College ROI

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Columbia College

Columbia, MO 4,950 Undergrads 35.4% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$37,207
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$22,715
After Aid
Median Earnings
$57,679
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$22,715
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$57,679
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+27%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$45,378
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate35.4%
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 Age30.0
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 Recipients46.5%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time49.8%
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
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)
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$517k
+$50k
+$33k
Median Cost$23k/yr
+$435k
-$32k
-$49k
Full Cost$37k/yr
+$383k
-$84k
-$101k

ROI Efficiency Metrics
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
42
∞
Median Cost$23k/yr
Never
-60%
Full Cost$37k/yr
Never
-76%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).⚠️ 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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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-44%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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-69%
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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Certificates

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

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
$23,258
Earnings (4yr)
$54,522
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
+$50k
Median Debt
$22,387
Earnings (4yr)
$71,989
Natl Median: $54,246
Lifetime Value Added
+$212k
Median Debt
$26,418
Earnings (4yr)
$52,148
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$27k
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
$28,454
Earnings (4yr)
$39,817
Natl Median: $39,422
Lifetime Value Added
-$95k
Median Debt
$17,447
Earnings (4yr)
$53,896
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
+$44k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,634
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,247
Earnings (4yr)
$74,683
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$236k

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$20,812
Earnings (4yr)
$60,561
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$26k
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$16,875
Earnings (4yr)
$48,950
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
Median Debt
$31,000
Earnings (4yr)
$64,997
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$9k
Median Debt
$23,187
Earnings (4yr)
$61,958
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
-$15k
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
$25,718
Earnings (4yr)
$81,090
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$132k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,009
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
-$192k
Median Debt
$23,575
Earnings (4yr)
$56,128
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$62k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$318k
Median Debt
$26,023
Earnings (4yr)
$36,714
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$226k
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
$18,750
Earnings (4yr)
$64,555
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$6k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$31,600
Earnings (4yr)
$62,060
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
-$14k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$24,839
Earnings (4yr)
$46,794
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$140k
Median Debt
$29,500
Earnings (4yr)
$62,392
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Median Debt
$30,612
Earnings (4yr)
$46,785
Natl Median: $48,597
Lifetime Value Added
-$140k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$63,489
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
-$13k
Median Debt
$21,494
Earnings (4yr)
$57,034
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$54k
Median Debt
$26,033
Earnings (4yr)
$74,816
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$85k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,037
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
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
$24,361
Earnings (4yr)
$49,166
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$120k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,093
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$33,110
Earnings (4yr)
$78,632
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$114k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,805
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$23,002
Earnings (4yr)
$49,542
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$116k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$45,860
Earnings (4yr)
$87,915
Natl Median: $125,988
Lifetime Value Added
+$93k
Median Debt
$52,896
Earnings (4yr)
$58,415
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
-$169k
Median Debt
$39,652
Earnings (4yr)
$45,010
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$297k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$57,964
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$173k

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.