College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Johnson & Wales University-Online

Providence, RI 2,202 Undergrads 29.3% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$26,864
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$20,252
After Aid
Median Earnings
$54,530
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$20,252
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$54,530
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+26%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$43,418
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate29.3%
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 Age21.0
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients36.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time23.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS60.8%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
91.0%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

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
+$491k
+$24k
+$7k
Median Cost$20k/yr
+$418k
-$49k
-$66k
Full Cost$27k/yr
+$395k
-$72k
-$90k

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
55
∞
Median Cost$20k/yr
Never
-91%
Full Cost$27k/yr
Never
-93%
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-69%

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-70%
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
$14,167
Earnings (4yr)
$42,395
Natl Median: $39,605
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$26,229
Earnings (4yr)
$73,476
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$83k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$59,186
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$28k
Median Debt
$23,786
Earnings (4yr)
$51,247
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$93k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,374
Natl Median: $58,894
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$56,632
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$49k
Median Debt
$25,125
Earnings (4yr)
$47,042
Natl Median: $61,027
Lifetime Value Added
-$129k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$73,152
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$81k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,571
Natl Median: $54,945
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,768
Earnings (4yr)
$55,790
Natl Median: $56,726
Lifetime Value Added
-$56k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$79,056
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
+$126k
Median Debt
$26,250
Earnings (4yr)
$61,380
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$26,100
Earnings (4yr)
$64,321
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
Median Debt
$26,100
Earnings (4yr)
$56,241
Natl Median: $50,468
Lifetime Value Added
-$52k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,500
Earnings (4yr)
$77,025
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
+$110k
Median Debt
$26,982
Earnings (4yr)
$53,539
Natl Median: $59,631
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$34,341
Earnings (4yr)
$73,821
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
-$26k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,369
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
-$332k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $110,694
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$38,941
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $74,856
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$33,581
Earnings (4yr)
$69,995
Natl Median: $83,558
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,033
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.