime Value Added
+$76k
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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 (2yr)
$65,947
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
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Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$90,286
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$171k
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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
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
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$73,359
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$42k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,366
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$160,276
Earnings (4yr)
$140,359
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
+$532k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,371
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$98,831
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$172k
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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
+$266k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$130,454
Natl Median: $125,651
Lifetime Value Added
+$447k
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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
+$257k
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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
+$249k
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Physics
MastCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $96,478
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$125,562
Earnings (4yr)
$70,324
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
-$78k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,751
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$156k
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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

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
$175,842
Earnings (4yr)
$86,919
Natl Median: $81,641
Lifetime Value Added
-$118k
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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.