College ROI

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Georgia College & State University

Milledgeville, GA 5,947 Undergrads 61.8% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$30,258
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$20,686
After Aid
Median Earnings
$62,852
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$20,686
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$62,852
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$58,140
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate61.8%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.1
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients17.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time93.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS78.6%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
78.2%
SAT Avg
1,163
SAT Reading
25th: 55059575th: 630
SAT Math
25th: 52057075th: 600
ACT Composite
25th: 222475th: 26

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
+$558k
+$92k
+$74k
Median Cost$21k/yr
+$484k
+$17k
-$397
Full Cost$30k/yr
+$450k
-$17k
-$35k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
34
∞
Median Cost$21k/yr
Never
-1%
Full Cost$30k/yr
Never
-32%
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 Return37%

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-44%
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

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,705
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,056
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$69,875
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$54k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$54,927
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$22,825
Earnings (4yr)
$58,522
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$35k
Median Debt
$22,079
Earnings (4yr)
$71,795
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$69k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$86,894
Natl Median: $77,981
Lifetime Value Added
+$184k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$23,219
Earnings (4yr)
$96,335
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$256k
Median Debt
$20,981
Earnings (4yr)
$97,653
Natl Median: $85,063
Lifetime Value Added
+$266k
Median Debt
$24,844
Earnings (4yr)
$52,062
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$88k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$33,965
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$242k
Median Debt
$25,250
Earnings (4yr)
$44,931
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$148k
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$37,109
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$215k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$20,875
Earnings (4yr)
$44,795
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$149k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$57,843
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$22,250
Earnings (4yr)
$71,560
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$67k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$67,340
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$35k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,250
Earnings (4yr)
$52,478
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,983
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)
$85,089
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
+$170k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$61,009
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$15k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$25,649
Earnings (4yr)
$62,386
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$4k
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (4yr)
$83,058
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$155k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,792
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,675
Earnings (4yr)
$54,441
Natl Median: $55,695
Lifetime Value Added
-$68k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$310k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,616
Earnings (4yr)
$54,380
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$22,044
Earnings (4yr)
$55,817
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$57k
Median Debt
$24,165
Earnings (4yr)
$52,509
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$84k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$54,018
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$16,584
Earnings (4yr)
$90,411
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$118k
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$34,244
Earnings (4yr)
$98,271
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$187k
Median Debt
$32,164
Earnings (4yr)
$94,468
Natl Median: $125,988
Lifetime Value Added
+$154k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,800
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,089
Earnings (4yr)
$83,893
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$61k
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: $78,149
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,870
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $106,092
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$83,890
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
+$61k
Median Debt
$31,600
Earnings (4yr)
$113,221
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$318k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,771
Natl Median: $55,035
Lifetime Value Added
-$422k
Median Debt
$27,599
Earnings (4yr)
$61,269
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$139k
Median Debt
$27,806
Earnings (4yr)
$59,425
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$156k
Median Debt
$27,702
Earnings (4yr)
$62,561
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$127k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $126,911
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $138,131
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.