College ROI

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Clayton State University

Morrow, GA 4,348 Undergrads 45.1% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$17,415
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$8,365
After Aid
Median Earnings
$54,430
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$8,365
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$54,430
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$49,179
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate45.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average Starting Age25.8
Warning: High average starting age indicates non-traditional students with prior work experience, which may inflate the median earnings shown.
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients61.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time62.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS67.0%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
68.5%
SAT Avg
958
SAT Reading
25th: 450-75th: 558
SAT Math
25th: 410-75th: 520
ACT Composite
25th: 15-75th: 19

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
+$490k
+$24k
+$6k
Median Cost$8k/yr
+$460k
-$7k
-$24k
Full Cost$17k/yr
+$428k
-$39k
-$57k

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
56
∞
Median Cost$8k/yr
Never
-80%
Full Cost$17k/yr
Never
-90%
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-55%

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-54%
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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Certificates

Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,971
Natl Median: $49,747
Lifetime Value Added
+$147k

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $33,186
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$30,500
Earnings (4yr)
$63,006
Natl Median: $56,799
Lifetime Value Added
+$157k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,669
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$46,135
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$6k

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$28,259
Earnings (4yr)
$63,862
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$52k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$57,400
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$216
Median Debt
$27,787
Earnings (4yr)
$58,740
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$11k
Median Debt
$29,000
Earnings (5yr)
$52,452
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
-$49k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$42,032
Natl Median: $50,523
Lifetime Value Added
-$128k
Median Debt
$29,000
Earnings (4yr)
$40,300
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$143k
Median Debt
$34,000
Earnings (4yr)
$67,899
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$83k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$94,876
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$289k
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (4yr)
$47,627
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
Median Debt
$18,375
Earnings (4yr)
$63,402
Natl Median: $68,061
Lifetime Value Added
+$48k
Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (4yr)
$31,053
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$224k
Median Debt
$19,840
Earnings (4yr)
$36,510
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
-$176k
Median Debt
$31,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,131
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$40,140
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$42,146
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$127k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,726
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$28,842
Earnings (4yr)
$49,897
Natl Median: $53,266
Lifetime Value Added
-$62k
Median Debt
$28,500
Earnings (4yr)
$50,110
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$22,733
Earnings (5yr)
$56,312
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
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)
$55,643
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$14k
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (4yr)
$96,160
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$299k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$25,303
Earnings (2yr)
$31,133
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$212k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,042
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$36k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,292
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,688
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$72,025
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
-$20k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$50,856
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$194k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$51,193
Earnings (4yr)
$75,397
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
+$9k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,496
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,716
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$128,972
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$477k

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.