College ROI

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Lafayette College

Easton, PA 2,746 Undergrads 89.1% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$78,854
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$32,496
After Aid
Median Earnings
$91,410
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$32,496
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$91,410
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate89.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients9.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS90.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
31.5%
SAT Avg
1,419
SAT Reading
25th: 67068075th: 730
SAT Math
25th: 67070075th: 760
ACT Composite
25th: 303275th: 33

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
+$750k
+$354k
+$266k
Median Cost$32k/yr
+$633k
+$237k
+$149k
Full Cost$79k/yr
+$467k
+$70k
-$18k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
27
∞
Median Cost$32k/yr
35
127%
Full Cost$79k/yr
Never
-6%
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 Return79%

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-42%
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

Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$17,000
Earnings (5yr)
$78,669
Lifetime Value Added
+$67k
Chemical Engineering
BachCIP: 1407
Median Debt
$17,000
Earnings (5yr)
$97,678
Lifetime Value Added
+$209k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$16,000
Earnings (5yr)
$90,802
Lifetime Value Added
+$158k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$106,100
Lifetime Value Added
+$272k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$92,887
Lifetime Value Added
+$173k
Engineering, General
BachCIP: 1401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$72,403
Lifetime Value Added
+$53k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$16,500
Earnings (5yr)
$74,426
Lifetime Value Added
+$35k
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
BachCIP: 5006
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Lifetime Value Added
-$273k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$59,301
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
BachCIP: 4006
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$57,318
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
International Relations and National Security Studies
BachCIP: 4509
Median Debt
$16,620
Earnings (5yr)
$89,758
Lifetime Value Added
+$150k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$65,332
Lifetime Value Added
-$3k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$94,144
Lifetime Value Added
+$183k
Neurobiology and Neurosciences
BachCIP: 2615
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$82,698
Lifetime Value Added
+$97k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$13,640
Earnings (5yr)
$81,966
Lifetime Value Added
+$92k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$16,000
Earnings (5yr)
$74,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$34k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$48,823
Lifetime Value Added
-$141k
Social Sciences, Other
BachCIP: 4599
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$312k

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.