College ROI

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Meredith College

Raleigh, NC 1,188 Undergrads 68.7% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$57,313
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$22,488
After Aid
Median Earnings
$54,650
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$22,488
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$54,650
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$51,539
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate68.7%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age21.4
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients35.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time98.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS78.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
74.2%
SAT Avg
1,204
SAT Reading
25th: 58860575th: 668
SAT Math
25th: 51058175th: 680
ACT Composite
25th: 232675th: 29

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
+$492k
+$25k
+$8k
Median Cost$22k/yr
+$411k
-$56k
-$73k
Full Cost$57k/yr
+$286k
-$181k
-$198k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
54
∞
Median Cost$22k/yr
Never
-90%
Full Cost$57k/yr
Never
-96%
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-85%

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-86%
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
$12,500
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,229
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$60,099
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$29k
Median Debt
$22,875
Earnings (5yr)
$56,889
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$53,649
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,980
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$46,268
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$151k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,753
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (2yr)
$21,052
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$355k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,460
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$41,250
Natl Median: $48,568
Lifetime Value Added
-$193k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$44,021
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
-$147k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,124
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$25,498
Earnings (5yr)
$49,032
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$128k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$28,236
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$289k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$55,955
Natl Median: $59,631
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Post-Baccalaureate Certificates

Legal Support Services
PB-CertCIP: 2203
Median Debt
$9,500
Earnings (4yr)
$50,276
Natl Median: $55,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$181k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$104,506
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$220k
Median Debt
$34,200
Earnings (4yr)
$48,669
Natl Median: $66,523
Lifetime Value Added
-$261k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,558
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$48,432
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$244k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$302k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,767
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Other Programs

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,965
Natl Median: $55,993
Lifetime Value Added
-$358k
Education, General
DegCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$48,203
Natl Median: $62,645
Lifetime Value Added
-$381k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,802
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,347
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.