College ROI

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Harding University

Searcy, AR 3,382 Undergrads 67.9% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$39,534
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$22,130
After Aid
Median Earnings
$53,024
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$22,130
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$53,024
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$52,876
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate67.9%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age21.0
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients22.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time94.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS73.2%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
70.5%
SAT Avg
1,182
SAT Reading
25th: 53059575th: 660
SAT Math
25th: 52058075th: 630
ACT Composite
25th: 202475th: 29

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
+$479k
+$12k
-$6k
Median Cost$22k/yr
+$399k
-$68k
-$85k
Full Cost$40k/yr
+$337k
-$130k
-$148k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$22k/yr
Never
-107%
Full Cost$40k/yr
Never
-104%
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 Return-94%

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-83%
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

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$80,311
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$129k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$60,387
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$35k
Median Debt
$19,913
Earnings (4yr)
$48,762
Natl Median: $44,533
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $93,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,500
Earnings (4yr)
$62,025
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,697
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,418
Earnings (4yr)
$58,184
Natl Median: $58,928
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
Median Debt
$19,338
Earnings (5yr)
$81,011
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$122k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$24,149
Earnings (4yr)
$92,014
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$218k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,894
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,955
Earnings (4yr)
$48,992
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,567
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$24k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,753
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$26,192
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$37,384
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$218k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,460
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,250
Earnings (4yr)
$71,203
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$59k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,399
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,911
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Human Biology
BachCIP: 3027
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,732
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$41,883
Natl Median: $48,568
Lifetime Value Added
-$186k
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
$26,829
Earnings (4yr)
$41,328
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$184k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$62,558
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$8k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$73,601
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$77k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,915
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$45,814
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$146k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,093
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,767
Earnings (4yr)
$51,434
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$29,000
Earnings (4yr)
$71,872
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$64k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,843
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$38k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,366
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$29,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,833
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$120k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,631
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$24,812
Earnings (4yr)
$54,149
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$76k
Median Debt
$26,687
Earnings (4yr)
$41,228
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$185k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,067
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$127,251
Earnings (4yr)
$119,507
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
+$370k
Median Debt
$25,230
Earnings (4yr)
$110,206
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$289k
Median Debt
$54,982
Earnings (4yr)
$61,215
Natl Median: $67,030
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k
Education, Other
MastCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,348
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$76,668
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$5k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$45,988
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$286k
Median Debt
$57,907
Earnings (4yr)
$124,272
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$411k
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)
$52,869
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$220k
Median Debt
$30,750
Earnings (4yr)
$50,418
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$244k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$48,014
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$267k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,300
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Professional Degrees

Median Debt
$221,398
Earnings (4yr)
$135,372
Natl Median: $135,405
Lifetime Value Added
+$276k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$79,976
Natl Median: $81,641
Lifetime Value Added
-$134k

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.