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James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA 20,497 Undergrads 82.7% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$30,213
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$21,816
After Aid
Median Earnings
$69,954
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$21,816
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$69,954
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate82.7%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients15.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time95.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS83.1%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
76.3%
SAT Avg
1,247
SAT Reading
25th: 60062075th: 670
SAT Math
25th: 57060575th: 650
ACT Composite
25th: 252775th: 29
ROI Sensitivity Analysis
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
+$593k
+$196k
+$108k
Median Cost$22k/yr
+$514k
+$118k
+$30k
Full Cost$30k/yr
+$484k
+$87k
-$447
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
32
∞
Median Cost$22k/yr
48
38%
Full Cost$30k/yr
Never
-0%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year 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 Return95%
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-28%
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 with your specific estimates of cost and salary.
Program ROI Analysis
Bachelor's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (5yr)
$88,619
Lifetime Value Added
+$180k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$54,211
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$20,594
Earnings (5yr)
$60,841
Lifetime Value Added
-$30k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (5yr)
$82,511
Lifetime Value Added
+$134k
Business/Managerial Economics
BachCIP: 5206
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$64,493
Lifetime Value Added
+$29k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$66,067
Lifetime Value Added
+$11k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
BachCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$64,730
Lifetime Value Added
+$349
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$109,603
Lifetime Value Added
+$337k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (5yr)
$30,339
Lifetime Value Added
-$283k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$17,000
Earnings (5yr)
$96,390
Lifetime Value Added
+$238k
Engineering, General
BachCIP: 1401
Median Debt
$24,750
Earnings (5yr)
$88,212
Lifetime Value Added
+$177k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (5yr)
$49,084
Lifetime Value Added
-$125k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$113,644
Lifetime Value Added
+$367k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$22,125
Earnings (5yr)
$50,618
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services
BachCIP: 1905
Median Debt
$16,375
Earnings (5yr)
$59,500
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
Geography and Cartography
BachCIP: 4507
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$60,642
Lifetime Value Added
-$32k
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
BachCIP: 4006
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$56,834
Lifetime Value Added
-$62k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
BachCIP: 5107
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$74,897
Lifetime Value Added
+$77k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$65,422
Lifetime Value Added
+$6k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$20,018
Earnings (5yr)
$57,370
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Hospitality Administration/Management
BachCIP: 5209
Median Debt
$19,875
Earnings (5yr)
$65,319
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
Information Science/Studies
BachCIP: 1104
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$111,126
Lifetime Value Added
+$348k
International Business
BachCIP: 5211
Median Debt
$16,250
Earnings (5yr)
$96,946
Lifetime Value Added
+$242k
International Relations and National Security Studies
BachCIP: 4509
Median Debt
$18,138
Earnings (5yr)
$66,783
Lifetime Value Added
+$16k
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies
BachCIP: 2202
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$60,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$32k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (5yr)
$53,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$87k
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
BachCIP: 1601
Median Debt
$18,879
Earnings (5yr)
$62,734
Lifetime Value Added
-$15k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$85,936
Lifetime Value Added
+$160k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$82,836
Lifetime Value Added
+$137k
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
BachCIP: 5115
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$67,436
Lifetime Value Added
+$21k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$20,968
Earnings (5yr)
$45,783
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other
BachCIP: 3899
Median Debt
$21,250
Earnings (2yr)
$35,600
Lifetime Value Added
-$220k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$93,914
Lifetime Value Added
+$220k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$19,286
Earnings (5yr)
$68,443
Lifetime Value Added
+$29k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$57,124
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Public Administration
BachCIP: 4404
Median Debt
$18,250
Earnings (5yr)
$69,552
Lifetime Value Added
+$37k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$19,350
Earnings (5yr)
$79,692
Lifetime Value Added
+$113k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
BachCIP: 2313
Median Debt
$21,891
Earnings (5yr)
$68,972
Lifetime Value Added
+$33k
Science, Technology and Society
BachCIP: 3015
Median Debt
$22,784
Earnings (5yr)
$80,699
Lifetime Value Added
+$121k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$17,990
Earnings (5yr)
$54,376
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$17,946
Earnings (5yr)
$56,440
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Systems Science and Theory
BachCIP: 3006
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$101,452
Lifetime Value Added
+$276k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$106,689
Lifetime Value Added
+$457k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
MastCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$88,050
Earnings (5yr)
$133,378
Lifetime Value Added
+$684k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$24,750
Earnings (5yr)
$144,716
Lifetime Value Added
+$780k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
MastCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$29,000
Earnings (5yr)
$74,354
Lifetime Value Added
+$179k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$20,409
Earnings (5yr)
$54,694
Lifetime Value Added
+$4k
Education, Other
MastCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$66,036
Lifetime Value Added
+$107k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$18,092
Earnings (5yr)
$62,817
Lifetime Value Added
+$78k
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$27,444
Lifetime Value Added
-$243k
Music
MastCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,236
Lifetime Value Added
-$235k
Political Science and Government
MastCIP: 4510
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$43,798
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$48,432
Lifetime Value Added
-$27k
Public Administration
MastCIP: 4404
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$82,861
Lifetime Value Added
+$252k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
MastCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$29,000
Earnings (2yr)
$95,739
Lifetime Value Added
+$413k
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
MastCIP: 5123
Median Debt
$46,918
Earnings (5yr)
$68,668
Lifetime Value Added
+$130k
Special Education and Teaching
MastCIP: 1310
Median Debt
$20,250
Earnings (5yr)
$60,188
Lifetime Value Added
+$55k
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
MastCIP: 1311
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$67,514
Lifetime Value Added
+$120k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$79,084
Lifetime Value Added
+$220k
Doctoral Degrees
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
DocCIP: 5102
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$65,238
Lifetime Value Added
-$7k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.