College ROI

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Missouri Southern State University

Joplin, MO 3,019 Undergrads 45.4% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$19,568
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$12,007
After Aid
Median Earnings
$52,419
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$12,007
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$52,419
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$42,620
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate45.4%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average Starting Age23.3
Warning: High average starting age indicates non-traditional students with prior work experience, which may inflate the median earnings shown.
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients43.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time82.3%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS66.1%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
97.0%
SAT Avg
1,065
SAT Reading
25th: 54051575th: 690
SAT Math
25th: 61054575th: 730
ACT Composite
25th: 172175th: 24

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)
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$474k
+$7k
-$11k
Median Cost$12k/yr
+$431k
-$36k
-$54k
Full Cost$20k/yr
+$403k
-$64k
-$81k

ROI Efficiency Metrics
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$12k/yr
Never
-125%
Full Cost$20k/yr
Never
-115%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
  • 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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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-101%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$17,860
Earnings (4yr)
$42,086
Natl Median: $57,702
Lifetime Value Added
-$4k
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,202
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,294
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,747
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,242
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,511
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,696
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,296
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,570
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,689
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
$13,375
Earnings (4yr)
$56,097
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$85k
Computer Programming
AssocCIP: 1102
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$79,023
Natl Median: $58,070
Lifetime Value Added
+$295k
Median Debt
$19,990
Earnings (4yr)
$46,582
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$8k
Median Debt
$22,143
Earnings (4yr)
$67,589
Natl Median: $61,982
Lifetime Value Added
+$192k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,593
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$15,426
Earnings (4yr)
$40,412
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$155k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$18,116
Earnings (4yr)
$55,286
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
-$30k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $77,981
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: $75,975
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$18,686
Earnings (4yr)
$41,771
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$144k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$75,295
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$127k
Median Debt
$21,616
Earnings (4yr)
$49,114
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (4yr)
$39,273
Natl Median: $49,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$165k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$40,402
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$156k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$17,963
Earnings (4yr)
$64,765
Natl Median: $68,245
Lifetime Value Added
+$46k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$79,902
Natl Median: $80,890
Lifetime Value Added
+$150k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,604
Earnings (4yr)
$46,892
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,576
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$29k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$20,249
Earnings (4yr)
$41,008
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$150k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$63,965
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
+$40k
Median Debt
$22,750
Earnings (4yr)
$75,985
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$132k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$21,234
Earnings (4yr)
$49,855
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$75k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$40,957
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$151k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$58,701
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$2k
Median Debt
$19,504
Earnings (4yr)
$39,419
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$164k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,131
Natl Median: $125,988
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,805
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,767
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.