Back to Colleges
Louisiana Tech University
Ruston, LA 7,819 Undergrads 56.8% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$24,405
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$12,209
After Aid
Median Earnings
$52,279
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$12,209
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$52,279
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate56.8%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients26.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time94.3%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS72.0%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
72.6%
SAT Avg
1,190
SAT Reading
25th: 50058075th: 630
SAT Math
25th: 54559575th: 660
ACT Composite
25th: 212575th: 27
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
+$456k
+$59k
-$29k
Median Cost$12k/yr
+$412k
+$15k
-$73k
Full Cost$24k/yr
+$368k
-$29k
-$117k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$12k/yr
Never
-165%
Full Cost$24k/yr
Never
-133%
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-136%
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-84%
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
Associate's Degrees
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
AssocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$19,334
Earnings (5yr)
$72,292
Lifetime Value Added
+$222k
Bachelor's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$19,625
Earnings (5yr)
$63,449
Lifetime Value Added
+$25k
Air Transportation
BachCIP: 4901
Median Debt
$20,385
Earnings (5yr)
$86,441
Lifetime Value Added
+$198k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (5yr)
$47,164
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$24,786
Earnings (5yr)
$52,803
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$22,732
Earnings (2yr)
$53,810
Lifetime Value Added
-$25k
Construction Engineering Technologies
BachCIP: 1510
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (2yr)
$53,108
Lifetime Value Added
-$31k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
$19,868
Earnings (5yr)
$40,793
Lifetime Value Added
-$160k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (5yr)
$77,825
Lifetime Value Added
+$134k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$24,750
Earnings (5yr)
$51,059
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
BachCIP: 1907
Median Debt
$20,910
Earnings (2yr)
$27,114
Lifetime Value Added
-$262k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$43,185
Lifetime Value Added
-$140k
Management Information Systems and Services
BachCIP: 5212
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$68,420
Lifetime Value Added
+$63k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Lifetime Value Added
-$161k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$26,216
Earnings (5yr)
$86,794
Lifetime Value Added
+$201k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (5yr)
$47,632
Lifetime Value Added
-$103k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$40,978
Lifetime Value Added
-$158k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$22,375
Earnings (5yr)
$48,803
Lifetime Value Added
-$93k
Master's Degrees
Architecture
MastCIP: 0402
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$47,260
Lifetime Value Added
-$21k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$17,100
Earnings (5yr)
$117,462
Lifetime Value Added
+$566k
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
MastCIP: 4228
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$52,107
Lifetime Value Added
+$27k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
MastCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$39,967
Earnings (5yr)
$52,716
Lifetime Value Added
+$3k
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services
MastCIP: 5131
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$64,049
Lifetime Value Added
+$107k
Engineering-Related Fields
MastCIP: 1515
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$82,440
Lifetime Value Added
+$309k
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
MastCIP: 1311
Median Debt
$45,417
Earnings (5yr)
$46,421
Lifetime Value Added
-$57k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$22,395
Earnings (5yr)
$48,503
Lifetime Value Added
-$37k
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.