College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Buzzards Bay, MA 1,395 Undergrads 80.1% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$31,367
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$21,582
After Aid
Median Earnings
$103,680
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$21,582
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$103,680
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+26%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$82,392
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate80.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.8
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients17.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time98.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS97.7%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
94.7%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

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
+$871k
+$404k
+$387k
Median Cost$22k/yr
+$793k
+$326k
+$309k
Full Cost$31k/yr
+$758k
+$291k
+$274k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
25
Median Cost$22k/yr
29
398%
Full Cost$31k/yr
31
242%
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 Return551%

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 Return106%
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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Bachelor's Degrees

Engineering, Other
BachCIP: 1499
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$104,007
Natl Median: $93,989
Lifetime Value Added
+$311k
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other
BachCIP: 4399
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$85,256
Natl Median: $67,934
Lifetime Value Added
+$168k
International Business
BachCIP: 5211
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$89,094
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
+$198k
Marine Transportation
BachCIP: 4903
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$119,916
Natl Median: $117,011
Lifetime Value Added
+$432k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$74,393
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
+$85k
Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
BachCIP: 1422
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$125,016
Natl Median: $114,055
Lifetime Value Added
+$471k
Systems Engineering
BachCIP: 1427
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$125,191
Natl Median: $105,185
Lifetime Value Added
+$472k

Master's Degrees

Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering-Related Fields
MastCIP: 1515
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$138,711
Natl Median: $125,651
Lifetime Value Added
+$537k
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other
MastCIP: 4399
Median Debt
$33,263
Earnings (4yr)
$111,176
Natl Median: $95,461
Lifetime Value Added
+$298k

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. 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.