College ROI

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Houston Christian University

Houston, TX 2,886 Undergrads 49.3% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$50,082
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$20,629
After Aid
Median Earnings
$62,310
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$20,629
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$62,310
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$55,933
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
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 Age22.1
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients54.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time76.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS70.6%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
84.4%
SAT Avg
1,084
SAT Reading
25th: 50058075th: 600
SAT Math
25th: 49056575th: 590
ACT Composite
25th: 172575th: 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)
⚠️ 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
+$554k
+$87k
+$70k
Median Cost$21k/yr
+$480k
+$13k
-$4k
Full Cost$50k/yr
+$374k
-$93k
-$110k

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
35
Median Cost$21k/yr
Never
-6%
Full Cost$50k/yr
Never
-61%
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-22%

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-67%
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.

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$27,500
Earnings (5yr)
$78,672
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$110k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,533
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,140
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$26,667
Earnings (2yr)
$20,140
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$357k
Median Debt
$23,500
Earnings (4yr)
$53,464
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$76k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,429
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
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
-
Earnings (2yr)
$48,041
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
-$105k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities
BachCIP: 5132
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $87,441
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: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$68,490
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$44k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,612
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$28,333
Earnings (4yr)
$54,696
Natl Median: $50,532
Lifetime Value Added
-$66k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Non-Professional Legal Studies
BachCIP: 2200
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,959
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (4yr)
$53,021
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
Median Debt
$21,750
Earnings (4yr)
$93,475
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$235k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$24,421
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
-$317k
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: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$19,910
Earnings (4yr)
$45,718
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$141k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,974
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$105k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$47,848
Earnings (4yr)
$98,858
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$192k
Median Debt
$57,387
Earnings (4yr)
$69,658
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
Median Debt
$38,564
Earnings (4yr)
$60,834
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$143k
Median Debt
$27,333
Earnings (4yr)
$71,086
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$51k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$55,286
Natl Median: $66,232
Lifetime Value Added
-$173k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,079
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$33,850
Earnings (4yr)
$79,024
Natl Median: $83,558
Lifetime Value Added
+$19k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$88,650
Natl Median: $97,121
Lifetime Value Added
+$103k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,716
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
MastCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,272
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$47,833
Earnings (4yr)
$75,052
Natl Median: $64,711
Lifetime Value Added
-$16k
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)
$69,694
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$59,295
Natl Median: $61,300
Lifetime Value Added
-$157k

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.