College ROI

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Dordt University

Sioux Center, IA 1,597 Undergrads 68.1% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$53,336
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$25,944
After Aid
Median Earnings
$59,394
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$25,944
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$59,394
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$57,576
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate68.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average starting age (2015-17)19.7
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients23.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time98.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS81.7%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
68.5%
SAT Avg
1,221
SAT Reading
25th: 54062575th: 670
SAT Math
25th: 53060075th: 660
ACT Composite
25th: 212575th: 29

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
+$524k
+$54k
+$38k
Median Cost$26k/yr
+$431k
-$39k
-$56k
Full Cost$53k/yr
+$332k
-$138k
-$154k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
41
∞
Median Cost$26k/yr
Never
-60%
Full Cost$53k/yr
Never
-80%
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 Return-57%

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-78%

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 →

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,438
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Agriculture, General
AssocCIP: 0100
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,683
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,587
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,642
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$77,629
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$97k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,171
Natl Median: $66,647
Lifetime Value Added
-$24k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,676
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Animal Sciences
BachCIP: 0109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,369
Natl Median: $49,634
Lifetime Value Added
-$201k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,533
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $93,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
-$221k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $98,158
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$58,673
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
-$33k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,975
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,936
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $78,929
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $95,124
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General
BachCIP: 1500
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $80,526
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$74,869
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$75k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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
Literature
BachCIP: 2314
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,173
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,954
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$232k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $118,943
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$78,118
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$100k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,103
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,915
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Plant Sciences
BachCIP: 0111
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,567
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,750
Earnings (4yr)
$66,190
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (2yr)
$28,381
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$301k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (2yr)
$36,848
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$224k
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Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (4yr)
$43,531
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$179k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,685
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.