College ROI

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Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, FL 13,874 Undergrads 63.7% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$21,260
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$11,555
After Aid
Median Earnings
$61,402
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$11,555
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$61,402
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$59,401
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate63.7%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average starting age (2015-17)21.4
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients31.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time79.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS75.0%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
63.4%
SAT Avg
1,114
SAT Reading
25th: 53057075th: 610
SAT Math
25th: 51054075th: 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
+$540k
+$70k
+$54k
Median Cost$12k/yr
+$499k
+$28k
+$12k
Full Cost$21k/yr
+$464k
-$6k
-$23k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
37
∞
Median Cost$12k/yr
54
29%
Full Cost$21k/yr
Never
-30%
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 Return45%

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-36%

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
$15,313
Earnings (4yr)
$72,207
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$107k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$68,389
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
+$67k
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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
$15,005
Earnings (4yr)
$53,352
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$91,676
Natl Median: $93,451
Lifetime Value Added
+$256k
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Biotechnology
BachCIP: 2612
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,097
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$66,349
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$61k
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Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$23,980
Earnings (4yr)
$84,451
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
+$200k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$67,069
Natl Median: $75,975
Lifetime Value Added
+$67k
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Median Debt
$13,303
Earnings (4yr)
$56,455
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$19k
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Median Debt
$16,598
Earnings (4yr)
$98,650
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
+$309k
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Median Debt
$13,875
Earnings (4yr)
$54,215
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$37k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,009
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
-$153k
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Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$12,048
Earnings (4yr)
$55,116
Natl Median: $49,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$30k
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Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$45,842
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$78,238
Natl Median: $81,171
Lifetime Value Added
+$153k
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Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy
BachCIP: 0302
Median Debt
$19,469
Earnings (4yr)
$48,942
Natl Median: $56,185
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
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Median Debt
$17,188
Earnings (4yr)
$75,767
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$134k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$43,271
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$130k
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Median Debt
$14,875
Earnings (4yr)
$54,006
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
-$39k
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History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$18,051
Earnings (4yr)
$56,543
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
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Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$60,011
Natl Median: $56,726
Lifetime Value Added
+$11k
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Median Debt
$15,375
Earnings (4yr)
$56,695
Natl Median: $53,266
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
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Median Debt
$17,479
Earnings (4yr)
$74,739
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$126k
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Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$14,619
Earnings (4yr)
$67,034
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$67k
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Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$278k
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Median Debt
$17,625
Earnings (4yr)
$48,879
Natl Median: $50,532
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
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Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$14,798
Earnings (4yr)
$51,265
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$62k
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Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$13,000
Earnings (4yr)
$54,824
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$32k
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Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$13,236
Earnings (4yr)
$52,722
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$50k
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Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$16,250
Earnings (4yr)
$58,119
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$5k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$43,420
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$128k
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Median Debt
$18,163
Earnings (4yr)
$86,452
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$216k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,792
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$12,979
Earnings (4yr)
$52,096
Natl Median: $57,805
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
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Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$16,989
Earnings (4yr)
$53,707
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
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Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,136
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$56,467
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
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Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$17,250
Earnings (4yr)
$58,179
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$4k
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Median Debt
$15,458
Earnings (4yr)
$58,115
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$5k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$44,835
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
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Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$90,904
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$140k
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Applied Mathematics
MastCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $116,060
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$119,240
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$367k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,250
Earnings (4yr)
$61,774
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$118k
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Median Debt
$23,055
Earnings (4yr)
$73,910
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
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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 (5yr)
$89,356
Natl Median: $78,149
Lifetime Value Added
+$111k
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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
-$76k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$85,052
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
+$89k
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Median Debt
$79,464
Earnings (5yr)
$193,825
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$997k
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Median Debt
$38,500
Earnings (2yr)
$78,343
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
+$58k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,342
Natl Median: $77,554
Lifetime Value Added
-$298k
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Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$28,299
Earnings (4yr)
$61,073
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$124k
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Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$36,636
Earnings (4yr)
$67,595
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
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Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
$61,500
Earnings (4yr)
$79,335
Natl Median: $82,893
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
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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.