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Elmhurst University
Elmhurst, IL 2,954 Undergrads 69.5% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$51,829
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$21,063
After Aid
Median Earnings
$61,462
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$21,063
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$61,462
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate69.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients38.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS80.1%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
75.7%
SAT Avg
1,116
SAT Reading
25th: 48056275th: 610
SAT Math
25th: 48055575th: 600
ACT Composite
25th: 232675th: 28
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
+$528k
+$132k
+$44k
Median Cost$21k/yr
+$452k
+$56k
-$32k
Full Cost$52k/yr
+$342k
-$55k
-$143k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
39
∞
Median Cost$21k/yr
Never
-42%
Full Cost$52k/yr
Never
-76%
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-49%
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-75%
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
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$18,000
Earnings (5yr)
$86,907
Lifetime Value Added
+$170k
Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
$25,376
Earnings (5yr)
$41,639
Lifetime Value Added
-$184k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$58,884
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (5yr)
$71,103
Lifetime Value Added
+$51k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,554
Lifetime Value Added
-$110k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
BachCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$62,863
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$72,219
Lifetime Value Added
+$60k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$48,823
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$13,249
Earnings (5yr)
$47,521
Lifetime Value Added
-$135k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$18,125
Earnings (5yr)
$85,336
Lifetime Value Added
+$158k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$18,375
Earnings (5yr)
$63,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$5k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$14,719
Earnings (5yr)
$56,882
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k
Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies
BachCIP: 3023
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$24,035
Lifetime Value Added
-$322k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$18,750
Earnings (5yr)
$81,964
Lifetime Value Added
+$133k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,565
Lifetime Value Added
-$164k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$27,250
Earnings (5yr)
$38,722
Lifetime Value Added
-$209k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$19,959
Earnings (5yr)
$53,088
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
BachCIP: 0909
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Lifetime Value Added
-$154k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$20,135
Earnings (5yr)
$81,296
Lifetime Value Added
+$128k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
BachCIP: 2313
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$54,045
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (5yr)
$65,456
Lifetime Value Added
+$9k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$21,950
Earnings (5yr)
$52,374
Lifetime Value Added
-$95k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$26,073
Earnings (5yr)
$58,102
Lifetime Value Added
-$49k
Master's Degrees
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$26,575
Earnings (5yr)
$112,080
Lifetime Value Added
+$504k
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
MastCIP: 4228
Median Debt
$30,520
Earnings (5yr)
$75,918
Lifetime Value Added
+$194k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
MastCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (5yr)
$58,018
Lifetime Value Added
+$36k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
MastCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (5yr)
$99,646
Lifetime Value Added
+$398k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,369
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
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.