College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Johnson & Wales University-Providence

Providence, RI 3,868 Undergrads 60.9% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$60,314
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$31,027
After Aid
Median Earnings
$54,530
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$31,027
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 Rate60.9%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age21.0
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients30.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time96.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS60.8%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
88.4%
SAT Avg
1,050
SAT Reading
25th: 460-75th: 590
SAT Math
25th: 430-75th: 570
ACT Composite
25th: 22-75th: 27

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$31k/yr
+$380k
-$87k
-$105k
Full Cost$60k/yr
+$274k
-$193k
-$210k

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$31k/yr
Never
-94%
Full Cost$60k/yr
Never
-97%
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-86%

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-86%
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

Computer Programming
AssocCIP: 1102
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,070
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$14,167
Earnings (4yr)
$42,395
Natl Median: $39,605
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,895
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,799
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$26,229
Earnings (4yr)
$73,476
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$44k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$47,871
Natl Median: $40,334
Lifetime Value Added
-$160k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,588
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$25,183
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$59,186
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$67k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,967
Natl Median: $50,523
Lifetime Value Added
-$151k
Median Debt
$23,786
Earnings (4yr)
$51,247
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$132k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$95,371
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
+$212k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,439
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,374
Natl Median: $58,894
Lifetime Value Added
-$139k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$85,387
Natl Median: $73,587
Lifetime Value Added
+$135k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$56,632
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$88k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,056
Natl Median: $47,668
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1503
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$52,107
Natl Median: $84,599
Lifetime Value Added
-$107k
Engineering, Other
BachCIP: 1499
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$59,552
Natl Median: $93,989
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k
Median Debt
$25,125
Earnings (4yr)
$47,042
Natl Median: $61,027
Lifetime Value Added
-$167k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$73,152
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$42k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,571
Natl Median: $54,945
Lifetime Value Added
-$138k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Homeland Security
BachCIP: 4303
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,193
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,768
Earnings (4yr)
$55,790
Natl Median: $56,726
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$79,056
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
+$87k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,250
Earnings (4yr)
$61,380
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
-$49k
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
-$26k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $101,649
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,100
Earnings (4yr)
$56,241
Natl Median: $50,468
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
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
+$72k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,982
Earnings (4yr)
$53,539
Natl Median: $59,631
Lifetime Value Added
-$113k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$114,625
Earnings (4yr)
$136,683
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
+$502k
Median Debt
$34,341
Earnings (4yr)
$73,821
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
-$46k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $121,855
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,369
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
-$352k
Education, Other
MastCIP: 1399
Median Debt
$39,664
Earnings (4yr)
$59,003
Natl Median: $65,348
Lifetime Value Added
-$179k
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
-$80k
Median Debt
$47,933
Earnings (4yr)
$66,809
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k
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)
-
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$63,328
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$139k

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$123,957
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
+$160k

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.