College ROI

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Muhlenberg College

Allentown, PA 1,727 Undergrads 81.4% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$80,300
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$25,253
After Aid
Median Earnings
$70,160
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$25,253
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$70,160
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$76,444
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate81.4%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.9
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients25.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time98.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS76.7%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
72.0%
SAT Avg
1,343
SAT Reading
25th: 64065075th: 710
SAT Math
25th: 61063575th: 700
ACT Composite
25th: 293075th: 33

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
+$608k
+$138k
+$122k
Median Cost$25k/yr
+$518k
+$47k
+$31k
Full Cost$80k/yr
+$319k
-$151k
-$167k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
31
∞
Median Cost$25k/yr
48
34%
Full Cost$80k/yr
Never
-58%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.
  • 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-19%

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-71%

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 →

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$105,494
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$312k
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Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$83,215
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$142k
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Median Debt
$23,500
Earnings (4yr)
$78,360
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$105k
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Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,927
Earnings (4yr)
$58,473
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$51k
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Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$56,503
Natl Median: $39,980
Lifetime Value Added
-$67k
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Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$42,092
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$189k
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Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$93,760
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$222k
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Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$40,161
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$206k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$15,552
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
-$417k
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Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$94,403
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$227k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
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: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$100,869
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$276k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$23,649
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$342k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (2yr)
$15,552
Natl Median: $62,451
Lifetime Value Added
-$417k
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Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physical Sciences, General
BachCIP: 4001
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,944
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$66,540
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$14k
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Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$60,778
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$32k
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Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$25,125
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
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.