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Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN 16,115 Undergrads 52.9% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$22,754
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$12,599
After Aid
Median Earnings
$48,541
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$12,599
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$48,541
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate52.9%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients34.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time86.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS67.1%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
68.0%
SAT Avg
1,119
SAT Reading
25th: 51056575th: 630
SAT Math
25th: 49054575th: 600
ACT Composite
25th: 192375th: 26
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
+$425k
+$29k
-$59k
Median Cost$13k/yr
+$380k
-$16k
-$104k
Full Cost$23k/yr
+$344k
-$53k
-$141k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$13k/yr
Never
-230%
Full Cost$23k/yr
Never
-172%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year 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-201%
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-97%
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
Bachelor's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$72,466
Lifetime Value Added
+$92k
Agricultural Business and Management
BachCIP: 0101
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$52,778
Lifetime Value Added
-$62k
Air Transportation
BachCIP: 4901
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$70,548
Lifetime Value Added
+$78k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
BachCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$45,972
Lifetime Value Added
-$118k
Animal Sciences
BachCIP: 0109
Median Debt
$18,166
Earnings (5yr)
$40,607
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$21,507
Earnings (5yr)
$35,615
Lifetime Value Added
-$205k
Apparel and Textiles
BachCIP: 1909
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$48,625
Lifetime Value Added
-$96k
Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$40,061
Lifetime Value Added
-$167k
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
BachCIP: 2602
Median Debt
$15,716
Earnings (5yr)
$72,545
Lifetime Value Added
+$93k
Biological and Physical Sciences
BachCIP: 3001
Median Debt
$17,626
Earnings (5yr)
$59,638
Lifetime Value Added
-$6k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (5yr)
$52,665
Lifetime Value Added
-$62k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (5yr)
$58,160
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Business/Managerial Economics
BachCIP: 5206
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,420
Lifetime Value Added
-$188k
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
BachCIP: 4228
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$60,689
Lifetime Value Added
+$2k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$22,795
Earnings (5yr)
$43,823
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
BachCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$15,097
Earnings (5yr)
$54,739
Lifetime Value Added
-$46k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$21,198
Earnings (5yr)
$88,695
Lifetime Value Added
+$214k
Construction Management
BachCIP: 5220
Median Debt
$17,000
Earnings (5yr)
$89,376
Lifetime Value Added
+$219k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (5yr)
$52,140
Lifetime Value Added
-$67k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,060
Lifetime Value Added
-$192k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$17,875
Earnings (2yr)
$21,781
Lifetime Value Added
-$313k
Engineering Technology, General
BachCIP: 1500
Median Debt
$26,274
Earnings (5yr)
$69,580
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Engineering-Related Fields
BachCIP: 1515
Median Debt
$19,402
Earnings (5yr)
$79,773
Lifetime Value Added
+$147k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (5yr)
$46,371
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
BachCIP: 5207
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$45,432
Lifetime Value Added
-$122k
Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies
BachCIP: 1904
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (5yr)
$37,401
Lifetime Value Added
-$190k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$21,250
Earnings (5yr)
$63,083
Lifetime Value Added
+$21k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$43,459
Lifetime Value Added
-$139k
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services
BachCIP: 1905
Median Debt
$18,344
Earnings (5yr)
$43,316
Lifetime Value Added
-$140k
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
BachCIP: 4006
Median Debt
$25,789
Earnings (5yr)
$56,280
Lifetime Value Added
-$33k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$19,574
Earnings (5yr)
$48,887
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (5yr)
$43,177
Lifetime Value Added
-$141k
International/Global Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
$18,904
Earnings (5yr)
$42,724
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$23,044
Earnings (5yr)
$51,748
Lifetime Value Added
-$70k
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
BachCIP: 1601
Median Debt
$18,578
Earnings (5yr)
$43,035
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k
Management Information Systems and Services
BachCIP: 5212
Median Debt
$21,506
Earnings (5yr)
$71,857
Lifetime Value Added
+$88k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$17,897
Earnings (5yr)
$62,637
Lifetime Value Added
+$17k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$57,922
Lifetime Value Added
-$20k
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
BachCIP: 3099
Median Debt
$20,802
Earnings (5yr)
$43,290
Lifetime Value Added
-$140k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$20,083
Earnings (5yr)
$48,653
Lifetime Value Added
-$95k
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management
BachCIP: 3103
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (5yr)
$43,024
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,353
Lifetime Value Added
-$271k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$44,747
Lifetime Value Added
-$105k
Plant Sciences
BachCIP: 0111
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,281
Lifetime Value Added
-$281k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$19,875
Earnings (5yr)
$49,519
Lifetime Value Added
-$88k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$19,940
Earnings (5yr)
$41,564
Lifetime Value Added
-$155k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$48,323
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$25,696
Earnings (5yr)
$78,482
Lifetime Value Added
+$137k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$19,750
Earnings (5yr)
$42,999
Lifetime Value Added
-$143k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$16,133
Earnings (5yr)
$36,615
Lifetime Value Added
-$197k
Special Education and Teaching
BachCIP: 1310
Median Debt
$14,000
Earnings (5yr)
$45,543
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (5yr)
$44,313
Lifetime Value Added
-$132k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$42,548
Lifetime Value Added
-$146k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$91,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$347k
Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other
MastCIP: 2699
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (5yr)
$88,088
Lifetime Value Added
+$314k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$27,500
Earnings (5yr)
$93,225
Lifetime Value Added
+$358k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
MastCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$20,750
Earnings (5yr)
$91,629
Lifetime Value Added
+$344k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
MastCIP: 4301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$47,260
Lifetime Value Added
-$22k
Curriculum and Instruction
MastCIP: 1303
Median Debt
$31,145
Earnings (5yr)
$51,115
Lifetime Value Added
-$13k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
$25,881
Earnings (5yr)
$60,553
Lifetime Value Added
+$75k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$21,883
Earnings (5yr)
$55,557
Lifetime Value Added
+$29k
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$31,941
Lifetime Value Added
-$179k
Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$31,136
Earnings (5yr)
$86,588
Lifetime Value Added
+$301k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
MastCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$39,834
Earnings (5yr)
$104,156
Lifetime Value Added
+$452k
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$20,374
Earnings (5yr)
$55,797
Lifetime Value Added
+$31k
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
MastCIP: 1311
Median Debt
$39,750
Earnings (5yr)
$53,913
Lifetime Value Added
+$14k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
MastCIP: 1313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$55,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$31k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.