College ROI

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Colorado School of Mines

Golden, CO 5,801 Undergrads 84.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$38,556
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$29,240
After Aid
Median Earnings
$97,335
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$29,240
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$97,335
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate84.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients13.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time95.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS90.1%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
59.7%
SAT Avg
1,403
SAT Reading
25th: 65068575th: 720
SAT Math
25th: 67070575th: 750
ACT Composite
25th: 293175th: 33

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
+$794k
+$397k
+$309k
Median Cost$29k/yr
+$689k
+$292k
+$204k
Full Cost$39k/yr
+$655k
+$259k
+$171k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
26
∞
Median Cost$29k/yr
32
194%
Full Cost$39k/yr
35
123%
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 Return325%

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 Return37%
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

Applied Mathematics
BachCIP: 2703
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$89,416
Lifetime Value Added
+$159k
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
BachCIP: 1405
Median Debt
$23,370
Earnings (5yr)
$100,802
Lifetime Value Added
+$244k
Chemical Engineering
BachCIP: 1407
Median Debt
$26,798
Earnings (5yr)
$95,781
Lifetime Value Added
+$207k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$64,667
Lifetime Value Added
-$27k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$23,402
Earnings (5yr)
$91,060
Lifetime Value Added
+$171k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (5yr)
$136,319
Lifetime Value Added
+$508k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$103,408
Lifetime Value Added
+$264k
Engineering Physics
BachCIP: 1412
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$96,528
Lifetime Value Added
+$212k
Engineering, General
BachCIP: 1401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$93,878
Lifetime Value Added
+$193k
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
BachCIP: 1414
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$83,766
Lifetime Value Added
+$117k
Geological/Geophysical Engineering
BachCIP: 1439
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$84,373
Lifetime Value Added
+$121k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$112,896
Lifetime Value Added
+$335k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (5yr)
$93,871
Lifetime Value Added
+$193k
Metallurgical Engineering
BachCIP: 1420
Median Debt
$25,745
Earnings (5yr)
$93,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$193k
Mining and Mineral Engineering
BachCIP: 1421
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$121,247
Lifetime Value Added
+$397k
Petroleum Engineering
BachCIP: 1425
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (5yr)
$105,804
Lifetime Value Added
+$282k

Master's Degrees

Civil Engineering
MastCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$95,768
Lifetime Value Added
+$349k
Computer Science
MastCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (2yr)
$91,744
Lifetime Value Added
+$363k
Economics
MastCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$128,586
Lifetime Value Added
+$630k
Engineering-Related Fields
MastCIP: 1515
Median Debt
$23,150
Earnings (2yr)
$77,966
Lifetime Value Added
+$237k
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
MastCIP: 4006
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$99,218
Lifetime Value Added
+$379k
Geological/Geophysical Engineering
MastCIP: 1439
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$77,715
Lifetime Value Added
+$235k
Mechanical Engineering
MastCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$30,500
Earnings (5yr)
$116,080
Lifetime Value Added
+$523k
Mining and Mineral Engineering
MastCIP: 1421
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$76,460
Lifetime Value Added
+$224k

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.