College ROI

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College of the Ozarks

Point Lookout, MO 1,444 Undergrads 64.3% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$33,734
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$6,100
After Aid
Median Earnings
$44,258
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$6,100
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$44,258
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$41,592
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate64.3%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.7
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients46.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time98.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS66.0%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
12.0%
SAT Avg
1,118
SAT Reading
25th: 54057275th: 630
SAT Math
25th: 51054075th: 590
ACT Composite
25th: 202375th: 25

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
+$405k
-$62k
-$79k
Median Cost$6k/yr
+$383k
-$84k
-$101k
Full Cost$34k/yr
+$284k
-$183k
-$201k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$6k/yr
Never
-461%
Full Cost$34k/yr
Never
-165%
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 Return-197%

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-105%
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
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,422
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$33k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,360
Natl Median: $66,647
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,588
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Animal Sciences
BachCIP: 0109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$42,296
Natl Median: $49,634
Lifetime Value Added
-$118k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,889
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,533
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$47,665
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$58,673
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$38k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$42,683
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$122k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,668
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,753
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,842
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$17,470
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$329k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fire Protection
BachCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,436
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,283
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,726
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,568
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,303
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
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,468
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Plant Sciences
BachCIP: 0111
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,567
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$44,659
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$44,554
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,192
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$31k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$29,102
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$238k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$32,583
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$202k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Natl Median: $45,338
Lifetime Value Added
-$217k

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.