College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Longwood University

Farmville, VA 3,015 Undergrads 66.7% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$34,588
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$19,066
After Aid
Median Earnings
$54,005
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$19,066
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$54,005
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$52,347
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate66.7%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.3
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients28.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time96.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS76.8%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
90.2%
SAT Avg
1,120
SAT Reading
25th: 53056075th: 630
SAT Math
25th: 50054075th: 580
ACT Composite
25th: 192075th: 26

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)

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$487k
+$20k
+$3k
Median Cost$19k/yr
+$418k
-$49k
-$66k
Full Cost$35k/yr
+$362k
-$104k
-$122k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
60
∞
Median Cost$19k/yr
Never
-96%
Full Cost$35k/yr
Never
-98%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation 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-82%

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-78%
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

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$25,750
Earnings (4yr)
$49,777
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
Median Debt
$23,092
Earnings (4yr)
$72,565
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$80k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,631
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$59,207
Natl Median: $58,928
Lifetime Value Added
-$24k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$91,313
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$224k
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (4yr)
$56,685
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
Median Debt
$24,753
Earnings (4yr)
$46,040
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,250
Earnings (4yr)
$51,485
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$87k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$26,763
Earnings (4yr)
$47,957
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
Median Debt
$24,801
Earnings (4yr)
$52,959
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$75k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$55,259
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$56k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$23,821
Earnings (4yr)
$48,942
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k
Median Debt
$26,799
Earnings (4yr)
$82,678
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$158k
Median Debt
$25,750
Earnings (4yr)
$45,252
Natl Median: $55,792
Lifetime Value Added
-$139k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,224
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$23,166
Earnings (4yr)
$45,204
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$140k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,990
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$44,066
Natl Median: $41,688
Lifetime Value Added
-$150k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$84,472
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$69k
Median Debt
$47,619
Earnings (4yr)
$69,632
Natl Median: $67,030
Lifetime Value Added
-$61k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (4yr)
$59,389
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$153k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,613
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k

Other Programs

Education, Other
DegCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,262
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.