Elon University

Elon, NC 6,452 Undergrads 83.0% Grad Rate

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Total Cost

$62,266

Sticker Price

Avg Net Price

$41,555

After Aid

Median Earnings

$77,800

4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$41,555

Peer Midpoint: $20,081

Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation

$77,800

Peer Midpoint: $60,428

Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment

$74,545

Peer Midpoint: $53,763

Graduation Rate83.0%

Peer Midpoint: 58.9%

Average Starting Age19.5

Socio-Economic Diversity

Pell Grant Recipients9.7%

Enrollment Status

Full-Time97.2%

Economic Outcomes

Earn More than HS79.6%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance

66.3%

SAT Avg

1,208

SAT Reading

25th: 580-75th: 650

SAT Math

25th: 550-75th: 630

ACT Composite

25th: 23-75th: 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

+$673k

+$207k

+$189k

Median Cost$42k/yr

+$524k

+$57k

+$40k

Full Cost$62k/yr

+$449k

-$17k

-$35k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age

Return on Inv. %

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

∞

Median Cost$42k/yr

26%

Full Cost$62k/yr

Never

-16%

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 Return62%

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-45%

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

$20,000

Earnings (4yr)

$105,707

Natl Median: $76,194

Lifetime Value Added

+$252k

Anthropology

BachCIP: 4502

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $46,676

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Applied Mathematics

BachCIP: 2703

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $91,532

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management

BachCIP: 5010

Median Debt

$26,044

Earnings (2yr)

$29,685

Natl Median: $48,240

Lifetime Value Added

-$344k

Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians

BachCIP: 1002

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$53,185

Natl Median: $44,889

Lifetime Value Added

-$154k

Biology, General

BachCIP: 2601

Median Debt

$23,125

Earnings (4yr)

$53,369

Natl Median: $57,214

Lifetime Value Added

-$152k

Business Administration, Management and Operations

BachCIP: 5202

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $68,257

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other

BachCIP: 5299

Median Debt

$19,500

Earnings (4yr)

$88,983

Natl Median: $69,830

Lifetime Value Added

+$125k

Chemical Engineering

BachCIP: 1407

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $98,158

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Chemistry

BachCIP: 4005

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $65,120

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Communication and Media Studies

BachCIP: 0901

Median Debt

$21,999

Earnings (4yr)

$73,750

Natl Median: $56,359

Lifetime Value Added

+$9k

Community Organization and Advocacy

BachCIP: 4402

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$64,011

Natl Median: $51,936

Lifetime Value Added

-$66k

Computer Engineering

BachCIP: 1409

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $109,015

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Computer Programming

BachCIP: 1102

Median Debt

$19,500

Earnings (4yr)

$111,448

Natl Median: $83,439

Lifetime Value Added

+$296k

BachCIP: 4506

Median Debt

$19,500

Earnings (4yr)

$112,303

Natl Median: $82,686

Lifetime Value Added

+$303k

Engineering Physics

BachCIP: 1412

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $89,154

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

BachCIP: 1414

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $81,171

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Finance and Financial Management Services

BachCIP: 5208

Median Debt

$19,500

Earnings (4yr)

$103,426

Natl Median: $83,343

Lifetime Value Added

+$235k

Fine and Studio Arts

BachCIP: 5007

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $41,367

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

History

BachCIP: 5401

Median Debt

Earnings (5yr)

$60,586

Natl Median: $50,680

Lifetime Value Added

-$103k

BachCIP: 3020

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $59,972

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Journalism

BachCIP: 0904

Median Debt

$18,000

Earnings (4yr)

$69,964

Natl Median: $56,278

Lifetime Value Added

-$20k

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

BachCIP: 2401

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $53,072

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Marketing

BachCIP: 5214

Median Debt

$20,500

Earnings (4yr)

$95,163

Natl Median: $69,303

Lifetime Value Added

+$172k

Mathematics

BachCIP: 2701

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $69,562

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Music

BachCIP: 5009

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $42,892

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Natural Resources Conservation and Research

BachCIP: 0301

Median Debt

Earnings (5yr)

$61,399

Natl Median: $55,012

Lifetime Value Added

-$97k

Philosophy

BachCIP: 3801

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $54,455

Lifetime Value Added

BachCIP: 3802

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $41,390

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies

BachCIP: 2313

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $48,471

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

BachCIP: 1609

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$71,121

Natl Median: $55,000

Lifetime Value Added

-$12k

Sociology

BachCIP: 4511

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $52,657

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Special Education and Teaching

BachCIP: 1310

Median Debt

Earnings (2yr)

$39,369

Natl Median: $50,499

Lifetime Value Added

-$257k

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness

BachCIP: 3105

Median Debt

$22,750

Earnings (4yr)

$68,178

Natl Median: $54,562

Lifetime Value Added

-$34k

Statistics

BachCIP: 2705

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $92,425

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods

BachCIP: 1312

Median Debt

$20,000

Earnings (4yr)

$63,041

Natl Median: $47,382

Lifetime Value Added

-$74k

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas

BachCIP: 1313

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $51,389

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Visual and Performing Arts, Other

BachCIP: 5099

Median Debt

MastCIP: 5202

Median Debt

$60,825

Earnings (4yr)

$105,377

Natl Median: $103,485

Lifetime Value Added

+$211k

Radio, Television, and Digital Communication

MastCIP: 0907

Median Debt

$58,814

Earnings (4yr)

$59,583

Natl Median: $75,972

Lifetime Value Added

-$193k

Special Education and Teaching

MastCIP: 1310

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $64,397

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Professional Degrees

Law

ProfCIP: 2201

Median Debt

$119,023

Earnings (4yr)

$82,321

Natl Median: $107,773

Lifetime Value Added

-$187k

Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions

ProfCIP: 5123

Median Debt

$148,375

Earnings (4yr)

$82,774

Natl Median: $81,641

Lifetime Value Added

-$183k

Other Programs

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

DegCIP: 2401

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $56,308

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. 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.