Franklin and Marshall College

Lancaster, PA 1,799 Undergrads 83.9% Grad Rate

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Total Cost

$85,776

Sticker Price

Avg Net Price

$36,425

After Aid

Median Earnings

$74,391

4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$36,425

Peer Midpoint: $20,080.5

Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$74,391

Peer Midpoint: $60,428

Graduation Rate83.9%

Peer Midpoint: 58.9%

Socio-Economic Diversity

Pell Grant Recipients16.3%

Enrollment Status

Full-Time99.7%

Economic Outcomes

Earn More than HS79.6%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance

28.2%

SAT Avg

1,392

SAT Reading

25th: 660-75th: 730

SAT Math

25th: 650-75th: 733

ACT Composite

25th: 30-75th: 33

ROI Sensitivity Analysis

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

+$647k

+$181k

+$163k

Median Cost$36k/yr

+$516k

+$49k

+$32k

Full Cost$86k/yr

+$339k

-$128k

-$146k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age

Return on Inv. %

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

∞

Median Cost$36k/yr

24%

Full Cost$86k/yr

Never

-47%

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 Return2%

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-65%

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 with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Bachelor's Degrees

Anthropology

BachCIP: 4502

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $46,676

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Area Studies

BachCIP: 0501

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $56,625

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Astronomy and Astrophysics

BachCIP: 4002

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $68,333

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Behavioral Sciences

BachCIP: 3017

Median Debt

$19,000

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $48,673

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology

BachCIP: 2602

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $65,466

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Biology, General

BachCIP: 2601

Median Debt

$19,000

Earnings (2yr)

$29,685

Natl Median: $57,214

Lifetime Value Added

-$326k

Business Administration, Management and Operations

BachCIP: 5202

Median Debt

$19,500

Earnings (4yr)

$101,895

Natl Median: $68,257

Lifetime Value Added

+$242k

Chemistry

BachCIP: 4005

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $65,120

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

BachCIP: 1612

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $49,429

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Cognitive Science

BachCIP: 3025

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $81,496

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Computer Science

BachCIP: 1107

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $107,009

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Dance

BachCIP: 5003

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $39,980

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft

BachCIP: 5005

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $39,775

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Economics

BachCIP: 4506

Median Debt

$23,000

Earnings (4yr)

$90,368

Natl Median: $82,686

Lifetime Value Added

+$154k

English Language and Literature, General

BachCIP: 2301

Median Debt

Earnings (2yr)

$25,194

Natl Median: $48,590

Lifetime Value Added

-$367k

Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies

BachCIP: 0502

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $51,710

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Film/Video and Photographic Arts

BachCIP: 5006

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $43,765

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Fine and Studio Arts

BachCIP: 5007

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $41,367

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences

BachCIP: 4006

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $60,190

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

BachCIP: 1605

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $55,459

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

History

BachCIP: 5401

Median Debt

Earnings (2yr)

$39,009

Natl Median: $50,680

Lifetime Value Added

-$242k

Mathematics

BachCIP: 2701

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $69,562

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other

BachCIP: 3099

Median Debt

$19,000

Earnings (4yr)

$74,099

Natl Median: $55,693

Lifetime Value Added

+$30k

Music

BachCIP: 5009

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $42,892

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Natural Resources Conservation and Research

BachCIP: 0301

Median Debt

$23,000

Earnings (2yr)

$36,848

Natl Median: $55,012

Lifetime Value Added

-$261k

Neurobiology and Neurosciences

BachCIP: 2615

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $62,451

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 (4yr)

Natl Median: $76,786

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Political Science and Government

BachCIP: 4510

Median Debt

$19,000

Earnings (4yr)

$74,822

Natl Median: $63,293

Lifetime Value Added

+$35k

Psychology, General

BachCIP: 4201

Median Debt

Earnings (5yr)

$64,810

Natl Median: $50,706

Lifetime Value Added

-$52k

Public Health

BachCIP: 5122

Median Debt

$20,875

Earnings (4yr)

$75,867

Natl Median: $58,808

Lifetime Value Added

+$43k

Religion/Religious Studies

BachCIP: 3802

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $41,390

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies

BachCIP: 2313

Median Debt

$23,083

Earnings (2yr)

$25,053

Natl Median: $48,471

Lifetime Value Added

-$368k

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

BachCIP: 1609

Median Debt

$19,250

Earnings (2yr)

$24,421

Natl Median: $55,000

Lifetime Value Added

-$374k

Sociology

BachCIP: 4511

Median Debt

$19,000

Earnings (4yr)

$63,251

Natl Median: $52,657

Lifetime Value Added

-$54k

Zoology/Animal Biology

BachCIP: 2607

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $44,055

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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.