College ROI

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Missouri Western State University

Saint Joseph, MO 2,219 Undergrads 42.9% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$26,554
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$16,379
After Aid
Median Earnings
$52,927
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$16,379
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$52,927
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$47,624
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate42.9%
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 Age22.1
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients44.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time89.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS63.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
100.0%
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
+$471k
+$1k
-$15k
Median Cost$16k/yr
+$413k
-$58k
-$74k
Full Cost$27k/yr
+$376k
-$94k
-$110k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$16k/yr
Never
-125%
Full Cost$27k/yr
Never
-116%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.⚠️ 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

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-108%

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-79%

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,747
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$48,876
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,593
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,669
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$18,803
Earnings (4yr)
$60,025
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$7k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,505
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
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Median Debt
$15,393
Earnings (4yr)
$62,581
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$14k
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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
-
Earnings (4yr)
$55,059
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$68,405
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$60k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,742
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician
BachCIP: 1510
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$65,896
Natl Median: $93,843
Lifetime Value Added
+$40k
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Median Debt
$23,917
Earnings (4yr)
$52,709
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$67k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$41,728
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$160k
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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
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $84,599
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$20,140
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$343k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$67,011
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$49k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,283
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$48,596
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
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History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$40,716
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$169k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$68,922
Natl Median: $80,890
Lifetime Value Added
+$54k
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International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$16,475
Earnings (4yr)
$57,015
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$31k
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Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,741
Earnings (4yr)
$51,174
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
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Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,278
Earnings (4yr)
$47,177
Natl Median: $50,468
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
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Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$19,250
Earnings (4yr)
$46,402
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$120k
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Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$74,875
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$110k
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Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$21,939
Earnings (4yr)
$46,187
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$122k
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Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$21,508
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$330k
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Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$15,089
Earnings (4yr)
$45,251
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$130k
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Median Debt
$24,488
Earnings (4yr)
$39,163
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$182k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,409
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$248k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,342
Natl Median: $45,338
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
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Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,371
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
MastCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,937
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $124,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $121,855
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,232
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $125,651
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$66,096
Natl Median: $75,122
Lifetime Value Added
-$87k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,035
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,399
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,611
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.