College ROI

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Northwestern State University of Louisiana

Natchitoches, LA 5,519 Undergrads 45.6% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$25,431
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$13,606
After Aid
Median Earnings
$56,762
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$13,606
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$56,762
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$47,021
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate45.6%
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 Age24.3
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 Recipients46.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time75.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS64.2%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
92.5%
SAT Avg
1,088
SAT Reading
25th: 44853075th: 610
SAT Math
25th: 41849075th: 553
ACT Composite
25th: 181975th: 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)
⚠️ 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
+$509k
+$43k
+$25k
Median Cost$14k/yr
+$461k
-$6k
-$24k
Full Cost$25k/yr
+$418k
-$49k
-$66k

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
44
∞
Median Cost$14k/yr
Never
-49%
Full Cost$25k/yr
Never
-73%
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-32%

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-59%
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

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General
AssocCIP: 1500
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,343
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,360
Earnings (4yr)
$43,417
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$42k
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$76,710
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$271k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,460
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$26,762
Earnings (4yr)
$60,861
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$9k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$66,559
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
+$54k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$24,566
Earnings (4yr)
$55,452
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$35k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,927
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
Median Debt
$20,750
Earnings (4yr)
$37,273
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$188k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$44,267
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$128k
Median Debt
$21,359
Earnings (4yr)
$36,229
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$197k
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1503
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $84,599
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,250
Earnings (4yr)
$42,434
Natl Median: $48,460
Lifetime Value Added
-$144k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,409
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$237k
Median Debt
$19,282
Earnings (4yr)
$67,765
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
+$63k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$55,115
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$37k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$44,227
Natl Median: $56,726
Lifetime Value Added
-$129k
Median Debt
$26,797
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,568
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,250
Earnings (4yr)
$74,209
Natl Median: $80,890
Lifetime Value Added
+$113k
Median Debt
$26,125
Earnings (4yr)
$63,928
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
+$34k
Median Debt
$26,528
Earnings (4yr)
$47,652
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$42,065
Natl Median: $52,119
Lifetime Value Added
-$147k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,582
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$22,885
Earnings (4yr)
$39,223
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$171k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$24,245
Earnings (4yr)
$44,492
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$126k
Median Debt
$22,175
Earnings (4yr)
$86,608
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$207k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$47,296
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$22,375
Earnings (4yr)
$51,722
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Median Debt
$19,731
Earnings (4yr)
$53,800
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$48k
Median Debt
$27,462
Earnings (4yr)
$51,672
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$66k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, Other
MastCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,348
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$34,934
Earnings (4yr)
$62,268
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$45,277
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
-$260k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,079
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Homeland Security
MastCIP: 4303
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$81,715
Natl Median: $96,660
Lifetime Value Added
+$55k
Music
MastCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,285
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$111,536
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$316k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,603
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$150k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,469
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
-$199k
Median Debt
$42,395
Earnings (4yr)
$50,650
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$226k
Median Debt
$35,500
Earnings (4yr)
$52,689
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$206k

Other Programs

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,292
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,802
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.