College ROI

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Northwood University

Midland, MI 1,974 Undergrads 67.0% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$48,780
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$27,232
After Aid
Median Earnings
$67,409
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$27,232
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$67,409
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$63,075
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate67.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age26.8
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 Recipients26.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time67.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS80.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
64.5%
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
+$594k
+$127k
+$110k
Median Cost$27k/yr
+$496k
+$29k
+$12k
Full Cost$49k/yr
+$418k
-$48k
-$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
32
Median Cost$27k/yr
56
12%
Full Cost$49k/yr
Never
-38%
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 Return22%

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-55%
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
$29,500
Earnings (4yr)
$74,822
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$229k

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$18,067
Earnings (4yr)
$64,405
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Median Debt
$19,325
Earnings (4yr)
$68,679
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$21k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $77,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$63,804
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
-$16k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,027
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$67,477
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$12k
Median Debt
$27,250
Earnings (4yr)
$55,020
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
-$87k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$53,997
Natl Median: $56,726
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Insurance
BachCIP: 5217
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $88,472
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,720
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
-$25k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$57,318
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
-$50k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$19,050
Earnings (4yr)
$62,860
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$24k
Median Debt
$18,250
Earnings (4yr)
$68,008
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
+$16k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$77,647
Natl Median: $59,631
Lifetime Value Added
+$90k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$23,750
Earnings (4yr)
$50,699
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$123k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$92,321
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$123k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $97,526
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $110,694
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.