College ROI

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Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City, NC 1,975 Undergrads 49.3% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$19,278
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$8,048
After Aid
Median Earnings
$48,960
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$8,048
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$48,960
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$44,614
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate49.3%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average Starting Age21.9
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients60.5%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time90.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS56.7%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
64.2%
SAT Avg
1,019
SAT Reading
25th: 47050075th: 560
SAT Math
25th: 45046575th: 520
ACT Composite
25th: 161775th: 22

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
+$439k
-$31k
-$48k
Median Cost$8k/yr
+$410k
-$60k
-$77k
Full Cost$19k/yr
+$369k
-$101k
-$117k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$8k/yr
Never
-265%
Full Cost$19k/yr
Never
-169%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
  • 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-192%

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-90%

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
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,771
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$215k
Air Transportation
BachCIP: 4901
Median Debt
$19,704
Earnings (2yr)
$26,353
Natl Median: $85,825
Lifetime Value Added
-$255k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$26,625
Earnings (4yr)
$53,625
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$29k
Median Debt
$22,062
Earnings (4yr)
$49,903
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$61k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$68,723
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$93k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$50,239
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other
BachCIP: 1599
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $81,678
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,598
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$235k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,440
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$20,140
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$313k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$23,115
Earnings (2yr)
$23,649
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$280k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$19,907
Earnings (4yr)
$45,224
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,398
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k
Median Debt
$20,989
Earnings (4yr)
$50,146
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k

Master's Degrees

Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$55,964
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
Mathematics
MastCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$30,327
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,916
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.