College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Ithaca College

Ithaca, NY 4,242 Undergrads 76.3% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$68,699
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$33,926
After Aid
Median Earnings
$60,436
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$33,926
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$60,436
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$63,548
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate76.3%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.4
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients19.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS71.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
69.0%
SAT Avg
1,312
SAT Reading
25th: 630-75th: 710
SAT Math
25th: 600-75th: 680
ACT Composite
25th: 27-75th: 30

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
+$539k
+$72k
+$55k
Median Cost$34k/yr
+$417k
-$50k
-$67k
Full Cost$69k/yr
+$292k
-$175k
-$192k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
37
∞
Median Cost$34k/yr
Never
-55%
Full Cost$69k/yr
Never
-78%
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-54%

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%
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
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$102,626
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$256k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,591
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$107k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$19,227
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$413k
Architecture
BachCIP: 0402
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,914
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,240
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$48,412
Natl Median: $44,889
Lifetime Value Added
-$166k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
-$278k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,643
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
Median Debt
$24,353
Earnings (4yr)
$75,810
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$52k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$20,140
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$405k
Median Debt
$24,403
Earnings (4yr)
$61,090
Natl Median: $58,928
Lifetime Value Added
-$62k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (4yr)
$98,373
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$224k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$46,563
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$182k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$73,994
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$27k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$36,123
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$278k
Median Debt
$24,899
Earnings (4yr)
$44,829
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
-$197k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$20,156
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$405k
Gerontology
BachCIP: 3011
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,051
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$55,263
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$118k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Natl Median: $42,907
Lifetime Value Added
-$249k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$61,317
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,338
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k
Median Debt
$24,051
Earnings (4yr)
$48,010
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$170k
Non-Professional Legal Studies
BachCIP: 2200
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,959
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,461
Natl Median: $50,983
Lifetime Value Added
-$319k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,083
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 (5yr)
$65,098
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$40k
Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (4yr)
$76,318
Natl Median: $62,172
Lifetime Value Added
+$56k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$49,440
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$158k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,057
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$127k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$22,095
Earnings (5yr)
$46,243
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$192k
Median Debt
$23,125
Earnings (4yr)
$68,029
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$8k
Median Debt
$23,375
Earnings (4yr)
$58,804
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
Median Debt
$25,449
Earnings (4yr)
$76,766
Natl Median: $55,792
Lifetime Value Added
+$59k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,001
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$38,727
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$249k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$60,955
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$58,902
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$114,068
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$301k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$75,163
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
-$40k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,030
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
MastCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$54,879
Natl Median: $48,285
Lifetime Value Added
-$233k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,681
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $80,125
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$39,024
Earnings (4yr)
$78,320
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$69,444
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$50,439
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$245k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,782
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$158k

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
$70,954
Earnings (4yr)
$84,755
Natl Median: $82,893
Lifetime Value Added
-$141k

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.