College ROI

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Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus

Madison, NJ 1,990 Undergrads 64.1% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$54,204
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$22,829
After Aid
Median Earnings
$68,049
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$22,829
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$68,049
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$57,273
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate64.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age22.6
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients36.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time96.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS70.8%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
95.2%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

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
+$599k
+$132k
+$114k
Median Cost$23k/yr
+$517k
+$50k
+$32k
Full Cost$54k/yr
+$404k
-$63k
-$81k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
31
∞
Median Cost$23k/yr
48
39%
Full Cost$54k/yr
Never
-41%
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 Return15%

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, or for more sophisticated analysis, the Guided ROI Interview, with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$41,796
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$76k

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$87,753
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$183k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$56,559
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$65,593
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,975
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$57,829
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$48k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$76,778
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$99k
Criminology
BachCIP: 4504
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,055
Natl Median: $55,556
Lifetime Value Added
-$87k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$33,749
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$252k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$56,969
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,027
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$45,958
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
-$147k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$84,606
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$159k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$25,125
Earnings (4yr)
$53,737
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$71,188
Natl Median: $56,726
Lifetime Value Added
+$56k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$60,525
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$27k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$75,172
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$87k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$74,192
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$79k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,292
Natl Median: $50,532
Lifetime Value Added
-$127k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$54,888
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,977
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$98,585
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$266k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$35,169
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$240k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,771
Natl Median: $41,688
Lifetime Value Added
-$267k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$25,510
Earnings (4yr)
$108,803
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$275k
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,332
Earnings (4yr)
$120,131
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$374k
Chemistry
MastCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,937
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$42,425
Earnings (4yr)
$80,630
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
+$29k
Computer Science
MastCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$58,673
Natl Median: $145,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$66,997
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $133,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $78,149
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Homeland Security
MastCIP: 4303
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $96,660
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $74,856
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $124,807
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
MastCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $79,106
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $101,441
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $129,214
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$87,309
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
+$87k
Median Debt
$40,432
Earnings (4yr)
$145,105
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$590k
Median Debt
$37,523
Earnings (4yr)
$67,441
Natl Median: $55,035
Lifetime Value Added
-$87k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$64,298
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
Taxation
MastCIP: 5216
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $114,810
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$64,376
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,509
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Professional Degrees

Median Debt
$198,813
Earnings (4yr)
$144,192
Natl Median: $138,348
Lifetime Value Added
+$338k

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.