Back to Colleges
Marshall University
Huntington, WV 7,149 Undergrads 53.5% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$21,299
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$8,327
After Aid
Median Earnings
$46,354
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$8,327
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$46,354
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate53.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients44.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time91.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS65.8%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
96.5%
SAT Avg
1,051
SAT Reading
25th: 47054075th: 580
SAT Math
25th: 42050075th: 550
ACT Composite
25th: 182275th: 24
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
+$408k
+$11k
-$77k
Median Cost$8k/yr
+$378k
-$19k
-$107k
Full Cost$21k/yr
+$331k
-$65k
-$153k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$8k/yr
Never
-356%
Full Cost$21k/yr
Never
-200%
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-248%
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-106%
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
$23,923
Earnings (5yr)
$69,803
Lifetime Value Added
+$207k
Bachelor's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$19,543
Earnings (5yr)
$54,347
Lifetime Value Added
-$33k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
BachCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$20,081
Earnings (5yr)
$58,338
Lifetime Value Added
-$1k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$20,901
Earnings (5yr)
$60,725
Lifetime Value Added
+$18k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (5yr)
$52,406
Lifetime Value Added
-$49k
Business/Managerial Economics
BachCIP: 5206
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$80,363
Lifetime Value Added
+$167k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$11,953
Earnings (5yr)
$69,097
Lifetime Value Added
+$82k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$266k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
BachCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (5yr)
$49,602
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$28,375
Earnings (2yr)
$63,005
Lifetime Value Added
+$65k
Computer Systems Analysis
BachCIP: 1105
Median Debt
$18,869
Earnings (5yr)
$68,707
Lifetime Value Added
+$79k
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management
BachCIP: 1110
Median Debt
$26,948
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Lifetime Value Added
-$186k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$24,899
Earnings (5yr)
$46,240
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
Engineering, General
BachCIP: 1401
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (5yr)
$82,175
Lifetime Value Added
+$180k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$26,369
Earnings (5yr)
$45,421
Lifetime Value Added
-$107k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (5yr)
$58,402
Lifetime Value Added
-$812
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$23,883
Earnings (5yr)
$31,004
Lifetime Value Added
-$229k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$22,888
Earnings (5yr)
$60,936
Lifetime Value Added
+$19k
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs
BachCIP: 5111
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (5yr)
$44,975
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$20,100
Earnings (5yr)
$40,197
Lifetime Value Added
-$151k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$25,136
Earnings (5yr)
$47,330
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$23,758
Earnings (5yr)
$37,919
Lifetime Value Added
-$170k
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
BachCIP: 1601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$21,508
Lifetime Value Added
-$300k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$24,625
Earnings (5yr)
$46,939
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$23,498
Earnings (5yr)
$42,445
Lifetime Value Added
-$132k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$25,158
Earnings (5yr)
$44,330
Lifetime Value Added
-$116k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$25,750
Earnings (5yr)
$72,344
Lifetime Value Added
+$107k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
BachCIP: 2313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$23,649
Lifetime Value Added
-$280k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$25,041
Earnings (2yr)
$27,048
Lifetime Value Added
-$249k
Systems Science and Theory
BachCIP: 3006
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$21,508
Lifetime Value Added
-$300k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$25,384
Earnings (5yr)
$44,660
Lifetime Value Added
-$113k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$41,656
Lifetime Value Added
-$139k
Master's Degrees
Business/Commerce, General
MastCIP: 5201
Median Debt
$26,931
Earnings (5yr)
$84,715
Lifetime Value Added
+$293k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
MastCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$41,142
Earnings (5yr)
$54,748
Lifetime Value Added
+$29k
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services
MastCIP: 5131
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$48,667
Lifetime Value Added
+$202
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
$27,519
Earnings (5yr)
$66,526
Lifetime Value Added
+$136k
English Language and Literature, General
MastCIP: 2301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$41,224
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
MastCIP: 5107
Median Debt
$38,784
Earnings (5yr)
$66,305
Lifetime Value Added
+$134k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,009
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Human Resources Management and Services
MastCIP: 5210
Median Debt
$29,802
Earnings (5yr)
$58,016
Lifetime Value Added
+$59k
Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$36,289
Earnings (5yr)
$54,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$23k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
MastCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$31,160
Earnings (5yr)
$112,515
Lifetime Value Added
+$531k
Security Science and Technology
MastCIP: 4304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$68,221
Lifetime Value Added
+$151k
Special Education and Teaching
MastCIP: 1310
Median Debt
$43,587
Earnings (5yr)
$54,387
Lifetime Value Added
+$26k
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
MastCIP: 1311
Median Debt
$47,662
Earnings (5yr)
$50,018
Lifetime Value Added
-$15k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$33,953
Earnings (5yr)
$51,458
Lifetime Value Added
-$2k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
MastCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$26,753
Earnings (5yr)
$50,743
Lifetime Value Added
-$8k
Graduate Certificates
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
Gr-CertCIP: 4228
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$50,606
Lifetime Value Added
+$73k
Doctoral Degrees
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
DocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$187,960
Earnings (5yr)
$220,634
Lifetime Value Added
+$1131k
Professional Degrees
Medicine
ProfCIP: 5112
Median Debt
$150,015
Earnings (5yr)
$159,424
Lifetime Value Added
+$695k
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration
ProfCIP: 5120
Median Debt
$123,600
Earnings (5yr)
$139,111
Lifetime Value Added
+$549k
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
ProfCIP: 5123
Median Debt
$117,799
Earnings (5yr)
$88,805
Lifetime Value Added
+$185k
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.