College ROI

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Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, IL 5,368 Undergrads 55.0% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$51,889
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$26,598
After Aid
Median Earnings
$47,092
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$26,598
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$47,092
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$42,195
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate55.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age21.0
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients44.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time95.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS54.2%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
89.5%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

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
+$429k
-$38k
-$55k
Median Cost$27k/yr
+$333k
-$133k
-$151k
Full Cost$52k/yr
+$242k
-$224k
-$242k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$27k/yr
Never
-158%
Full Cost$52k/yr
Never
-130%
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-141%

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-98%
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
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$45,619
Natl Median: $45,044
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,592
Natl Median: $48,240
Lifetime Value Added
-$122k
Median Debt
$26,250
Earnings (4yr)
$43,731
Natl Median: $44,889
Lifetime Value Added
-$180k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$56,482
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,439
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$41,842
Natl Median: $39,980
Lifetime Value Added
-$196k
Median Debt
$24,500
Earnings (4yr)
$48,601
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$138k
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$39,986
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$212k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$44,703
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
-$171k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$41,200
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
-$201k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$42,176
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$193k
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$43,970
Natl Median: $43,283
Lifetime Value Added
-$177k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$24,525
Earnings (4yr)
$51,639
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
-$113k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$25,250
Earnings (4yr)
$65,686
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$553
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,593
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$130k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$25,625
Earnings (4yr)
$40,734
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$205k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,225
Earnings (4yr)
$66,798
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
+$9k
Median Debt
$23,400
Earnings (4yr)
$54,357
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$39,751
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$214k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$23,351
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$349k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
MastCIP: 5010
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,136
Natl Median: $59,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$160k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,978
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$83,900
Earnings (4yr)
$53,147
Natl Median: $51,486
Lifetime Value Added
-$226k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,079
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Journalism
MastCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,025
Natl Median: $69,034
Lifetime Value Added
-$327k
Median Debt
$67,949
Earnings (4yr)
$59,340
Natl Median: $49,304
Lifetime Value Added
-$167k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$43,334
Natl Median: $75,122
Lifetime Value Added
-$329k
Music
MastCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,285
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$48,604
Earnings (4yr)
$57,240
Natl Median: $55,035
Lifetime Value Added
-$187k

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.