College ROI

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Northwest University

Kirkland, WA 645 Undergrads 66.2% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$50,501
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$22,288
After Aid
Median Earnings
$58,404
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$22,288
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$58,404
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$54,914
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate66.2%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age25.2
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 Recipients25.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time96.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS76.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
83.2%
SAT Avg
1,150
SAT Reading
25th: 54055875th: 700
SAT Math
25th: 50054075th: 650
ACT Composite
25th: -2875th: -

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
+$523k
+$56k
+$38k
Median Cost$22k/yr
+$443k
-$24k
-$42k
Full Cost$51k/yr
+$341k
-$126k
-$143k

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
40
∞
Median Cost$22k/yr
Never
-52%
Full Cost$51k/yr
Never
-79%
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-53%

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

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $28,811
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (4yr)
$47,496
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Median Debt
$17,533
Earnings (4yr)
$45,166
Natl Median: $40,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,240
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,533
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$21,508
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$350k
Median Debt
$20,833
Earnings (4yr)
$72,343
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$67k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$44,971
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$138k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,103
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$37,112
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$221k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,915
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$21,514
Earnings (4yr)
$54,357
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$75k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$56,136
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Median Debt
$22,767
Earnings (4yr)
$89,673
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$200k
Religious Music and Worship
BachCIP: 3905
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,456
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (4yr)
$58,134
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,385
Natl Median: $44,535
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$29,436
Earnings (4yr)
$107,751
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$267k
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,851
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$240k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$74,550
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$24k
International/Globalization Studies
MastCIP: 3020
Median Debt
$29,751
Earnings (4yr)
$49,915
Natl Median: $86,219
Lifetime Value Added
-$249k
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$77,641
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
+$3k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,767
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$37,178
Natl Median: $61,300
Lifetime Value Added
-$381k

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $99,878
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.