College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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Loras College

Dubuque, IA 1,087 Undergrads 68.3% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$48,380
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$21,057
After Aid
Median Earnings
$58,289
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$21,057
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$58,289
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate68.3%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients26.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS81.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
91.8%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

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
+$503k
+$107k
+$19k
Median Cost$21k/yr
+$428k
+$31k
-$57k
Full Cost$48k/yr
+$329k
-$67k
-$155k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
47
Median Cost$21k/yr
Never
-75%
Full Cost$48k/yr
Never
-89%
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-71%

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-80%
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
-
Earnings (5yr)
$74,427
Lifetime Value Added
+$76k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$57,846
Lifetime Value Added
-$51k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$26,510
Earnings (2yr)
$40,737
Lifetime Value Added
-$171k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$20,876
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Lifetime Value Added
-$232k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$271k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$40,188
Lifetime Value Added
-$176k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$69,053
Lifetime Value Added
+$36k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$53,583
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$74,007
Lifetime Value Added
+$73k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$26,173
Earnings (5yr)
$53,404
Lifetime Value Added
-$87k
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
BachCIP: 0909
Median Debt
$26,290
Earnings (5yr)
$58,304
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
BachCIP: 2313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$20,140
Lifetime Value Added
-$358k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Lifetime Value Added
-$203k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$25,587
Earnings (5yr)
$41,904
Lifetime Value Added
-$182k

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.