College ROI

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Elon University

Elon, NC 6,452 Undergrads 83.2% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$65,240
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$35,785
After Aid
Median Earnings
$82,865
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$35,785
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$82,865
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$82,524
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate83.2%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.5
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients11.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS84.4%

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
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
+$704k
+$234k
+$217k
Median Cost$36k/yr
+$575k
+$105k
+$89k
Full Cost$65k/yr
+$469k
-$996
-$17k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
28
∞
Median Cost$36k/yr
40
69%
Full Cost$65k/yr
Never
-7%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.
  • 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 Return76%

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-42%

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
$20,750
Earnings (4yr)
$105,707
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$275k
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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
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Natl Median: $48,240
Lifetime Value Added
-$324k
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Median Debt
$22,250
Earnings (4yr)
$53,185
Natl Median: $44,889
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
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Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$24,732
Earnings (4yr)
$53,369
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$18,090
Earnings (4yr)
$88,983
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
+$148k
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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
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$73,750
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
+$31k
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Median Debt
$13,000
Earnings (4yr)
$64,011
Natl Median: $51,936
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$111,448
Natl Median: $83,439
Lifetime Value Added
+$319k
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Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,771
Natl Median: $39,980
Lifetime Value Added
-$315k
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Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (2yr)
$21,508
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$400k
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Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (4yr)
$112,303
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$325k
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Engineering Physics
BachCIP: 1412
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,154
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$68,927
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$6k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$80,850
Natl Median: $61,027
Lifetime Value Added
+$86k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $81,171
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$18,750
Earnings (4yr)
$103,426
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$258k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,353
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$355k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$91,132
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
+$164k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$68,262
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
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International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$23,149
Earnings (4yr)
$69,964
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
+$2k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$95,163
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$195k
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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
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$89,685
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$153k
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Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$69,856
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$2k
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Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$20,976
Earnings (4yr)
$81,153
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
+$88k
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Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$60,832
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$70k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$71,121
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
+$11k
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Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,369
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$237k
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Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$68,178
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
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Statistics
BachCIP: 2705
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,425
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,934
Earnings (4yr)
$63,041
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$52k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,739
Natl Median: $47,629
Lifetime Value Added
-$351k
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Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$133,220
Earnings (4yr)
$123,121
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
+$377k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$105,377
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$222k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,583
Natl Median: $75,972
Lifetime Value Added
-$183k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Professional Degrees

Law
ProfCIP: 2201
Median Debt
$118,973
Earnings (4yr)
$82,321
Natl Median: $107,773
Lifetime Value Added
-$166k
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Median Debt
$153,129
Earnings (4yr)
$82,774
Natl Median: $81,641
Lifetime Value Added
-$162k
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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.