College ROI

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Niagara University

Niagara University, NY 2,653 Undergrads 72.2% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$53,671
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$17,246
After Aid
Median Earnings
$60,122
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$17,246
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$60,122
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$60,491
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate72.2%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.6
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients28.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time98.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS80.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
87.4%
SAT Avg
1,168
SAT Reading
25th: 53057075th: 625
SAT Math
25th: 53057775th: 610
ACT Composite
25th: 222575th: 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
+$530k
+$60k
+$43k
Median Cost$17k/yr
+$468k
-$2k
-$19k
Full Cost$54k/yr
+$337k
-$133k
-$150k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
39
∞
Median Cost$17k/yr
Never
-30%
Full Cost$54k/yr
Never
-77%
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-52%

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-77%

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 →

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$23,484
Earnings (4yr)
$66,459
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$42k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,681
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$76,973
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$111k
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Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$65,154
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$31k
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Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$58,168
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$34k
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Median Debt
$22,375
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
-$189k
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Criminology
BachCIP: 4504
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (4yr)
$60,995
Natl Median: $55,556
Lifetime Value Added
-$2k
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Median Debt
$28,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$76,976
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$111k
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Gerontology
BachCIP: 3011
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,051
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$54,390
Natl Median: $56,726
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,568
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,687
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$25,250
Earnings (4yr)
$73,611
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$97k
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Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,055
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$273k
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Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$97,834
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$282k
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Median Debt
$20,316
Earnings (4yr)
$55,947
Natl Median: $55,695
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
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Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$57,730
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$38k
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Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,874
Earnings (4yr)
$50,897
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
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Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (5yr)
$53,683
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
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Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,037
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$109k
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Median Debt
$26,155
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,259
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$77,050
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
-$5k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$86,227
Natl Median: $125,988
Lifetime Value Added
+$74k
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Median Debt
$30,199
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $121,855
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Criminology
MastCIP: 4504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$63,477
Natl Median: $67,647
Lifetime Value Added
-$124k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $110,694
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,524
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$40,444
Earnings (2yr)
$39,369
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$329k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,122
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$30,214
Earnings (5yr)
$58,539
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$169k
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Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$34,609
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$30,617
Earnings (5yr)
$50,337
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$246k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,767
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
$19,727
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,509
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,288
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,774
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$81,188
Natl Median: $71,178
Lifetime Value Added
+$129k
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Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $119,220
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.