College ROI

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Middlebury College

Middlebury, VT 2,738 Undergrads 92.6% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$85,880
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$31,483
After Aid
Median Earnings
$71,188
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$31,483
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$71,188
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$76,310
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate92.6%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.8
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients16.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS79.7%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
10.8%
SAT Avg
1,508
SAT Reading
25th: 72072075th: 760
SAT Math
25th: 72573575th: 790
ACT Composite
25th: 333375th: 35

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
+$623k
+$156k
+$139k
Median Cost$31k/yr
+$510k
+$43k
+$25k
Full Cost$86k/yr
+$314k
-$153k
-$171k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
30
∞
Median Cost$31k/yr
51
22%
Full Cost$86k/yr
Never
-55%
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-13%

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-69%
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

Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Architecture
BachCIP: 0402
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,914
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
$11,593
Earnings (4yr)
$56,508
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
Median Debt
$13,435
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$13,648
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,429
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$13,500
Earnings (4yr)
$128,471
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$461k
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,980
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,642
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$123,477
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$423k
Median Debt
$19,092
Earnings (4yr)
$53,914
Natl Median: $46,634
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,639
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$309k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,446
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
-$274k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,459
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$92,728
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
+$190k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$13,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,518
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
Median Debt
$11,900
Earnings (4yr)
$90,917
Natl Median: $62,451
Lifetime Value Added
+$176k
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
$18,297
Earnings (4yr)
$77,444
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$73k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$17,256
Earnings (5yr)
$71,410
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$16k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$230k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,169
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,241
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$76k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$78,598
Earnings (4yr)
$128,688
Natl Median: $121,855
Lifetime Value Added
+$432k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,871
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, Other
MastCIP: 1399
Median Debt
$66,117
Earnings (4yr)
$57,179
Natl Median: $65,348
Lifetime Value Added
-$197k
Median Debt
$16,042
Earnings (4yr)
$75,807
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
-$30k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,357
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$91,571
Natl Median: $97,121
Lifetime Value Added
+$109k
Median Debt
$74,123
Earnings (4yr)
$92,176
Natl Median: $95,627
Lifetime Value Added
+$114k
Median Debt
$76,938
Earnings (4yr)
$95,625
Natl Median: $58,093
Lifetime Value Added
+$144k
Median Debt
$77,000
Earnings (4yr)
$72,805
Natl Median: $74,607
Lifetime Value Added
-$56k
Median Debt
$80,881
Earnings (4yr)
$89,916
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
+$94k
Median Debt
$17,995
Earnings (4yr)
$61,632
Natl Median: $60,728
Lifetime Value Added
-$155k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,877
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$56,529
Natl Median: $65,767
Lifetime Value Added
-$203k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $77,457
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,860
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Other Programs

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,216
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.