College ROI

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Columbia College

Columbia, MO 4,950 Undergrads 36.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$41,106
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$25,982
After Aid
Median Earnings
$58,438
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$25,982
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$58,438
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$48,161
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate36.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average starting age (2015-17)30.0
Warning: High average starting age indicates non-traditional students with prior work experience, which may inflate the median earnings shown.
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients49.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time49.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS69.2%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
100.0%
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
+$516k
+$46k
+$30k
Median Cost$26k/yr
+$423k
-$47k
-$64k
Full Cost$41k/yr
+$368k
-$102k
-$118k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
43
∞
Median Cost$26k/yr
Never
-68%
Full Cost$41k/yr
Never
-80%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
  • 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-53%

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-74%

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (4yr)
$54,522
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
+$45k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$71,989
Natl Median: $54,246
Lifetime Value Added
+$209k
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Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$52,148
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$22k
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Engineering, General
AssocCIP: 1401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fire Protection
AssocCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,589
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$38,375
Earnings (4yr)
$39,817
Natl Median: $39,422
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
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Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,896
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
+$39k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,634
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,937
Earnings (4yr)
$74,683
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$233k
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Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$20,364
Earnings (4yr)
$60,561
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$37k
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Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (4yr)
$48,950
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
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Median Debt
$18,170
Earnings (4yr)
$64,997
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$1k
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Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$61,958
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
-$26k
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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)
$81,090
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$123k
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Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,009
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
-$205k
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Median Debt
$27,676
Earnings (4yr)
$56,128
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$330k
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Median Debt
$29,076
Earnings (4yr)
$36,714
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$238k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,027
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$17,555
Earnings (4yr)
$64,555
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
-$5k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,466
Earnings (4yr)
$62,060
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
-$25k
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History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$22,854
Earnings (4yr)
$46,794
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$151k
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Median Debt
$24,334
Earnings (4yr)
$62,392
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
-$22k
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Median Debt
$34,162
Earnings (4yr)
$46,785
Natl Median: $48,597
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$57,318
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
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Median Debt
$23,583
Earnings (4yr)
$57,034
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$66k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$74,816
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$75k
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Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,037
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$116k
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Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$31,625
Earnings (4yr)
$49,166
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,093
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,126
Earnings (4yr)
$78,632
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$104k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,805
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,542
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$128k
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Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,724
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$37k
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Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$40,400
Earnings (4yr)
$87,915
Natl Median: $125,988
Lifetime Value Added
+$88k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,415
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
-$176k
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Median Debt
$42,583
Earnings (4yr)
$45,010
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$305k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$57,964
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$180k
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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.