College ROI

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Gardner-Webb University

Boiling Springs, NC 1,856 Undergrads 54.1% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$47,091
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$17,674
After Aid
Median Earnings
$60,516
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$17,674
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$60,516
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+26%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$48,039
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate54.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age25.1
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 Recipients32.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time87.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS74.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
77.2%
SAT Avg
1,113
SAT Reading
25th: 49554575th: 608
SAT Math
25th: 48054375th: 590
ACT Composite
25th: 192175th: 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)
⚠️ 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
+$540k
+$73k
+$55k
Median Cost$18k/yr
+$476k
+$9k
-$8k
Full Cost$47k/yr
+$370k
-$96k
-$114k

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
37
∞
Median Cost$18k/yr
Never
-13%
Full Cost$47k/yr
Never
-67%
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-32%

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-69%
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
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$67,538
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$181k

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$24,511
Earnings (4yr)
$58,918
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$21k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,044
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,240
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,505
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$107k
Median Debt
$26,980
Earnings (4yr)
$61,489
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$374
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,886
Earnings (4yr)
$42,936
Natl Median: $50,523
Lifetime Value Added
-$154k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$35,982
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$214k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$68,175
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$52k
Median Debt
$24,580
Earnings (4yr)
$51,709
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$21,508
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$334k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,289
Earnings (4yr)
$47,089
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$44,048
Natl Median: $62,172
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$21,375
Earnings (4yr)
$49,587
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Median Debt
$18,875
Earnings (4yr)
$75,117
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$105k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$37,084
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
-$211k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$42,282
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$167k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,061
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$28k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$45,110
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,259
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$29,937
Earnings (4yr)
$79,048
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$24k
Median Debt
$118,500
Earnings (4yr)
$125,727
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
+$432k
Median Debt
$27,409
Earnings (4yr)
$86,886
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$93k
Median Debt
$27,860
Earnings (4yr)
$60,926
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k
Median Debt
$27,882
Earnings (4yr)
$70,841
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$48k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,644
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $110,694
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $97,121
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$55,998
Earnings (4yr)
$56,338
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$179k
Median Debt
$41,319
Earnings (4yr)
$104,141
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$244k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Graduate Certificates

Economics
Gr-CertCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $118,588
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,288
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $74,850
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $103,495
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
Gr-CertCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $93,837
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $126,911
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
$51,147
Earnings (4yr)
$84,386
Natl Median: $113,566
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
Median Debt
$63,824
Earnings (4yr)
$78,398
Natl Median: $83,031
Lifetime Value Added
-$130k
Median Debt
$62,630
Earnings (4yr)
$94,213
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,854
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$32,492
Earnings (4yr)
$109,715
Natl Median: $138,131
Lifetime Value Added
+$103k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,982
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Professional Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,816
Natl Median: $43,502
Lifetime Value Added
-$517k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,771
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,089
Natl Median: $63,395
Lifetime Value Added
-$270k

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.