Delaware State University

Dover, DE 4,398 Undergrads 47.7% Grad Rate

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Total Cost

$27,939

Sticker Price

Avg Net Price

$13,910

After Aid

Median Earnings

$56,957

4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$13,910

Peer Midpoint: $20,080.5

Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$56,957

Peer Midpoint: $60,428

Graduation Rate47.7%

Peer Midpoint: 58.9%

Socio-Economic Diversity

Pell Grant Recipients49.5%

Enrollment Status

Full-Time88.0%

Economic Outcomes

Earn More than HS61.8%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance

46.6%

SAT Avg

940

SAT Reading

25th: 420-75th: 520

SAT Math

25th: 380-75th: 500

ACT Composite

25th: 20-75th: 24

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

+$511k

+$44k

+$27k

Median Cost$14k/yr

+$461k

-$6k

-$23k

Full Cost$28k/yr

+$411k

-$56k

-$74k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age

Return on Inv. %

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

∞

Median Cost$14k/yr

Never

-47%

Full Cost$28k/yr

Never

-73%

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 Return-36%

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-62%

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

Bachelor's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services

BachCIP: 5203

Median Debt

$25,000

Earnings (4yr)

$72,522

Natl Median: $76,194

Lifetime Value Added

+$99k

Agriculture, General

BachCIP: 0100

Median Debt

$21,500

Earnings (4yr)

$52,676

Natl Median: $53,676

Lifetime Value Added

-$59k

Air Transportation

BachCIP: 4901

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $85,825

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Apparel and Textiles

BachCIP: 1909

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $57,640

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Area Studies

BachCIP: 0501

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $56,625

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management

BachCIP: 5010

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $48,240

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology

BachCIP: 2602

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $65,466

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other

BachCIP: 2699

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $65,681

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Biology, General

BachCIP: 2601

Median Debt

$26,000

Earnings (4yr)

$59,296

Natl Median: $57,214

Lifetime Value Added

-$4k

Business Administration, Management and Operations

BachCIP: 5202

Median Debt

$25,500

Earnings (4yr)

$59,689

Natl Median: $68,257

Lifetime Value Added

-$1k

Chemistry

BachCIP: 4005

Median Debt

Earnings (2yr)

$26,353

Natl Median: $65,120

Lifetime Value Added

-$275k

Communication and Media Studies

BachCIP: 0901

Median Debt

$25,000

Earnings (4yr)

$46,440

Natl Median: $56,359

Lifetime Value Added

-$111k

Computer Science

BachCIP: 1107

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$98,411

Natl Median: $107,009

Lifetime Value Added

+$296k

Criminology

BachCIP: 4504

Median Debt

$26,000

Earnings (4yr)

$53,128

Natl Median: $55,556

Lifetime Value Added

-$55k

Curriculum and Instruction

BachCIP: 1303

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $50,452

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Engineering Physics

BachCIP: 1412

Median Debt

$31,000

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $89,154

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

English Language and Literature, General

BachCIP: 2301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $48,590

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy

BachCIP: 0302

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $56,185

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Fine and Studio Arts

BachCIP: 5007

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $41,367

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services

BachCIP: 1905

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $54,945

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Health/Medical Preparatory Programs

BachCIP: 5111

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $61,911

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

History

BachCIP: 5401

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $50,680

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Hospitality Administration/Management

BachCIP: 5209

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $56,726

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

International/Globalization Studies

BachCIP: 3020

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $59,972

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Legal Support Services

BachCIP: 2203

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $53,266

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

BachCIP: 2401

Median Debt

$23,540

Earnings (4yr)

$55,509

Natl Median: $53,072

Lifetime Value Added

-$35k

Mathematics

BachCIP: 2701

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $69,562

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Music

BachCIP: 5009

Median Debt

Earnings (2yr)

$22,771

Natl Median: $42,892

Lifetime Value Added

-$308k

Natural Resources Conservation and Research

BachCIP: 0301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $55,012

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other

BachCIP: 3899

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $46,083

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Political Science and Government

BachCIP: 4510

Median Debt

$25,000

Earnings (4yr)

$53,838

Natl Median: $63,293

Lifetime Value Added

-$49k

Psychology, General

BachCIP: 4201

Median Debt

$26,000

Earnings (4yr)

$49,132

Natl Median: $50,706

Lifetime Value Added

-$88k

Public Health

BachCIP: 5122

Median Debt

$25,872

Earnings (5yr)

$55,503

Natl Median: $58,808

Lifetime Value Added

-$44k

Radio, Television, and Digital Communication

BachCIP: 0907

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $50,497

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

BachCIP: 5138

Median Debt

$29,930

Earnings (4yr)

$94,568

Natl Median: $88,910

Lifetime Value Added

+$267k

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

BachCIP: 1609

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $55,000

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Social Work

BachCIP: 4407

Median Debt

$22,503

Earnings (4yr)

$56,937

Natl Median: $51,790

Lifetime Value Added

-$24k

Sociology

BachCIP: 4511

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $52,657

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Special Education and Teaching

BachCIP: 1310

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $50,499

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness

BachCIP: 3105

Median Debt

$26,000

Earnings (4yr)

$49,115

Natl Median: $54,562

Lifetime Value Added

-$88k

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods

BachCIP: 1312

Median Debt

$25,401

Earnings (4yr)

$50,794

Natl Median: $47,382

Lifetime Value Added

-$74k

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas

BachCIP: 1313

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $51,389

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Master's Degrees

Biology, General

MastCIP: 2601

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $69,830

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Business Administration, Management and Operations

MastCIP: 5202

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$89,641

Natl Median: $103,485

Lifetime Value Added

+$124k

Computer Science

MastCIP: 1107

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $145,571

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Criminal Justice and Corrections

MastCIP: 4301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $66,714

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Education, General

MastCIP: 1301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $65,824

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Educational Administration and Supervision

MastCIP: 1304

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $71,685

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services

MastCIP: 1905

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $66,523

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Historic Preservation and Conservation

MastCIP: 3012

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $64,496

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Mathematics

MastCIP: 2701

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $72,654

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Natural Resources Conservation and Research

MastCIP: 0301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $74,607

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Neurobiology and Neurosciences

MastCIP: 2615

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $73,229

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Physics

MastCIP: 4008

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $96,478

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

MastCIP: 5138

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $120,193

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions

MastCIP: 5123

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$64,094

Natl Median: $71,416

Lifetime Value Added

-$101k

Social Work

MastCIP: 4407

Median Debt

$31,272

Earnings (4yr)

$63,662

Natl Median: $65,123

Lifetime Value Added

-$105k

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness

MastCIP: 3105

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$53,944

Natl Median: $62,033

Lifetime Value Added

-$195k

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods

MastCIP: 1312

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $59,916

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Applied Mathematics

DocCIP: 2703

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $123,729

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Chemistry

DocCIP: 4005

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $115,386

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Educational Administration and Supervision

DocCIP: 1304

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $100,573

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Physics

DocCIP: 4008

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $130,153

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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.