College ROI

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Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

North Adams, MA 713 Undergrads 61.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$26,026
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$16,068
After Aid
Median Earnings
$48,835
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$16,068
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$48,835
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$48,102
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate61.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age22.1
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients45.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time92.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS63.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
89.7%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

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
+$444k
-$23k
-$41k
Median Cost$16k/yr
+$386k
-$81k
-$98k
Full Cost$26k/yr
+$350k
-$117k
-$134k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$16k/yr
Never
-170%
Full Cost$26k/yr
Never
-143%
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-155%

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-90%
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
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$42,983
Natl Median: $48,240
Lifetime Value Added
-$148k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,808
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Median Debt
$22,166
Earnings (4yr)
$53,753
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$57k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,375
Earnings (4yr)
$87,671
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$207k
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$21,700
Earnings (5yr)
$54,503
Natl Median: $49,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$39,955
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$174k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,899
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$42,364
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$160k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,492
Earnings (4yr)
$47,162
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$22,700
Earnings (4yr)
$49,826
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$25,027
Earnings (4yr)
$44,136
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$138k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Natl Median: $41,688
Lifetime Value Added
-$294k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$47,260
Natl Median: $125,988
Lifetime Value Added
-$244k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,664
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k

Graduate Certificates

Education, General
Gr-CertCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,448
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Other Programs

Education, General
DegCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,645
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.