College ROI

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Guilford College

Greensboro, NC 1,001 Undergrads 49.3% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$56,920
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$22,813
After Aid
Median Earnings
$51,682
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$22,813
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$51,682
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$52,803
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate49.3%
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 Age23.0
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients51.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time98.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS63.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
80.0%
SAT Avg
1,105
SAT Reading
25th: 55055075th: 650
SAT Math
25th: 57052575th: 610
ACT Composite
25th: 182075th: 24

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
+$461k
-$9k
-$25k
Median Cost$23k/yr
+$379k
-$91k
-$107k
Full Cost$57k/yr
+$256k
-$214k
-$230k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$23k/yr
Never
-131%
Full Cost$57k/yr
Never
-112%
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-112%

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-92%

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
-
Earnings (4yr)
$67,698
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$31k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,416
Natl Median: $65,681
Lifetime Value Added
-$226k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$23,649
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$333k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$60,858
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$23k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,936
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$65,823
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$17k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $85,063
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$54,209
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$78k
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
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,212
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
-$291k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,064
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$14,318
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$420k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,459
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,011
Natl Median: $61,911
Lifetime Value Added
-$147k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$47,062
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$146k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$20,140
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$366k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,114
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)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$319k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$26,337
Earnings (4yr)
$49,921
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,959
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$23,950
Earnings (4yr)
$46,651
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$141k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,887
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,748
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$205k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,714
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.