College ROI

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Maryland Institute College of Art

Baltimore, MD 1,189 Undergrads 77.1% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$76,860
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$42,729
After Aid
Median Earnings
$42,353
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$42,729
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$42,353
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$45,212
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate77.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.5
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients22.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time94.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS54.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
76.8%
SAT Avg
1,258
SAT Reading
25th: 570-75th: 670
SAT Math
25th: 508-75th: 635
ACT Composite
25th: 25-75th: 33

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
+$389k
-$78k
-$96k
Median Cost$43k/yr
+$235k
-$232k
-$249k
Full Cost$77k/yr
+$112k
-$355k
-$372k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$43k/yr
Never
-162%
Full Cost$77k/yr
Never
-135%
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-152%

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-104%
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
$26,842
Earnings (4yr)
$45,436
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$223k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$43,227
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
-$242k
Median Debt
$26,677
Earnings (4yr)
$34,283
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$319k

Master's Degrees

Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
MastCIP: 5010
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Natl Median: $59,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$385k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$39,905
Earnings (4yr)
$73,348
Natl Median: $70,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,486
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$98,610
Earnings (4yr)
$51,820
Natl Median: $49,079
Lifetime Value Added
-$268k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$156,576
Natl Median: $75,122
Lifetime Value Added
+$626k
Median Debt
$44,330
Earnings (4yr)
$60,017
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$191k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,460
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Graduate Certificates

Design and Applied Arts
Gr-CertCIP: 5004
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,176
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.