College ROI

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Fort Valley State University

Fort Valley, GA 2,684 Undergrads 46.4% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$19,879
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$10,338
After Aid
Median Earnings
$44,844
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$10,338
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$44,844
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$36,666
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate46.4%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average Starting Age21.7
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients73.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time90.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS48.1%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
65.9%
SAT Avg
994
SAT Reading
25th: 48044075th: 560
SAT Math
25th: 45044075th: 510
ACT Composite
25th: 191875th: 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
+$410k
-$57k
-$74k
Median Cost$10k/yr
+$373k
-$94k
-$112k
Full Cost$20k/yr
+$339k
-$128k
-$146k

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
Never
-∞
Median Cost$10k/yr
Never
-300%
Full Cost$20k/yr
Never
-204%
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-252%

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-105%
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.

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$43,568
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$130k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,647
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Animal Sciences
BachCIP: 0109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,634
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$45,337
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
Median Debt
$29,000
Earnings (4yr)
$56,411
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$15k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$31,000
Earnings (4yr)
$26,285
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$273k
Median Debt
$33,630
Earnings (4yr)
$44,881
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
Median Debt
$31,000
Earnings (4yr)
$45,033
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$110k
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $84,599
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other
BachCIP: 1599
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $81,678
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$34,000
Earnings (4yr)
$38,345
Natl Median: $48,460
Lifetime Value Added
-$167k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$36,871
Natl Median: $46,487
Lifetime Value Added
-$186k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$52,011
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$38,151
Natl Median: $53,579
Lifetime Value Added
-$175k
Median Debt
$37,250
Earnings (2yr)
$21,052
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$311k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Plant Sciences
BachCIP: 0111
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,567
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$31,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$29,556
Earnings (4yr)
$45,292
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$31,000
Earnings (4yr)
$37,564
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$174k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$47,929
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$93k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,771
Natl Median: $44,115
Lifetime Value Added
-$222k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,688
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Animal Sciences
MastCIP: 0109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,394
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biotechnology
MastCIP: 2612
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $107,682
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$73,173
Earnings (4yr)
$42,601
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$298k
Public Health
MastCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$49,805
Earnings (4yr)
$54,144
Natl Median: $82,751
Lifetime Value Added
-$186k
Median Debt
$61,500
Earnings (4yr)
$49,365
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
-$232k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$68,400
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$56k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

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.