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National University
San Diego, CA 9,725 Undergrads 40.0% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$37,116
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$31,058
After Aid
Median Earnings
$67,548
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$31,058
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$67,548
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate40.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients26.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time41.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS83.2%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
100.0%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -
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
+$575k
+$178k
+$90k
Median Cost$31k/yr
+$463k
+$67k
-$21k
Full Cost$37k/yr
+$441k
+$45k
-$43k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
33
∞
Median Cost$31k/yr
Never
-19%
Full Cost$37k/yr
Never
-32%
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 Return34%
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-48%
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
Associate's Degrees
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$10,500
Earnings (5yr)
$63,201
Lifetime Value Added
+$106k
Bachelor's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$31,249
Earnings (5yr)
$65,188
Lifetime Value Added
-$29k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
BachCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$108,041
Lifetime Value Added
+$292k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$28,125
Earnings (5yr)
$70,412
Lifetime Value Added
+$10k
Business/Corporate Communications
BachCIP: 5205
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$75,312
Lifetime Value Added
+$47k
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions
BachCIP: 5110
Median Debt
$27,906
Earnings (5yr)
$73,278
Lifetime Value Added
+$32k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$31,812
Earnings (5yr)
$84,278
Lifetime Value Added
+$114k
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management
BachCIP: 1110
Median Debt
$32,813
Earnings (5yr)
$78,572
Lifetime Value Added
+$71k
Construction Engineering
BachCIP: 1433
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$82,440
Lifetime Value Added
+$138k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$57,213
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$23,342
Earnings (5yr)
$47,654
Lifetime Value Added
-$170k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
BachCIP: 5107
Median Debt
$35,147
Earnings (5yr)
$66,002
Lifetime Value Added
-$23k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$50,856
Lifetime Value Added
-$118k
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
BachCIP: 5100
Median Debt
$28,334
Earnings (5yr)
$62,690
Lifetime Value Added
-$49k
Homeland Security
BachCIP: 4303
Median Debt
$23,437
Earnings (5yr)
$61,254
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Management Information Systems and Services
BachCIP: 5212
Median Debt
$28,687
Earnings (5yr)
$95,650
Lifetime Value Added
+$199k
Manufacturing Engineering
BachCIP: 1436
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$78,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$106k
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General
BachCIP: 3000
Median Debt
$31,250
Earnings (5yr)
$57,291
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
Non-Professional General Legal Studies (Undergraduate)
BachCIP: 2200
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$47,260
Lifetime Value Added
-$150k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$28,062
Earnings (5yr)
$56,955
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Public Administration
BachCIP: 4404
Median Debt
$29,181
Earnings (2yr)
$74,576
Lifetime Value Added
+$76k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$34,156
Earnings (5yr)
$55,472
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
BachCIP: 0909
Median Debt
$27,688
Earnings (2yr)
$47,260
Lifetime Value Added
-$150k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$33,928
Earnings (5yr)
$108,119
Lifetime Value Added
+$292k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$27,687
Earnings (5yr)
$54,674
Lifetime Value Added
-$113k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$31,250
Earnings (5yr)
$49,988
Lifetime Value Added
-$151k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (5yr)
$92,893
Lifetime Value Added
+$321k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$39,365
Earnings (5yr)
$90,586
Lifetime Value Added
+$301k
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
MastCIP: 4228
Median Debt
$28,854
Earnings (5yr)
$75,317
Lifetime Value Added
+$170k
Communication and Media Studies
MastCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$28,604
Earnings (5yr)
$71,817
Lifetime Value Added
+$140k
Computer Science
MastCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$37,950
Earnings (5yr)
$114,787
Lifetime Value Added
+$509k
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management
MastCIP: 1110
Median Debt
$40,950
Earnings (5yr)
$126,841
Lifetime Value Added
+$612k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
MastCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$35,759
Earnings (5yr)
$68,170
Lifetime Value Added
+$109k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (5yr)
$80,284
Lifetime Value Added
+$213k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
$23,388
Earnings (5yr)
$104,236
Lifetime Value Added
+$419k
Educational/Instructional Media Design
MastCIP: 1305
Median Debt
$23,284
Earnings (5yr)
$85,859
Lifetime Value Added
+$261k
English Language and Literature, General
MastCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$32,416
Earnings (5yr)
$61,790
Lifetime Value Added
+$52k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
MastCIP: 5107
Median Debt
$51,272
Earnings (5yr)
$104,280
Lifetime Value Added
+$419k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
Homeland Security
MastCIP: 4303
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$93,112
Lifetime Value Added
+$323k
Human Resources Management and Services
MastCIP: 5210
Median Debt
$36,708
Earnings (5yr)
$91,710
Lifetime Value Added
+$311k
International Business
MastCIP: 5211
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$73,949
Lifetime Value Added
+$197k
Management Information Systems and Services
MastCIP: 5212
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (2yr)
$73,949
Lifetime Value Added
+$197k
Medical Illustration and Informatics
MastCIP: 5127
Median Debt
$36,894
Earnings (2yr)
$60,161
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$36,048
Earnings (5yr)
$74,080
Lifetime Value Added
+$160k
Public Administration
MastCIP: 4404
Median Debt
$33,712
Earnings (5yr)
$89,466
Lifetime Value Added
+$292k
Public Health
MastCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$49,563
Earnings (5yr)
$71,991
Lifetime Value Added
+$142k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
MastCIP: 2313
Median Debt
$40,760
Earnings (5yr)
$60,763
Lifetime Value Added
+$43k
Security Science and Technology
MastCIP: 4304
Median Debt
$34,433
Earnings (5yr)
$79,500
Lifetime Value Added
+$206k
Special Education and Teaching
MastCIP: 1310
Median Debt
$53,471
Earnings (5yr)
$80,098
Lifetime Value Added
+$211k
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
MastCIP: 1311
Median Debt
$46,814
Earnings (5yr)
$80,788
Lifetime Value Added
+$217k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$28,854
Earnings (5yr)
$62,205
Lifetime Value Added
+$56k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
MastCIP: 1313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$54,661
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.