College ROI

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Colby-Sawyer College

New London, NH 778 Undergrads 67.7% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$65,807
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$25,857
After Aid
Median Earnings
$46,474
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$25,857
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$46,474
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate67.7%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients26.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time89.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS70.8%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
90.0%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

ROI Sensitivity Analysis

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
+$409k
+$12k
-$76k
Median Cost$26k/yr
+$316k
-$81k
-$169k
Full Cost$66k/yr
+$172k
-$225k
-$313k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$26k/yr
Never
-181%
Full Cost$66k/yr
Never
-132%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year 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-147%

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-102%
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 with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Bachelor's Degrees

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
BachCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,134
Lifetime Value Added
-$230k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$26,160
Earnings (5yr)
$52,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$74,976
Lifetime Value Added
+$63k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$55,217
Lifetime Value Added
-$89k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
BachCIP: 5107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$45,500
Lifetime Value Added
-$146k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$26,850
Earnings (5yr)
$50,521
Lifetime Value Added
-$128k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$288k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$17,470
Lifetime Value Added
-$400k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$56,721
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$59,512
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$88,122
Lifetime Value Added
+$162k
Social Sciences, Other
BachCIP: 4599
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$21,964
Lifetime Value Added
-$359k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$54,699
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$41,311
Lifetime Value Added
-$205k

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.