College ROI

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Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, IL 3,006 Undergrads 70.0% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$54,679
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$24,185
After Aid
Median Earnings
$63,784
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$24,185
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$63,784
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$61,462
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate70.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age22.0
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients38.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time98.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS80.1%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
73.6%
SAT Avg
1,151
SAT Reading
25th: 51056275th: 640
SAT Math
25th: 48055575th: 620
ACT Composite
25th: 232675th: 30

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
+$566k
+$99k
+$81k
Median Cost$24k/yr
+$479k
+$12k
-$6k
Full Cost$55k/yr
+$369k
-$98k
-$115k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
34
∞
Median Cost$24k/yr
Never
-6%
Full Cost$55k/yr
Never
-59%
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-17%

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-67%
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
$18,000
Earnings (4yr)
$79,654
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$116k
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
$25,376
Earnings (4yr)
$41,122
Natl Median: $48,240
Lifetime Value Added
-$193k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$60,161
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$34k
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (4yr)
$76,678
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$93k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,618
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$88k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$60,158
Natl Median: $58,928
Lifetime Value Added
-$34k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$101,273
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$281k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,480
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$122k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$48,823
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
Median Debt
$13,249
Earnings (4yr)
$46,021
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$151k
Median Debt
$18,125
Earnings (4yr)
$76,433
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$92k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,459
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,283
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$14,719
Earnings (5yr)
$56,882
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$70k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$24,035
Natl Median: $42,907
Lifetime Value Added
-$334k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$18,750
Earnings (4yr)
$72,286
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$60k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,565
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$175k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$27,250
Earnings (4yr)
$32,448
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$268k
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
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$19,959
Earnings (4yr)
$52,264
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$165k
Median Debt
$20,135
Earnings (4yr)
$79,372
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$114k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$47,052
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$143k
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$56,282
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$66k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,075
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$18,375
Earnings (4yr)
$66,244
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$14k
Median Debt
$21,950
Earnings (4yr)
$52,106
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
Median Debt
$26,073
Earnings (4yr)
$56,411
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,535
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$26,575
Earnings (4yr)
$102,847
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$221k
Median Debt
$30,520
Earnings (4yr)
$97,793
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
+$176k
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$66,310
Natl Median: $67,030
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $114,420
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $107,835
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,235
Earnings (4yr)
$117,787
Natl Median: $124,807
Lifetime Value Added
+$351k
Public Health
MastCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,467
Natl Median: $82,751
Lifetime Value Added
-$171k
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$107,924
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$265k
Median Debt
$61,373
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,369
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$340k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $107,274
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $122,843
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,147
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Other Programs

Marketing
DegCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,915
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,636
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.