College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

CUNY Bernard M Baruch College

New York, NY 16,154 Undergrads 71.2% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$14,170
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$3,033
After Aid
Median Earnings
$82,748
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$3,033
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$82,748
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$75,971
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate71.2%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age22.8
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients57.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time81.3%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS77.0%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
47.5%
SAT Avg
1,280
SAT Reading
25th: 550-75th: 690
SAT Math
25th: 550-75th: 710
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
+$711k
+$244k
+$227k
Median Cost$3k/yr
+$700k
+$233k
+$216k
Full Cost$14k/yr
+$660k
+$193k
+$176k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
27
Median Cost$3k/yr
28
1979%
Full Cost$14k/yr
31
345%
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 Return752%

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 Return183%
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
$11,000
Earnings (4yr)
$90,104
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$272k
Applied Mathematics
BachCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $91,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,419
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$36k
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$73,619
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$146k
Median Debt
$11,640
Earnings (4yr)
$69,215
Natl Median: $65,784
Lifetime Value Added
+$113k
Median Debt
$13,666
Earnings (4yr)
$84,280
Natl Median: $77,981
Lifetime Value Added
+$228k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$73,007
Natl Median: $50,523
Lifetime Value Added
+$142k
Median Debt
$7,500
Earnings (4yr)
$59,756
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
+$38k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$10,450
Earnings (4yr)
$83,354
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$221k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,994
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
+$40k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$57,689
Natl Median: $61,027
Lifetime Value Added
+$22k
Median Debt
$11,750
Earnings (4yr)
$84,956
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$233k
Median Debt
$9,127
Earnings (4yr)
$76,565
Natl Median: $75,399
Lifetime Value Added
+$169k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$64,570
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
+$77k
Median Debt
$10,750
Earnings (4yr)
$85,870
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
+$240k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$78,019
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
+$180k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$15,045
Earnings (4yr)
$54,425
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
-$5k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$68,471
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
+$107k
Median Debt
$7,500
Earnings (4yr)
$94,582
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
+$306k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$85,820
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$239k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$53,767
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$19k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$11,744
Earnings (4yr)
$64,231
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$74k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$13,051
Earnings (4yr)
$58,476
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$28k
Median Debt
$14,159
Earnings (4yr)
$69,033
Natl Median: $65,093
Lifetime Value Added
+$111k
Real Estate
BachCIP: 5215
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,968
Natl Median: $84,821
Lifetime Value Added
-$34k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Statistics
BachCIP: 2705
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,425
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$19,762
Earnings (4yr)
$113,283
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$351k
Applied Mathematics
MastCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $116,060
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
MastCIP: 5010
Median Debt
$28,625
Earnings (4yr)
$72,747
Natl Median: $59,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$4k
Median Debt
$39,380
Earnings (4yr)
$144,308
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$619k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$83,481
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$90k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $97,526
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$28,245
Earnings (4yr)
$101,297
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
+$246k
Median Debt
$27,858
Earnings (4yr)
$78,832
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$49k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $97,366
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$121,670
Natl Median: $110,694
Lifetime Value Added
+$424k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$117,095
Natl Median: $123,713
Lifetime Value Added
+$384k
Median Debt
$47,411
Earnings (4yr)
$140,615
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
+$587k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$108,119
Natl Median: $83,558
Lifetime Value Added
+$306k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$163,850
Natl Median: $112,705
Lifetime Value Added
+$760k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$131,545
Natl Median: $97,121
Lifetime Value Added
+$487k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $95,627
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,025
Earnings (4yr)
$128,917
Natl Median: $106,092
Lifetime Value Added
+$486k
Median Debt
$21,917
Earnings (4yr)
$137,636
Natl Median: $124,807
Lifetime Value Added
+$562k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$69,043
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$37k
Operations Research
MastCIP: 1437
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $161,561
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,150
Earnings (4yr)
$93,751
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
+$180k
Real Estate
MastCIP: 5215
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$137,118
Natl Median: $135,104
Lifetime Value Added
+$534k
Statistics
MastCIP: 2705
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$127,189
Natl Median: $123,816
Lifetime Value Added
+$471k
Taxation
MastCIP: 5216
Median Debt
$16,806
Earnings (4yr)
$132,681
Natl Median: $114,810
Lifetime Value Added
+$519k

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.