College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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Middlesex College

Edison, NJ 8,321 Undergrads 29.4% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$13,721
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$6,000
After Aid
Median Earnings
$46,861
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$6,000
Peer Midpoint: $9,014
Earnings (10yr)$46,861
Peer Midpoint: $40,397
Graduation Rate29.4%
Peer Midpoint: 32.9%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients43.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time49.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS60.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
100.0%
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
+$466k
+$77k
-$19k
Median Cost$6k/yr
+$455k
+$66k
-$30k
Full Cost$14k/yr
+$441k
+$52k
-$44k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$6k/yr
Never
-269%
Full Cost$14k/yr
Never
-174%
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-198%

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-77%
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

Associate's Degrees

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
AssocCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$76,173
Lifetime Value Added
+$267k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
AssocCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$9,000
Earnings (5yr)
$55,138
Lifetime Value Added
+$77k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
AssocCIP: 1101
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$57,027
Lifetime Value Added
+$94k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
AssocCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$7,250
Earnings (5yr)
$49,368
Lifetime Value Added
+$21k
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions
AssocCIP: 5106
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$69,798
Lifetime Value Added
+$211k
Engineering Science
AssocCIP: 1413
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$83,642
Lifetime Value Added
+$333k
Graphic Communications
AssocCIP: 1003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$35,271
Lifetime Value Added
-$118k
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
AssocCIP: 5100
Median Debt
$5,500
Earnings (5yr)
$54,131
Lifetime Value Added
+$67k
Hospitality Administration/Management
AssocCIP: 5209
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$36,413
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$9,250
Earnings (5yr)
$45,092
Lifetime Value Added
-$20k
Physical Sciences
AssocCIP: 4001
Median Debt
$7,250
Earnings (5yr)
$59,252
Lifetime Value Added
+$115k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
AssocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$15,250
Earnings (5yr)
$85,435
Lifetime Value Added
+$349k
Teaching Assistants/Aides
AssocCIP: 1315
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$34,948
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k

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.