College ROI

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Northwest Missouri State University

Maryville, MO 4,378 Undergrads 52.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$24,945
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$16,244
After Aid
Median Earnings
$52,213
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$16,244
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$52,213
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$47,885
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate52.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.3
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients32.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time90.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS72.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
86.1%
SAT Avg
1,119
SAT Reading
25th: 47851575th: 593
SAT Math
25th: 49852875th: 600
ACT Composite
25th: 192275th: 24

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
+$472k
+$5k
-$12k
Median Cost$16k/yr
+$414k
-$53k
-$71k
Full Cost$25k/yr
+$382k
-$85k
-$102k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$16k/yr
Never
-121%
Full Cost$25k/yr
Never
-114%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation 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-104%

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-76%
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

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,705
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,491
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$72,893
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$93k
Median Debt
$17,250
Earnings (4yr)
$58,035
Natl Median: $66,647
Lifetime Value Added
-$23k
Median Debt
$17,250
Earnings (4yr)
$49,328
Natl Median: $53,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$95k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,880
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Animal Sciences
BachCIP: 0109
Median Debt
$18,089
Earnings (4yr)
$53,418
Natl Median: $49,634
Lifetime Value Added
-$61k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,891
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$57,564
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$27k
Median Debt
$17,844
Earnings (4yr)
$57,907
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$24k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $28,311
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $77,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$24,715
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
-$185k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,523
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,975
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,012
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$89k
Median Debt
$21,975
Earnings (4yr)
$80,690
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$153k
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$48,729
Natl Median: $58,894
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
Criminology
BachCIP: 4504
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,556
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,500
Earnings (5yr)
$50,808
Natl Median: $55,753
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$24,267
Natl Median: $48,842
Lifetime Value Added
-$303k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$27,488
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$273k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$65,692
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$38k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$55,656
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
-$42k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$52,179
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$24,035
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$305k
Homeland Security
BachCIP: 4303
Median Debt
$21,418
Earnings (5yr)
$63,715
Natl Median: $70,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,568
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$12,976
Earnings (5yr)
$52,216
Natl Median: $80,890
Lifetime Value Added
-$79k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$58,673
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$1k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$20,288
Earnings (4yr)
$57,705
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$26k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,346
Earnings (4yr)
$48,600
Natl Median: $50,468
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
Plant Sciences
BachCIP: 0111
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$59,315
Natl Median: $56,567
Lifetime Value Added
-$22k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$49,578
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$42,827
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$150k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,065
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$48k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,436
Earnings (4yr)
$49,872
Natl Median: $55,695
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,668
Earnings (4yr)
$46,475
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
Median Debt
$23,350
Earnings (4yr)
$42,508
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$153k
Median Debt
$26,100
Earnings (4yr)
$46,501
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$47,356
Natl Median: $45,338
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,941
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,241
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,499
Earnings (4yr)
$77,811
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$16k
Median Debt
$15,568
Earnings (4yr)
$46,807
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$268k
Median Debt
$15,924
Earnings (4yr)
$63,051
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,644
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $79,784
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
MastCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$16,333
Earnings (4yr)
$50,060
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$236k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$17,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,444
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
-$204k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$42,571
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$309k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$17,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,246
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$254k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,767
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.