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Columbia College
Columbia, MO 5,359 Undergrads 34.4% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$37,136
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$24,051
After Aid
Median Earnings
$45,378
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$24,051
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$45,378
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate34.4%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients45.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time44.3%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS66.3%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
100.0%
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
+$400k
+$3k
-$85k
Median Cost$24k/yr
+$313k
-$83k
-$171k
Full Cost$37k/yr
+$266k
-$130k
-$218k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$24k/yr
Never
-198%
Full Cost$37k/yr
Never
-163%
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-195%
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-106%
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
Associate's Degrees
Business/Commerce, General
AssocCIP: 5201
Median Debt
$23,258
Earnings (5yr)
$50,670
Lifetime Value Added
+$669
Criminal Justice and Corrections
AssocCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$26,418
Earnings (5yr)
$41,683
Lifetime Value Added
-$87k
Human Services, General
AssocCIP: 4400
Median Debt
$28,454
Earnings (5yr)
$43,516
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$17,447
Earnings (5yr)
$51,911
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
AssocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$25,247
Earnings (5yr)
$71,225
Lifetime Value Added
+$190k
Bachelor's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$20,812
Earnings (5yr)
$59,113
Lifetime Value Added
-$52k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$16,875
Earnings (5yr)
$53,078
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$31,000
Earnings (5yr)
$62,893
Lifetime Value Added
-$22k
Business/Commerce, General
BachCIP: 5201
Median Debt
$23,187
Earnings (5yr)
$58,526
Lifetime Value Added
-$56k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$25,718
Earnings (5yr)
$75,640
Lifetime Value Added
+$75k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,009
Lifetime Value Added
-$197k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$23,575
Earnings (5yr)
$53,163
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$323k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$26,023
Earnings (2yr)
$21,781
Lifetime Value Added
-$354k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$18,750
Earnings (5yr)
$61,765
Lifetime Value Added
-$31k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
BachCIP: 5107
Median Debt
$31,600
Earnings (5yr)
$69,081
Lifetime Value Added
+$25k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$24,839
Earnings (5yr)
$42,789
Lifetime Value Added
-$186k
Human Resources Management and Services
BachCIP: 5210
Median Debt
$29,500
Earnings (5yr)
$57,387
Lifetime Value Added
-$66k
Human Services, General
BachCIP: 4400
Median Debt
$30,612
Earnings (5yr)
$43,570
Lifetime Value Added
-$179k
International Business
BachCIP: 5211
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$63,489
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$21,494
Earnings (5yr)
$54,849
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
Management Information Systems and Services
BachCIP: 5212
Median Debt
$26,033
Earnings (5yr)
$70,772
Lifetime Value Added
+$38k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (5yr)
$55,136
Lifetime Value Added
-$84k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$24,361
Earnings (5yr)
$40,565
Lifetime Value Added
-$204k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$23,002
Earnings (5yr)
$45,544
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
Master's Degrees
Business/Commerce, General
MastCIP: 5201
Median Debt
$45,860
Earnings (5yr)
$91,573
Lifetime Value Added
+$323k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
MastCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$52,896
Earnings (5yr)
$54,913
Lifetime Value Added
+$2k
Curriculum and Instruction
MastCIP: 1303
Median Debt
$39,652
Earnings (5yr)
$42,416
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
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.