College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

John Brown University

Siloam Springs, AR 1,471 Undergrads 67.9% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$44,710
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$20,397
After Aid
Median Earnings
$55,210
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$20,397
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$55,210
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$53,907
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate67.9%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age24.2
Warning: High average starting age indicates non-traditional students with prior work experience, which may inflate the median earnings shown.
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients30.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time95.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS73.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
76.1%
SAT Avg
1,195
SAT Reading
25th: 55060875th: 690
SAT Math
25th: 52060375th: 650
ACT Composite
25th: 212675th: 28

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
+$497k
+$30k
+$12k
Median Cost$20k/yr
+$423k
-$43k
-$61k
Full Cost$45k/yr
+$336k
-$131k
-$148k

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
51
Median Cost$20k/yr
Never
-83%
Full Cost$45k/yr
Never
-92%
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-75%

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-80%
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.

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$82,703
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$153k
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
$24,995
Earnings (4yr)
$70,720
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$62k
Median Debt
$19,752
Earnings (4yr)
$78,800
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
+$123k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,598
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$278k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$99,760
Natl Median: $95,124
Lifetime Value Added
+$268k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$47,248
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$127k
Median Debt
$25,488
Earnings (4yr)
$90,783
Natl Median: $89,359
Lifetime Value Added
+$215k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$18,771
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$369k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$36,796
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
-$217k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,625
Earnings (4yr)
$39,575
Natl Median: $48,568
Lifetime Value Added
-$193k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
$22,250
Earnings (4yr)
$45,322
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
-$144k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$47,076
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$129k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$151k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
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)
$35,601
Natl Median: $42,915
Lifetime Value Added
-$227k
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
$19,703
Earnings (4yr)
$40,222
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$187k
Median Debt
$29,000
Earnings (4yr)
$64,963
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$17k
Religious Music and Worship
BachCIP: 3905
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,456
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$48,188
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$200k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,535
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$23,552
Earnings (4yr)
$97,702
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$183k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $125,988
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,073
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$52,463
Earnings (4yr)
$49,897
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$245k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Other Programs

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $81,700
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,308
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

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.