College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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Lipscomb University

Nashville, TN 3,021 Undergrads 67.0% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$53,549
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$25,610
After Aid
Median Earnings
$55,541
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$25,610
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$55,541
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate67.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients22.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time95.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS78.8%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
66.6%
SAT Avg
1,248
SAT Reading
25th: 58060075th: 680
SAT Math
25th: 56558575th: 670
ACT Composite
25th: 222675th: 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
+$482k
+$85k
-$3k
Median Cost$26k/yr
+$390k
-$7k
-$95k
Full Cost$54k/yr
+$289k
-$107k
-$195k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$26k/yr
Never
-103%
Full Cost$54k/yr
Never
-101%
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 Return-93%

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-87%
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
$23,732
Earnings (5yr)
$79,655
Lifetime Value Added
+$99k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$24,375
Earnings (5yr)
$76,487
Lifetime Value Added
+$75k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$21,082
Earnings (5yr)
$81,972
Lifetime Value Added
+$117k
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
BachCIP: 5207
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$287k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$21,508
Lifetime Value Added
-$362k
Human Resources Management and Services
BachCIP: 5210
Median Debt
$23,317
Earnings (5yr)
$63,033
Lifetime Value Added
-$26k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (2yr)
$32,925
Lifetime Value Added
-$258k
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General
BachCIP: 3000
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,152
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
Non-Professional General Legal Studies (Undergraduate)
BachCIP: 2200
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$66,804
Lifetime Value Added
+$3k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$22,610
Earnings (5yr)
$43,062
Lifetime Value Added
-$189k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$69,023
Lifetime Value Added
+$19k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$47,085
Lifetime Value Added
-$155k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$18,250
Earnings (5yr)
$47,528
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$48,508
Lifetime Value Added
-$143k

Master's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$70,456
Lifetime Value Added
+$176k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (5yr)
$90,346
Lifetime Value Added
+$309k
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
MastCIP: 4228
Median Debt
$58,215
Earnings (5yr)
$60,728
Lifetime Value Added
+$52k
Curriculum and Instruction
MastCIP: 1303
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$60,811
Lifetime Value Added
+$53k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
$25,506
Earnings (5yr)
$76,220
Lifetime Value Added
+$188k
Human Resources Management and Services
MastCIP: 5210
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$66,077
Lifetime Value Added
+$135k
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
MastCIP: 5115
Median Debt
$61,583
Earnings (5yr)
$48,209
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
MastCIP: 3099
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,696
Lifetime Value Added
+$16k
Special Education and Teaching
MastCIP: 1310
Median Debt
$26,466
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$60,844
Lifetime Value Added
+$54k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
MastCIP: 1313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,294
Lifetime Value Added
+$12k
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language
MastCIP: 1314
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$49,525
Lifetime Value Added
-$52k

Doctoral Degrees

Educational Administration and Supervision
DocCIP: 1304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$103,294
Lifetime Value Added
+$228k

Professional Degrees

Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration
ProfCIP: 5120
Median Debt
$269,705
Earnings (5yr)
$142,488
Lifetime Value Added
+$511k

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.