College ROI

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Colgate University

Hamilton, NY 3,180 Undergrads 91.0% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$87,070
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$28,786
After Aid
Median Earnings
$77,917
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$28,786
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$77,917
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$85,139
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate91.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.3
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients12.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS84.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
13.9%
SAT Avg
1,508
SAT Reading
25th: 71070575th: 760
SAT Math
25th: 72072075th: 780
ACT Composite
25th: 333375th: 34

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
+$674k
+$207k
+$190k
Median Cost$29k/yr
+$571k
+$104k
+$86k
Full Cost$87k/yr
+$361k
-$106k
-$123k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
28
∞
Median Cost$29k/yr
39
83%
Full Cost$87k/yr
Never
-39%
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 Return17%

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-60%
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

Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Applied Mathematics
BachCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $91,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,333
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$15,350
Earnings (2yr)
$42,123
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
-$187k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$14,730
Earnings (4yr)
$57,996
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$68k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,477
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,429
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$16,000
Earnings (4yr)
$161,980
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$722k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,642
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (4yr)
$128,887
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$474k
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$57,530
Natl Median: $49,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k
Median Debt
$15,875
Earnings (4yr)
$60,702
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,459
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$75,784
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$77,199
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
+$81k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $118,943
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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
$17,000
Earnings (4yr)
$70,760
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
+$32k
Natural Sciences
BachCIP: 3018
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,935
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$17,250
Earnings (5yr)
$49,697
Natl Median: $62,451
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$79,025
Natl Median: $63,114
Lifetime Value Added
+$83k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,213
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$43,798
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
-$172k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$16,250
Earnings (4yr)
$83,188
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$127k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$77,760
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$74k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$16,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,695
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$16,900
Earnings (4yr)
$81,802
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
+$116k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,366
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Natl Median: $45,120
Lifetime Value Added
-$259k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,707
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.