College ROI

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Columbia Southern University

Orange Beach, AL 12,176 Undergrads 47.9% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$18,226
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$14,580
After Aid
Median Earnings
$80,589
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$14,580
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$80,589
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
$63,534
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate47.9%
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 Age34.8
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 Recipients22.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time65.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS76.8%

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
+$695k
+$228k
+$210k
Median Cost$15k/yr
+$642k
+$175k
+$158k
Full Cost$18k/yr
+$629k
+$162k
+$145k

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
28
∞
Median Cost$15k/yr
32
301%
Full Cost$18k/yr
33
221%
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 Return515%

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 Return106%
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
$25,428
Earnings (4yr)
$89,203
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
+$469k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,418
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fire Protection
CertCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,436
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,962
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$57,864
Natl Median: $61,907
Lifetime Value Added
+$149k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,496
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
CertCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,757
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,856
Earnings (4yr)
$78,159
Natl Median: $51,561
Lifetime Value Added
+$362k
Median Debt
$15,879
Earnings (4yr)
$84,636
Natl Median: $62,511
Lifetime Value Added
+$425k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
CertCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,647
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
$16,640
Earnings (4yr)
$61,433
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$131k
Median Debt
$12,140
Earnings (4yr)
$66,000
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$173k
Fire Protection
AssocCIP: 4302
Median Debt
$9,500
Earnings (4yr)
$88,114
Natl Median: $73,589
Lifetime Value Added
+$372k
Median Debt
$15,886
Earnings (4yr)
$40,382
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$75k
Median Debt
$16,266
Earnings (4yr)
$62,009
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
+$136k
Median Debt
$13,910
Earnings (4yr)
$87,340
Natl Median: $77,094
Lifetime Value Added
+$365k

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$20,057
Earnings (4yr)
$95,774
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
+$274k
Median Debt
$23,998
Earnings (4yr)
$69,343
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$72k
Median Debt
$23,491
Earnings (4yr)
$63,248
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$25k
Median Debt
$19,843
Earnings (4yr)
$77,738
Natl Median: $85,063
Lifetime Value Added
+$136k
Median Debt
$20,209
Earnings (4yr)
$70,354
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
+$80k
Fire Protection
BachCIP: 4302
Median Debt
$20,895
Earnings (4yr)
$88,735
Natl Median: $86,436
Lifetime Value Added
+$220k
Median Debt
$23,621
Earnings (4yr)
$61,821
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
Homeland Security
BachCIP: 4303
Median Debt
$21,628
Earnings (4yr)
$73,703
Natl Median: $70,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$105k
Median Debt
$21,862
Earnings (4yr)
$62,061
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
+$15k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,618
Natl Median: $52,119
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
Median Debt
$22,078
Earnings (4yr)
$81,292
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
+$163k
Median Debt
$23,425
Earnings (4yr)
$94,480
Natl Median: $86,525
Lifetime Value Added
+$264k

Post-Baccalaureate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $104,114
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $105,177
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $79,861
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$77,603
Natl Median: $77,603
Lifetime Value Added
+$81k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$39,043
Earnings (4yr)
$79,103
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$30k
Median Debt
$39,585
Earnings (4yr)
$64,135
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
Homeland Security
MastCIP: 4303
Median Debt
$37,075
Earnings (4yr)
$93,851
Natl Median: $96,660
Lifetime Value Added
+$160k
Median Debt
$40,144
Earnings (4yr)
$74,452
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k
Public Health
MastCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$39,955
Earnings (4yr)
$66,208
Natl Median: $82,751
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
Median Debt
$32,386
Earnings (4yr)
$99,847
Natl Median: $103,349
Lifetime Value Added
+$212k

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $113,566
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

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.