College ROI

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Merrimack College

North Andover, MA 3,916 Undergrads 69.2% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$70,038
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$37,927
After Aid
Median Earnings
$65,506
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$37,927
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$65,506
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$75,584
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate69.2%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.2
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients16.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS78.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
70.0%
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
+$579k
+$112k
+$95k
Median Cost$38k/yr
+$443k
-$24k
-$42k
Full Cost$70k/yr
+$327k
-$140k
-$157k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
33
∞
Median Cost$38k/yr
Never
-30%
Full Cost$70k/yr
Never
-62%
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-26%

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-72%
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)
$65,549
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
Applied Mathematics
BachCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $91,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$79,581
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$66k
Biology/Biotechnology Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 4101
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,102
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$73,877
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$23k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$90,714
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
+$151k
Median Debt
$25,783
Earnings (4yr)
$64,345
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$51k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$114,115
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$329k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$69,615
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k
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
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,180
Natl Median: $49,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$124k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,245
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$68,209
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
-$21k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,734
Natl Median: $48,568
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$85,545
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$112k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,197
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$372k
Nutrition Sciences
BachCIP: 3019
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,053
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$74,379
Natl Median: $62,172
Lifetime Value Added
+$26k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$62,567
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,808
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
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,688
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$92,014
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$101k
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$60,333
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
-$179k
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$84,044
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$31k
Civil Engineering
MastCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $98,323
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$55,217
Natl Median: $67,597
Lifetime Value Added
-$227k
Computer Science
MastCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $145,571
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$24,731
Earnings (4yr)
$62,474
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$159k
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$64,371
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $109,295
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$72,160
Natl Median: $78,149
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $112,705
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$87,092
Natl Median: $124,807
Lifetime Value Added
+$43k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Public Health
MastCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,751
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,588
Earnings (4yr)
$61,055
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$172k

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.