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Murray State University
Murray, KY 6,646 Undergrads 57.6% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$21,475
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$9,121
After Aid
Median Earnings
$44,737
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$9,121
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$44,737
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate57.6%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients35.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time91.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS67.9%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
86.2%
SAT Avg
1,110
SAT Reading
25th: 48055075th: 600
SAT Math
25th: 47053075th: 590
ACT Composite
25th: 192475th: 26
ROI Sensitivity Analysis
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
+$394k
-$2k
-$90k
Median Cost$9k/yr
+$362k
-$35k
-$123k
Full Cost$21k/yr
+$317k
-$79k
-$167k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$9k/yr
Never
-374%
Full Cost$21k/yr
Never
-217%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year 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-275%
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-112%
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 with your specific estimates of cost and salary.
Program ROI Analysis
Bachelor's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$18,318
Earnings (5yr)
$50,198
Lifetime Value Added
-$70k
Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, and Related Sciences, Other
BachCIP: 0199
Median Debt
$17,000
Earnings (5yr)
$45,641
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$24,033
Earnings (5yr)
$54,903
Lifetime Value Added
-$32k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$21,061
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Lifetime Value Added
-$150k
Business/Commerce, General
BachCIP: 5201
Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (5yr)
$47,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$95k
Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1502
Median Debt
$22,250
Earnings (5yr)
$71,522
Lifetime Value Added
+$98k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
BachCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$19,369
Earnings (5yr)
$45,661
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$23,475
Earnings (5yr)
$87,954
Lifetime Value Added
+$221k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$21,411
Earnings (5yr)
$54,066
Lifetime Value Added
-$39k
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1513
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (5yr)
$48,363
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$15,182
Lifetime Value Added
-$362k
Engineering Physics
BachCIP: 1412
Median Debt
$19,521
Earnings (2yr)
$47,260
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$42,652
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$56,973
Lifetime Value Added
-$15k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (5yr)
$37,409
Lifetime Value Added
-$177k
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services
BachCIP: 1905
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$43,349
Lifetime Value Added
-$127k
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
BachCIP: 4006
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$269k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$22,925
Earnings (5yr)
$52,954
Lifetime Value Added
-$48k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$21,750
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$228k
Information Science/Studies
BachCIP: 1104
Median Debt
$19,037
Earnings (5yr)
$89,111
Lifetime Value Added
+$229k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$32,569
Lifetime Value Added
-$202k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$23,500
Earnings (5yr)
$44,106
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$21,997
Earnings (5yr)
$51,087
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,060
Lifetime Value Added
-$179k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$26,731
Earnings (5yr)
$46,197
Lifetime Value Added
-$103k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$39,711
Lifetime Value Added
-$158k
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
BachCIP: 0909
Median Debt
$21,235
Earnings (5yr)
$44,245
Lifetime Value Added
-$120k
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1507
Median Debt
$24,561
Earnings (5yr)
$85,864
Lifetime Value Added
+$205k
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication
BachCIP: 0907
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$44,736
Lifetime Value Added
-$116k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$18,203
Earnings (5yr)
$74,353
Lifetime Value Added
+$119k
Research and Experimental Psychology
BachCIP: 4227
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$41,388
Lifetime Value Added
-$144k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$23,500
Earnings (5yr)
$39,311
Lifetime Value Added
-$161k
Special Education and Teaching
BachCIP: 1310
Median Debt
$18,687
Earnings (5yr)
$39,132
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$20,801
Earnings (5yr)
$39,712
Lifetime Value Added
-$158k
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 0183
Median Debt
$23,752
Earnings (5yr)
$35,030
Lifetime Value Added
-$198k
Master's Degrees
Business/Commerce, General
MastCIP: 5201
Median Debt
$28,786
Earnings (5yr)
$83,386
Lifetime Value Added
+$280k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
MastCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$42,000
Earnings (5yr)
$54,228
Lifetime Value Added
+$23k
Community Organization and Advocacy
MastCIP: 4402
Median Debt
$39,986
Earnings (5yr)
$47,728
Lifetime Value Added
-$38k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
$18,800
Earnings (5yr)
$64,254
Lifetime Value Added
+$114k
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
MastCIP: 0909
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$44,971
Lifetime Value Added
-$38k
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians
MastCIP: 1507
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$99,776
Lifetime Value Added
+$421k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
MastCIP: 5138
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$206,110
Lifetime Value Added
+$1322k
Special Education and Teaching
MastCIP: 1310
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$47,416
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
MastCIP: 1311
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$44,384
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$20,093
Earnings (5yr)
$51,419
Lifetime Value Added
-$3k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
MastCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (5yr)
$49,861
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.