College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

DeSales University

Center Valley, PA 2,128 Undergrads 61.9% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$61,819
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$29,183
After Aid
Median Earnings
$73,894
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$29,183
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$73,894
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$69,129
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate61.9%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age23.3
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients27.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time88.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS80.7%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
77.1%
SAT Avg
1,186
SAT Reading
25th: 55059575th: 640
SAT Math
25th: 54057575th: 620
ACT Composite
25th: 272675th: 28

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
+$637k
+$167k
+$150k
Median Cost$29k/yr
+$532k
+$62k
+$45k
Full Cost$62k/yr
+$414k
-$56k
-$72k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
30
∞
Median Cost$29k/yr
46
43%
Full Cost$62k/yr
Never
-32%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.
  • 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 Return29%

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-56%

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 →

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$74,169
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$58k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$76,125
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$73k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$79,595
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$100k
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 (5yr)
$62,055
Natl Median: $55,384
Lifetime Value Added
-$46k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$64,556
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
-$16k
Median Debt
$22,631
Earnings (4yr)
$64,020
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$21k
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$36,515
Natl Median: $39,980
Lifetime Value Added
-$252k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$42,571
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$199k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$46,847
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$70,430
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$30k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$124,965
Natl Median: $68,245
Lifetime Value Added
+$445k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Homeland Security
BachCIP: 4303
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,193
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$50,231
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$72,203
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$43k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,593
Natl Median: $116,539
Lifetime Value Added
-$302k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$26,851
Earnings (4yr)
$60,001
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$53k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$91,887
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$194k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$64,161
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$19k
Median Debt
$22,625
Earnings (2yr)
$32,925
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$271k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,535
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$73,650
Earnings (4yr)
$134,207
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
+$485k
Median Debt
$27,972
Earnings (4yr)
$115,797
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$325k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$52,107
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
-$221k
Education, Other
MastCIP: 1399
Median Debt
$30,100
Earnings (4yr)
$65,153
Natl Median: $65,348
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,644
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $112,705
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$40,889
Earnings (4yr)
$121,835
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$378k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,767
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $138,131
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$92,250
Earnings (4yr)
$87,358
Natl Median: $82,893
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k

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.