College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Loras College

Dubuque, IA 1,083 Undergrads 67.8% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$50,537
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$20,716
After Aid
Median Earnings
$55,860
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$20,716
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$55,860
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$58,289
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate67.8%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.9
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients25.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS81.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
99.9%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

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
+$502k
+$35k
+$18k
Median Cost$21k/yr
+$428k
-$39k
-$57k
Full Cost$51k/yr
+$320k
-$147k
-$164k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
48
Median Cost$21k/yr
Never
-76%
Full Cost$51k/yr
Never
-90%
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-73%

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-81%
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)
$74,811
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$92k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,901
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$8k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$57,846
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$50k
Median Debt
$26,510
Earnings (4yr)
$65,266
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$18k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,876
Earnings (4yr)
$44,741
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$150k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$60,411
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$20k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering Physics
BachCIP: 1412
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,154
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$40,188
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$175k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$78,989
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$124k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$69,010
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$47k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$26,173
Earnings (4yr)
$51,036
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$97k
Median Debt
$26,290
Earnings (4yr)
$62,087
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$7k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$20,140
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$357k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$201k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,789
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$57,233
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$46k
Median Debt
$25,587
Earnings (4yr)
$47,172
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$129k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, Other
MastCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,348
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,111
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.