College ROI

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Drake University

Des Moines, IA 2,543 Undergrads 78.1% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$64,835
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$29,127
After Aid
Median Earnings
$65,232
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$29,127
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$65,232
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$71,901
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate78.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.2
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients21.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS87.9%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
63.8%
SAT Avg
1,292
SAT Reading
25th: 58065575th: 680
SAT Math
25th: 53064575th: 670
ACT Composite
25th: 242875th: 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
+$577k
+$110k
+$93k
Median Cost$29k/yr
+$472k
+$5k
-$12k
Full Cost$65k/yr
+$344k
-$123k
-$141k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
33
∞
Median Cost$29k/yr
Never
-12%
Full Cost$65k/yr
Never
-60%
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-21%

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-70%
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
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$87,582
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$159k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,333
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,375
Earnings (4yr)
$67,547
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
+$6k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$68,796
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
Median Debt
$17,053
Earnings (4yr)
$73,523
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$52k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (4yr)
$90,639
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$182k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,834
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$54,950
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$95k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$88,638
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$167k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$57,563
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,027
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$88,637
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$167k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$42,256
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$201k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$55,964
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
-$68k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,764
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
-$138k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,969
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
-$30k
Median Debt
$23,125
Earnings (4yr)
$52,326
Natl Median: $57,149
Lifetime Value Added
-$116k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$87,551
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$159k
Median Debt
$23,979
Earnings (4yr)
$97,132
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
+$232k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (4yr)
$71,246
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$34k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$91,704
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$177k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$42,233
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$201k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$75,867
Natl Median: $116,539
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$67,257
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$4k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$20,248
Earnings (4yr)
$47,706
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$155k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$63,302
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$27k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,591
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$261k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,289
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$44,835
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$164k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,629
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$91,269
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$110k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$137,890
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$516k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,953
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,724
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$141k
Median Debt
$23,522
Earnings (4yr)
$68,233
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $110,694
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Non-Professional Legal Studies
MastCIP: 2200
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,153
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,075
Earnings (4yr)
$83,764
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
+$45k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,658
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$169k
Median Debt
$30,966
Earnings (4yr)
$56,615
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$197k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$56,234
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$180k

Professional Degrees

Law
ProfCIP: 2201
Median Debt
$83,526
Earnings (4yr)
$87,375
Natl Median: $107,773
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$140,314
Natl Median: $138,348
Lifetime Value Added
+$287k
Median Debt
$196,378
Earnings (4yr)
$57,322
Natl Median: $81,641
Lifetime Value Added
-$331k

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.