College ROI

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Mount Saint Mary College

Newburgh, NY 1,148 Undergrads 61.6% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$55,014
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$25,522
After Aid
Median Earnings
$77,894
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$25,522
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$77,894
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$67,705
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate61.6%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age21.9
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients32.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time85.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS83.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
88.9%
SAT Avg
1,150
SAT Reading
25th: -54075th: -
SAT Math
25th: -54575th: -
ACT Composite
25th: 192275th: 28

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
+$674k
+$207k
+$190k
Median Cost$26k/yr
+$582k
+$115k
+$98k
Full Cost$55k/yr
+$476k
+$9k
-$8k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
28
Median Cost$26k/yr
38
107%
Full Cost$55k/yr
Never
-4%
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 Return84%

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-38%
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
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$79,304
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$109k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$75,798
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$82k
Median Debt
$24,999
Earnings (4yr)
$66,930
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$14k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,281
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$129k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$55,814
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
Criminology
BachCIP: 4504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,556
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,434
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$53k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$26,999
Earnings (4yr)
$63,174
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$15k
Median Debt
$25,125
Earnings (4yr)
$57,910
Natl Median: $48,597
Lifetime Value Added
-$57k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$54,932
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
Median Debt
$18,750
Earnings (4yr)
$60,133
Natl Median: $50,532
Lifetime Value Added
-$39k
Natural Sciences
BachCIP: 3018
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,935
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,898
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$71,602
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
+$39k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$108,400
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$331k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,366
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$76,529
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$82,707
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$42k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$135,843
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$505k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$66,761
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$71,876
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$53k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
$37,942
Earnings (4yr)
$131,768
Natl Median: $126,911
Lifetime Value Added
+$598k

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.