College ROI

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Morningside University

Sioux City, IA 1,163 Undergrads 58.8% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$52,577
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$31,320
After Aid
Median Earnings
$61,955
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$31,320
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$61,955
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$55,494
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate58.8%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age22.4
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients32.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time95.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS80.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
71.0%
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
+$551k
+$84k
+$67k
Median Cost$31k/yr
+$439k
-$28k
-$46k
Full Cost$53k/yr
+$362k
-$105k
-$122k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
35
∞
Median Cost$31k/yr
Never
-41%
Full Cost$53k/yr
Never
-65%
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-28%

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-70%
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

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,807
Earnings (4yr)
$66,368
Natl Median: $80,757
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$26,478
Earnings (4yr)
$62,400
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$42k
Biopsychology
BachCIP: 3010
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,825
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$61,940
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$46k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,523
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$46,719
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$179k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,439
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$27,669
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$326k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering Physics
BachCIP: 1412
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,154
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $118,943
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,019
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$323k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,726
Earnings (4yr)
$84,033
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$124k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,695
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,874
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,812
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,875
Earnings (4yr)
$50,717
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
Median Debt
$28,000
Earnings (4yr)
$56,166
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k

Master's Degrees

Education, Other
MastCIP: 1399
Median Debt
$7,400
Earnings (4yr)
$64,279
Natl Median: $65,348
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
Median Debt
$27,006
Earnings (4yr)
$99,896
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$182k
Median Debt
$5,639
Earnings (4yr)
$61,726
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$154k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$64,996
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$125k

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $85,168
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.