College ROI

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Harding University

Searcy, AR 3,382 Undergrads 69.4% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$39,651
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$19,786
After Aid
Median Earnings
$55,952
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$19,786
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$55,952
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$56,146
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate69.4%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average starting age (2015-17)21.0
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients25.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time94.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS71.8%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
70.5%
SAT Avg
1,182
SAT Reading
25th: 53059075th: 660
SAT Math
25th: 52056075th: 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
+$496k
+$26k
+$10k
Median Cost$20k/yr
+$425k
-$45k
-$61k
Full Cost$40k/yr
+$354k
-$117k
-$133k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
53
∞
Median Cost$20k/yr
Never
-86%
Full Cost$40k/yr
Never
-93%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.
  • 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-76%

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-79%

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
$24,472
Earnings (4yr)
$80,311
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$139k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$48,762
Natl Median: $44,533
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
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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
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,025
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$3k
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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
$23,335
Earnings (4yr)
$58,184
Natl Median: $58,928
Lifetime Value Added
-$34k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$85,506
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$166k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$27,375
Earnings (4yr)
$92,014
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$228k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,894
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,992
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,567
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$14k
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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
-
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
-
Earnings (4yr)
$37,384
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$210k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,460
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (4yr)
$71,203
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$69k
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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 (2yr)
$32,569
Natl Median: $48,568
Lifetime Value Added
-$241k
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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 (5yr)
$64,191
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
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Median Debt
$28,125
Earnings (4yr)
$41,328
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$176k
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Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (4yr)
$62,558
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$2k
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Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$73,601
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$88k
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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
-$138k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,093
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,989
Earnings (4yr)
$51,434
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$57,281
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$51k
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Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$71,872
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$75k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,843
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$29k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,366
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$25,267
Earnings (4yr)
$48,833
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,631
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$54,149
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$67k
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Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$41,228
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$177k
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Median Debt
$26,091
Earnings (4yr)
$51,067
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$93k
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Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$131,453
Earnings (4yr)
$119,507
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
+$375k
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Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$110,206
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$294k
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Median Debt
$54,600
Earnings (4yr)
$61,215
Natl Median: $67,030
Lifetime Value Added
-$138k
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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
+$401
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$45,988
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$284k
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Median Debt
$57,129
Earnings (4yr)
$124,272
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$416k
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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
-$217k
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Median Debt
$27,139
Earnings (4yr)
$50,418
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$241k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$48,014
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$264k
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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
$181,827
Earnings (4yr)
$79,976
Natl Median: $81,641
Lifetime Value Added
-$125k
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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.