College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Eckerd College

Saint Petersburg, FL 1,984 Undergrads 65.1% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$66,936
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$33,011
After Aid
Median Earnings
$51,819
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$33,011
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$51,819
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate65.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients18.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS63.1%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
78.7%
SAT Avg
1,256
SAT Reading
25th: 600-75th: 678
SAT Math
25th: 550-75th: 658
ACT Composite
25th: 24-75th: 29

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
+$452k
+$56k
-$32k
Median Cost$33k/yr
+$333k
-$63k
-$151k
Full Cost$67k/yr
+$211k
-$185k
-$273k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$33k/yr
Never
-127%
Full Cost$67k/yr
Never
-113%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year 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-116%

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-95%
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

Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (2yr)
$25,967
Lifetime Value Added
-$348k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$33,830
Lifetime Value Added
-$294k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$74,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$35k
Business/Commerce, General
BachCIP: 5201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$79,920
Lifetime Value Added
+$75k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$51,879
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$47,260
Lifetime Value Added
-$157k
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology
BachCIP: 2613
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$39,386
Lifetime Value Added
-$247k
International Business
BachCIP: 5211
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,771
Lifetime Value Added
-$304k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
$24,500
Earnings (5yr)
$42,741
Lifetime Value Added
-$218k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$53,089
Lifetime Value Added
-$132k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$41,947
Lifetime Value Added
-$225k
Research and Experimental Psychology
BachCIP: 4227
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (5yr)
$44,075
Lifetime Value Added
-$207k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
$25,490
Earnings (5yr)
$41,862
Lifetime Value Added
-$226k

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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 should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.