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Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
Baton Rouge, LA 29,207 Undergrads 69.6% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$34,328
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$20,015
After Aid
Median Earnings
$61,251
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$20,015
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$61,251
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate69.6%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients28.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time95.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS75.7%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
74.0%
SAT Avg
1,248
SAT Reading
25th: 59062075th: 670
SAT Math
25th: 56060575th: 660
ACT Composite
25th: 242675th: 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
+$527k
+$130k
+$42k
Median Cost$20k/yr
+$455k
+$58k
-$30k
Full Cost$34k/yr
+$403k
+$7k
-$81k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
39
∞
Median Cost$20k/yr
Never
-41%
Full Cost$34k/yr
Never
-66%
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-25%
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-63%
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
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$81,419
Lifetime Value Added
+$133k
Agricultural Business and Management
BachCIP: 0101
Median Debt
$24,553
Earnings (2yr)
$43,314
Lifetime Value Added
-$144k
Animal Sciences
BachCIP: 0109
Median Debt
$22,750
Earnings (5yr)
$62,173
Lifetime Value Added
-$13k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$15,897
Earnings (5yr)
$32,798
Lifetime Value Added
-$256k
Architecture
BachCIP: 0402
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (5yr)
$67,436
Lifetime Value Added
+$28k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$20,418
Earnings (5yr)
$63,433
Lifetime Value Added
-$3k
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
BachCIP: 1405
Median Debt
$21,492
Earnings (5yr)
$74,903
Lifetime Value Added
+$84k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$69,796
Lifetime Value Added
+$45k
Chemical Engineering
BachCIP: 1407
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$111,631
Lifetime Value Added
+$358k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$14,910
Earnings (5yr)
$79,995
Lifetime Value Added
+$122k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$21,312
Earnings (5yr)
$88,199
Lifetime Value Added
+$183k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$58,924
Lifetime Value Added
-$39k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
BachCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$62,277
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Computer Engineering
BachCIP: 1409
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$66,915
Lifetime Value Added
+$54k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$19,989
Earnings (5yr)
$86,213
Lifetime Value Added
+$168k
Construction Management
BachCIP: 5220
Median Debt
$23,037
Earnings (5yr)
$96,044
Lifetime Value Added
+$242k
Curriculum and Instruction
BachCIP: 1303
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$50,465
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (5yr)
$38,130
Lifetime Value Added
-$210k
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$60,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$26k
Education, Other
BachCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$54,661
Lifetime Value Added
-$46k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$20,218
Earnings (5yr)
$101,794
Lifetime Value Added
+$285k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$21,250
Earnings (5yr)
$43,853
Lifetime Value Added
-$162k
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
BachCIP: 1414
Median Debt
$23,718
Earnings (5yr)
$66,219
Lifetime Value Added
+$18k
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1901
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$49,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (5yr)
$87,385
Lifetime Value Added
+$177k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$19,666
Earnings (5yr)
$41,462
Lifetime Value Added
-$182k
Geography and Cartography
BachCIP: 4507
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$31,133
Lifetime Value Added
-$254k
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
BachCIP: 4006
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$64,709
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$21,962
Earnings (5yr)
$57,216
Lifetime Value Added
-$52k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$18,562
Earnings (5yr)
$55,753
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
Industrial Engineering
BachCIP: 1435
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (2yr)
$73,949
Lifetime Value Added
+$110k
Interior Architecture
BachCIP: 0405
Median Debt
$17,750
Earnings (5yr)
$59,006
Lifetime Value Added
-$38k
International Business
BachCIP: 5211
Median Debt
$17,625
Earnings (5yr)
$84,583
Lifetime Value Added
+$156k
International/Global Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$56,651
Lifetime Value Added
-$57k
Landscape Architecture
BachCIP: 0406
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$72,031
Lifetime Value Added
+$62k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$19,575
Earnings (5yr)
$47,289
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
Library Science and Administration
BachCIP: 2501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,054
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
BachCIP: 5213
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$90,991
Lifetime Value Added
+$204k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$21,364
Earnings (5yr)
$64,939
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$67,143
Lifetime Value Added
+$25k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (5yr)
$104,396
Lifetime Value Added
+$304k
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
BachCIP: 3099
Median Debt
$21,130
Earnings (5yr)
$46,773
Lifetime Value Added
-$138k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$19,455
Earnings (5yr)
$46,309
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$63,158
Lifetime Value Added
-$5k
Natural Resources Management and Policy
BachCIP: 0302
Median Debt
$23,253
Earnings (5yr)
$57,520
Lifetime Value Added
-$50k
Nutrition Sciences
BachCIP: 3019
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (5yr)
$53,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Petroleum Engineering
BachCIP: 1425
Median Debt
$24,211
Earnings (5yr)
$93,513
Lifetime Value Added
+$223k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
$18,375
Earnings (5yr)
$50,495
Lifetime Value Added
-$107k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$66,283
Lifetime Value Added
+$19k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$54,846
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
Public Administration
BachCIP: 4404
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$69,594
Lifetime Value Added
+$44k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
$21,750
Earnings (5yr)
$54,049
Lifetime Value Added
-$78k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$54,547
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$21,475
Earnings (5yr)
$50,458
Lifetime Value Added
-$107k
Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations
BachCIP: 5219
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$45,939
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (5yr)
$50,632
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$21,875
Earnings (5yr)
$64,446
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
Veterinary Medicine
BachCIP: 0180
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$115,070
Lifetime Value Added
+$384k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$89,524
Lifetime Value Added
+$313k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$54,666
Earnings (5yr)
$67,977
Lifetime Value Added
+$127k
Communication and Media Studies
MastCIP: 0901
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$59,455
Lifetime Value Added
+$51k
Mechanical Engineering
MastCIP: 1419
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$71,015
Lifetime Value Added
+$191k
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
MastCIP: 3099
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$31,839
Lifetime Value Added
-$194k
Music
MastCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$35,102
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Lifetime Value Added
-$138k
Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$49,514
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (5yr)
$46,463
Lifetime Value Added
-$70k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$31,489
Earnings (5yr)
$52,120
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
MastCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$36,406
Earnings (5yr)
$71,928
Lifetime Value Added
+$161k
Professional Degrees
Law
ProfCIP: 2201
Median Debt
$88,622
Earnings (5yr)
$80,219
Lifetime Value Added
+$80k
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies
ProfCIP: 2202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$54,713
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
Veterinary Medicine
ProfCIP: 0180
Median Debt
$162,000
Earnings (2yr)
$67,660
Lifetime Value Added
+$18k
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.