College ROI

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Grambling State University

Grambling, LA 4,164 Undergrads 37.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$25,465
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$19,214
After Aid
Median Earnings
$47,374
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$19,214
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$47,374
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$41,535
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate37.5%
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 age (2015-17)21.3
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients75.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time90.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS43.7%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
44.9%
SAT Avg
943
SAT Reading
25th: 49049075th: 570
SAT Math
25th: 43043075th: 510
ACT Composite
25th: 151775th: 19

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
+$425k
-$45k
-$61k
Median Cost$19k/yr
+$356k
-$114k
-$130k
Full Cost$25k/yr
+$334k
-$136k
-$153k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$19k/yr
Never
-188%
Full Cost$25k/yr
Never
-167%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.⚠️ 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

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-194%

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-98%

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$32,524
Earnings (4yr)
$50,208
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$30,875
Earnings (4yr)
$54,628
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$61k
Median Debt
$35,500
Earnings (4yr)
$44,729
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $77,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$30,500
Earnings (4yr)
$43,324
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$157k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$31,000
Earnings (4yr)
$44,033
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$151k
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General
BachCIP: 1500
Median Debt
$34,366
Earnings (4yr)
$68,760
Natl Median: $80,526
Lifetime Value Added
+$53k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$34,500
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$35,487
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,568
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$29,654
Earnings (4yr)
$54,803
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$29,584
Earnings (4yr)
$41,150
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$175k
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
$31,625
Earnings (4yr)
$45,159
Natl Median: $50,983
Lifetime Value Added
-$141k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$31,500
Earnings (4yr)
$43,561
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$155k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$68,219
Natl Median: $86,233
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$37,500
Earnings (4yr)
$42,644
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$28,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$31,250
Earnings (4yr)
$44,665
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$9,375
Natl Median: $47,629
Lifetime Value Added
-$457k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,953
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$83,628
Earnings (4yr)
$51,278
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
-$231k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, Other
MastCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,348
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$56,980
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
-$177k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$99,496
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$201k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$55,999
Natl Median: $65,443
Lifetime Value Added
-$186k
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$44,742
Earnings (4yr)
$59,157
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$156k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$38,234
Earnings (4yr)
$54,594
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
-$199k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Graduate Certificates

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

Doctoral Degrees

Education, Other
DocCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $90,635
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.