College ROI

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New Mexico Highlands University

Las Vegas, NM 1,451 Undergrads 49.1% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$20,868
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$14,838
After Aid
Median Earnings
$55,864
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$14,838
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$55,864
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$45,937
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate49.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average Starting Age27.1
Warning: High average starting age indicates non-traditional students with prior work experience, which may inflate the median earnings shown.
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients49.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time64.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS64.2%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
100.0%
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)
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$502k
+$35k
+$18k
Median Cost$15k/yr
+$449k
-$18k
-$36k
Full Cost$21k/yr
+$427k
-$40k
-$57k

ROI Efficiency Metrics
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
48
∞
Median Cost$15k/yr
Never
-67%
Full Cost$21k/yr
Never
-76%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
  • 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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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-35%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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-54%
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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Associate's Degrees

Behavioral Sciences
AssocCIP: 3017
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,793
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$11,399
Earnings (4yr)
$57,821
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$20k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$45,868
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy
BachCIP: 0302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,185
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$24,035
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
-$300k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Forestry
BachCIP: 0305
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,784
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,190
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: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,292
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$13,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,517
Natl Median: $52,119
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$8,785
Earnings (4yr)
$43,926
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k
Median Debt
$10,000
Earnings (4yr)
$97,309
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$285k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,812
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$49,163
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Median Debt
$16,325
Earnings (4yr)
$53,566
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,375
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$17k

Master's Degrees

Area Studies
MastCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,936
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$28,531
Earnings (4yr)
$82,774
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$62k
Chemistry
MastCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,937
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$67,891
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$77,154
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $112,705
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$59,318
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$146k
Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,711
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,341
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$60,034
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$139k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Other Programs

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,406
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.