College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Edgewood College

Madison, WI 1,104 Undergrads 63.6% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$48,450
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$25,634
After Aid
Median Earnings
$59,728
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$25,634
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$59,728
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate63.6%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients25.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time93.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS83.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
94.5%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

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
+$515k
+$118k
+$30k
Median Cost$26k/yr
+$423k
+$26k
-$62k
Full Cost$48k/yr
+$340k
-$56k
-$144k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
42
Median Cost$26k/yr
Never
-67%
Full Cost$48k/yr
Never
-83%
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-59%

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-77%
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

Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$26,535
Earnings (5yr)
$57,780
Lifetime Value Added
-$68k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$73,014
Lifetime Value Added
+$49k
Business/Commerce, General
BachCIP: 5201
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (5yr)
$59,580
Lifetime Value Added
-$54k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (5yr)
$55,401
Lifetime Value Added
-$87k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$55,512
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$58,481
Lifetime Value Added
-$62k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,353
Lifetime Value Added
-$318k
Education, Other
BachCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$44,503
Lifetime Value Added
-$177k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$24,421
Lifetime Value Added
-$335k
Human Resources Management and Services
BachCIP: 5210
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$51,482
Lifetime Value Added
-$93k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$48,436
Lifetime Value Added
-$144k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (5yr)
$79,487
Lifetime Value Added
+$98k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$25,875
Earnings (5yr)
$49,314
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k

Master's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$91,119
Lifetime Value Added
+$316k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$49,409
Earnings (5yr)
$107,868
Lifetime Value Added
+$460k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$31,590
Earnings (5yr)
$58,955
Lifetime Value Added
+$36k
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
MastCIP: 5115
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (5yr)
$57,863
Lifetime Value Added
+$26k
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language
MastCIP: 1314
Median Debt
$30,204
Earnings (5yr)
$57,386
Lifetime Value Added
+$22k

Doctoral Degrees

Educational Administration and Supervision
DocCIP: 1304
Median Debt
$58,153
Earnings (5yr)
$92,062
Lifetime Value Added
+$146k

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.