College ROI

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Fort Hays State University

Hays, KS 9,733 Undergrads 60.4% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$19,909
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$12,569
After Aid
Median Earnings
$56,419
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$12,569
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$56,419
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$48,928
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate60.4%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age26.8
Warning: High average starting age indicates non-traditional students with prior work experience, which may inflate the median earnings shown.
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients23.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time48.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS75.2%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
90.3%
SAT Avg
1,089
SAT Reading
25th: 500-75th: 580
SAT Math
25th: 470-75th: 560
ACT Composite
25th: 18-75th: 24

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)
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$507k
+$40k
+$22k
Median Cost$13k/yr
+$461k
-$5k
-$23k
Full Cost$20k/yr
+$435k
-$32k
-$49k

ROI Efficiency Metrics
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
45
∞
Median Cost$13k/yr
Never
-51%
Full Cost$20k/yr
Never
-69%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
  • 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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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 Return-21%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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-49%
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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
$20,115
Earnings (4yr)
$62,165
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$142k
Median Debt
$22,969
Earnings (5yr)
$46,249
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$21k

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$21,250
Earnings (4yr)
$63,148
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$31k
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$58,520
Natl Median: $66,647
Lifetime Value Added
-$6k
Median Debt
$17,556
Earnings (5yr)
$47,873
Natl Median: $53,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$58,463
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$6k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,891
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$58,355
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$7k
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$61,153
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$15k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $28,311
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (4yr)
$65,526
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
+$50k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$47,260
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$30,689
Earnings (5yr)
$46,464
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$50,246
Natl Median: $58,928
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
Median Debt
$19,591
Earnings (4yr)
$73,380
Natl Median: $83,439
Lifetime Value Added
+$110k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,894
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,362
Earnings (4yr)
$55,790
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$28k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$64,524
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$42k
Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (4yr)
$39,280
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$167k
Median Debt
$16,898
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,726
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $98,442
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$57,241
Natl Median: $80,890
Lifetime Value Added
-$25k
Median Debt
$23,747
Earnings (4yr)
$67,823
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
+$68k
Median Debt
$18,625
Earnings (4yr)
$53,176
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$50k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (2yr)
$57,318
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$3k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$27,525
Earnings (4yr)
$62,261
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$24k
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
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,848
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$175k
Median Debt
$26,035
Earnings (4yr)
$72,384
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$102k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$20,062
Earnings (4yr)
$51,898
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Median Debt
$15,842
Earnings (4yr)
$79,957
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$160k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$53,549
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$46k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$27,378
Earnings (4yr)
$44,405
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$123k
Median Debt
$24,169
Earnings (4yr)
$45,190
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
Median Debt
$19,124
Earnings (4yr)
$53,945
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k

Master's Degrees

Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,697
Earnings (4yr)
$98,630
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$205k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,149
Natl Median: $67,030
Lifetime Value Added
-$143k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$19,950
Earnings (4yr)
$55,830
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$174k
Median Debt
$22,766
Earnings (4yr)
$71,570
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$32k
Median Debt
$24,840
Earnings (4yr)
$64,964
Natl Median: $70,644
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,079
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $79,463
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,600
Earnings (4yr)
$65,851
Natl Median: $65,716
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Median Debt
$28,476
Earnings (4yr)
$66,697
Natl Median: $75,122
Lifetime Value Added
-$75k
Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$66,852
Natl Median: $64,711
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$115,388
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$332k
Median Debt
$36,500
Earnings (4yr)
$66,097
Natl Median: $63,216
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
Median Debt
$27,127
Earnings (4yr)
$60,958
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$127k
Median Debt
$32,037
Earnings (4yr)
$51,758
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$213k
Median Debt
$12,900
Earnings (4yr)
$51,641
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$214k

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.