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Emory University
Atlanta, GA 7,275 Undergrads 91.9% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$78,814
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$23,911
After Aid
Median Earnings
$80,137
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$23,911
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$80,137
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate91.9%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients18.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS85.0%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
11.1%
SAT Avg
1,507
SAT Reading
25th: 71072075th: 760
SAT Math
25th: 75076075th: 790
ACT Composite
25th: 323375th: 34
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
+$668k
+$271k
+$183k
Median Cost$24k/yr
+$582k
+$185k
+$97k
Full Cost$79k/yr
+$384k
-$13k
-$100k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
28
∞
Median Cost$24k/yr
38
113%
Full Cost$79k/yr
Never
-35%
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 Return24%
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-58%
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
Associate's Degrees
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$11,170
Earnings (5yr)
$62,309
Lifetime Value Added
+$111k
Bachelor's Degrees
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
BachCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$84,516
Lifetime Value Added
+$142k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$21,515
Earnings (5yr)
$69,305
Lifetime Value Added
+$28k
Applied Mathematics
BachCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$81,787
Lifetime Value Added
+$121k
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$83,027
Lifetime Value Added
+$131k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$67,087
Lifetime Value Added
+$11k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$127,583
Lifetime Value Added
+$463k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$19,625
Earnings (5yr)
$64,937
Lifetime Value Added
-$6k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$15,500
Earnings (5yr)
$166,603
Lifetime Value Added
+$750k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$20,826
Earnings (5yr)
$104,633
Lifetime Value Added
+$292k
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$62,143
Lifetime Value Added
-$27k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (5yr)
$62,306
Lifetime Value Added
-$26k
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
BachCIP: 5006
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,369
Lifetime Value Added
-$194k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$81,404
Lifetime Value Added
+$118k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (5yr)
$60,217
Lifetime Value Added
-$42k
International Relations and National Security Studies
BachCIP: 4509
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$80,251
Lifetime Value Added
+$110k
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
BachCIP: 1601
Median Debt
$19,760
Earnings (5yr)
$55,567
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$63,028
Lifetime Value Added
+$9k
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
BachCIP: 3099
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$90,043
Lifetime Value Added
+$183k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$13,000
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Lifetime Value Added
-$242k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
$23,172
Earnings (5yr)
$73,608
Lifetime Value Added
+$60k
Neurobiology and Neurosciences
BachCIP: 2615
Median Debt
$17,421
Earnings (5yr)
$66,695
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
$15,250
Earnings (2yr)
$32,925
Lifetime Value Added
-$252k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (5yr)
$64,001
Lifetime Value Added
-$13k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$19,702
Earnings (5yr)
$67,538
Lifetime Value Added
+$14k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$19,750
Earnings (5yr)
$89,034
Lifetime Value Added
+$175k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
BachCIP: 2313
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (5yr)
$53,363
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$73,682
Lifetime Value Added
+$61k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$65,354
Lifetime Value Added
-$2k
Post-Baccalaureate Certificates
Public Health
PB-CertCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$87,660
Lifetime Value Added
+$382k
Master's Degrees
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
MastCIP: 5108
Median Debt
$170,901
Earnings (5yr)
$196,592
Lifetime Value Added
+$1215k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
MastCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$174,639
Earnings (5yr)
$134,426
Lifetime Value Added
+$689k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$60,046
Earnings (5yr)
$189,646
Lifetime Value Added
+$1157k
Business/Commerce, General
MastCIP: 5201
Median Debt
$47,269
Earnings (5yr)
$191,246
Lifetime Value Added
+$1170k
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology
MastCIP: 2613
Median Debt
$66,000
Earnings (5yr)
$93,094
Lifetime Value Added
+$336k
Genetics
MastCIP: 2608
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$72,671
Lifetime Value Added
+$199k
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies
MastCIP: 2202
Median Debt
$66,876
Earnings (5yr)
$88,380
Lifetime Value Added
+$296k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
MastCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$50,439
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies
MastCIP: 5114
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$194,665
Lifetime Value Added
+$1299k
Public Health
MastCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$66,000
Earnings (5yr)
$90,964
Lifetime Value Added
+$318k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
MastCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$63,050
Earnings (5yr)
$124,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$606k
Theological and Ministerial Studies
MastCIP: 3906
Median Debt
$58,657
Earnings (5yr)
$60,697
Lifetime Value Added
+$55k
Doctoral Degrees
Biology, General
DocCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$96,111
Lifetime Value Added
+$182k
Chemistry
DocCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$49,019
Lifetime Value Added
-$147k
Religion/Religious Studies
DocCIP: 3802
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$80,807
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Professional Degrees
Law
ProfCIP: 2201
Median Debt
$134,617
Earnings (5yr)
$129,964
Lifetime Value Added
+$427k
Medicine
ProfCIP: 5112
Median Debt
$181,971
Earnings (5yr)
$107,716
Lifetime Value Added
+$266k
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
ProfCIP: 5123
Median Debt
$146,677
Earnings (5yr)
$82,169
Lifetime Value Added
+$80k
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.