College ROI

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Marist University

Poughkeepsie, NY 5,182 Undergrads 79.8% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$67,574
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$41,544
After Aid
Median Earnings
$78,561
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$41,544
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$78,561
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$77,819
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate79.8%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.7
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients15.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS84.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
56.5%
SAT Avg
1,295
SAT Reading
25th: 60064775th: 680
SAT Math
25th: 59063275th: 660
ACT Composite
25th: 252875th: 31

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
+$679k
+$212k
+$195k
Median Cost$42k/yr
+$530k
+$63k
+$45k
Full Cost$68k/yr
+$436k
-$31k
-$48k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
28
∞
Median Cost$42k/yr
47
30%
Full Cost$68k/yr
Never
-20%
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 Return54%

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-48%
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

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,615
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,205
Earnings (4yr)
$80,844
Natl Median: $49,747
Lifetime Value Added
+$363k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,763
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$22,946
Earnings (4yr)
$106,313
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$257k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$228k
Applied Mathematics
BachCIP: 2703
Median Debt
$25,548
Earnings (4yr)
$109,170
Natl Median: $91,532
Lifetime Value Added
+$279k
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$25,494
Earnings (4yr)
$81,936
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$71k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$90,855
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$139k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$101,370
Natl Median: $75,975
Lifetime Value Added
+$219k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$74,726
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
+$16k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$102,640
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$229k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$24,500
Earnings (4yr)
$111,893
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$300k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,894
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $85,063
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,954
Earnings (4yr)
$65,881
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$52k
Median Debt
$26,644
Earnings (4yr)
$66,010
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$51k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$118,557
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$350k
Median Debt
$25,831
Earnings (4yr)
$47,170
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$204k
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy
BachCIP: 0302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,610
Natl Median: $56,185
Lifetime Value Added
-$109k
Median Debt
$23,437
Earnings (4yr)
$55,296
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,848
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$280k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$67,076
Natl Median: $50,532
Lifetime Value Added
-$42k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,199
Earnings (4yr)
$74,308
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$62,821
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$76k
Psychology, Other
BachCIP: 4299
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$67,205
Natl Median: $50,748
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$73,868
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
+$10k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$55,501
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$135k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$74,534
Natl Median: $59,631
Lifetime Value Added
+$15k
Median Debt
$26,250
Earnings (5yr)
$59,624
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$136,415
Earnings (4yr)
$150,973
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
+$606k
Median Debt
$41,310
Earnings (4yr)
$142,180
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$530k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$74,053
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,953
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,309
Earnings (4yr)
$115,873
Natl Median: $124,201
Lifetime Value Added
+$303k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $120,083
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$127,221
Natl Median: $121,855
Lifetime Value Added
+$401k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$74,187
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$62k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,598
Natl Median: $53,692
Lifetime Value Added
-$483k
Psychology, Other
MastCIP: 4299
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,796
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$30,625
Earnings (4yr)
$99,846
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
+$163k
Median Debt
$20,656
Earnings (4yr)
$90,060
Natl Median: $80,125
Lifetime Value Added
+$77k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $112,196
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.