College ROI

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Ohio Northern University

Ada, OH 2,489 Undergrads 73.6% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$53,580
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$24,478
After Aid
Median Earnings
$72,080
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$24,478
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$72,080
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$80,928
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate73.6%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.0
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients21.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time98.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS87.0%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
74.4%
SAT Avg
1,252
SAT Reading
25th: 58559075th: 690
SAT Math
25th: 59060575th: 710
ACT Composite
25th: 242575th: 29

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
+$630k
+$163k
+$145k
Median Cost$24k/yr
+$542k
+$75k
+$57k
Full Cost$54k/yr
+$437k
-$30k
-$47k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
30
∞
Median Cost$24k/yr
43
65%
Full Cost$54k/yr
Never
-25%
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 Return46%

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-49%
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: $38,675
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$84,916
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$155k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,979
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$31k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$23,586
Earnings (4yr)
$79,673
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
+$115k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,975
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$66,757
Natl Median: $95,124
Lifetime Value Added
+$16k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,606
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$97k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$34,445
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$252k
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$68,219
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$49k
Engineering, Other
BachCIP: 1499
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $93,989
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,459
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$89,697
Natl Median: $80,890
Lifetime Value Added
+$192k
Insurance
BachCIP: 5217
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $88,472
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Literature
BachCIP: 2314
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,173
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$59,597
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
-$40k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$25,193
Earnings (4yr)
$67,802
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$25k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$85,802
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$162k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$72,121
Natl Median: $116,539
Lifetime Value Added
+$58k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$26,750
Earnings (2yr)
$28,055
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$298k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,369
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$196k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$83,157
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$142k
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
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,805
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (4yr)
$48,289
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
Statistics
BachCIP: 2705
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,425
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,771
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$273k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Post-Baccalaureate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,018
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$77,734
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$211
Law
MastCIP: 2201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,341
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$136,241
Natl Median: $136,696
Lifetime Value Added
+$254k

Professional Degrees

Law
ProfCIP: 2201
Median Debt
$61,500
Earnings (4yr)
$69,823
Natl Median: $107,773
Lifetime Value Added
-$218k
Median Debt
$66,000
Earnings (4yr)
$132,435
Natl Median: $138,348
Lifetime Value Added
+$246k

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.