College ROI

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Grand View University

Des Moines, IA 1,486 Undergrads 60.2% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$48,522
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$21,774
After Aid
Median Earnings
$57,521
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$21,774
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$57,521
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$52,824
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate60.2%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age23.2
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 Recipients42.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time92.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS78.6%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
99.1%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: -50075th: -
SAT Math
25th: -50075th: -
ACT Composite
25th: -2075th: -

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
+$516k
+$49k
+$31k
Median Cost$22k/yr
+$437k
-$30k
-$47k
Full Cost$49k/yr
+$341k
-$126k
-$143k

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
42
∞
Median Cost$22k/yr
Never
-60%
Full Cost$49k/yr
Never
-82%
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-58%

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-77%
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.

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,589
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,400
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,907
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$24,698
Earnings (4yr)
$66,906
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$27k
Applied Mathematics
BachCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $91,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$66,623
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$25k
Biotechnology
BachCIP: 2612
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,097
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,750
Earnings (4yr)
$64,126
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
+$6k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,784
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,384
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$79,650
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$113k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,439
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,894
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$56,906
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$52k
Median Debt
$21,502
Earnings (4yr)
$41,944
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$177k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,807
Earnings (4yr)
$67,234
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$30k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,668
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$210k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,283
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,726
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,153
Earnings (4yr)
$58,176
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
-$42k
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (4yr)
$44,106
Natl Median: $48,597
Lifetime Value Added
-$159k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,266
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (4yr)
$49,263
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$22,019
Earnings (4yr)
$65,010
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,674
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$210k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$23,750
Earnings (4yr)
$47,798
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$128k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$73,047
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$74k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,366
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (4yr)
$41,210
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$184k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$54,875
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Median Debt
$25,818
Earnings (4yr)
$49,409
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$47,440
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$139k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities
MastCIP: 5132
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,487
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,444
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,178
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Other Programs

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,347
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.