College ROI

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Franklin W Olin College of Engineering

Needham, MA 377 Undergrads 95.9% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
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Total Cost
$86,474
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$25,171
After Aid
Median Earnings
$126,895
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$25,171
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$126,895
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$129,455
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate95.9%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.7
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients13.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS92.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
25.2%
SAT Avg
1,520
SAT Reading
25th: 72375575th: 768
SAT Math
25th: 77078075th: 790
ACT Composite
25th: -3575th: -

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
+$1.0M
+$580k
+$562k
Median Cost$25k/yr
+$956k
+$489k
+$472k
Full Cost$86k/yr
+$736k
+$269k
+$251k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
24
∞
Median Cost$25k/yr
27
521%
Full Cost$86k/yr
36
81%
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 Return243%

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 Return7%
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
-
Earnings (2yr)
$76,460
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$112k
Median Debt
$14,512
Earnings (4yr)
$135,136
Natl Median: $89,359
Lifetime Value Added
+$534k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$106,657
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$303k

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.