College ROI

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Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, FL 13,874 Undergrads 63.0% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$20,807
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$12,568
After Aid
Median Earnings
$59,369
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$12,568
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$59,369
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$54,560
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate63.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age21.4
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients28.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time79.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS74.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
63.4%
SAT Avg
1,114
SAT Reading
25th: 53056075th: 610
SAT Math
25th: 51053575th: 590
ACT Composite
25th: 202275th: 25

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
+$531k
+$64k
+$46k
Median Cost$13k/yr
+$485k
+$19k
+$1k
Full Cost$21k/yr
+$456k
-$11k
-$29k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
39
∞
Median Cost$13k/yr
63
2%
Full Cost$21k/yr
Never
-38%
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 Return32%

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-37%
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
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$72,207
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$101k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$21,814
Earnings (4yr)
$53,352
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$48k
Median Debt
$17,779
Earnings (4yr)
$91,676
Natl Median: $93,451
Lifetime Value Added
+$250k
Biotechnology
BachCIP: 2612
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,097
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$18,976
Earnings (4yr)
$66,349
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$56k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$17,125
Earnings (4yr)
$84,451
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
+$195k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$67,069
Natl Median: $75,975
Lifetime Value Added
+$62k
Median Debt
$17,479
Earnings (4yr)
$56,455
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$23k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$98,650
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
+$303k
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$54,215
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$11,472
Earnings (2yr)
$39,009
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
-$156k
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$18,828
Earnings (4yr)
$55,116
Natl Median: $49,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$34k
Median Debt
$16,658
Earnings (4yr)
$45,842
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$78,238
Natl Median: $81,171
Lifetime Value Added
+$147k
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy
BachCIP: 0302
Median Debt
$21,615
Earnings (4yr)
$48,942
Natl Median: $56,185
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
Median Debt
$19,267
Earnings (4yr)
$75,767
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$128k
Median Debt
$20,650
Earnings (4yr)
$43,271
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
Median Debt
$17,515
Earnings (4yr)
$54,006
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$21,375
Earnings (4yr)
$56,543
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$22k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$60,011
Natl Median: $56,726
Lifetime Value Added
+$6k
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$56,695
Natl Median: $53,266
Lifetime Value Added
-$21k
Median Debt
$19,611
Earnings (4yr)
$74,739
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$120k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$18,315
Earnings (4yr)
$67,034
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$61k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$57,703
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$22k
Median Debt
$18,115
Earnings (4yr)
$48,879
Natl Median: $50,532
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (4yr)
$51,265
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$54,824
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$36k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$17,245
Earnings (4yr)
$52,722
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$53k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (4yr)
$58,119
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$43,420
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$132k
Median Debt
$17,625
Earnings (4yr)
$86,452
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$210k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,792
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,099
Earnings (4yr)
$52,096
Natl Median: $57,805
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (4yr)
$53,707
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$45k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,136
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$75k
Median Debt
$24,249
Earnings (4yr)
$56,467
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$23k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$58,179
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
Median Debt
$17,989
Earnings (4yr)
$58,115
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$44,835
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$90,904
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$137k
Applied Mathematics
MastCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $116,060
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$89,129
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$107k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,774
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$73,910
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $120,215
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$45,500
Natl Median: $78,149
Lifetime Value Added
-$256k
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $106,092
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$66,340
Natl Median: $74,607
Lifetime Value Added
-$78k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$85,052
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
+$86k
Median Debt
$94,418
Earnings (5yr)
$158,823
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$700k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$78,343
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
+$55k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,342
Natl Median: $77,554
Lifetime Value Added
-$298k
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$61,073
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$126k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$39,622
Earnings (4yr)
$67,595
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$67k

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
$61,500
Earnings (4yr)
$79,335
Natl Median: $82,893
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k

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.