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Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA 17,521 Undergrads 55.8% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$27,180
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$14,170
After Aid
Median Earnings
$54,914
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$14,170
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$54,914
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate55.8%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients37.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time77.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS75.5%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
90.5%
SAT Avg
1,190
SAT Reading
25th: 57057075th: 660
SAT Math
25th: 54055075th: 630
ACT Composite
25th: 222475th: 27
ROI Sensitivity Analysis
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
+$477k
+$80k
-$8k
Median Cost$14k/yr
+$426k
+$29k
-$59k
Full Cost$27k/yr
+$379k
-$17k
-$105k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$14k/yr
Never
-115%
Full Cost$27k/yr
Never
-108%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year 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-95%
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 with your specific estimates of cost and salary.
Program ROI Analysis
Bachelor's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$73,216
Lifetime Value Added
+$92k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$53,794
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$25,239
Earnings (5yr)
$65,432
Lifetime Value Added
+$33k
Business/Managerial Economics
BachCIP: 5206
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$57,556
Lifetime Value Added
-$620
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$23,406
Earnings (5yr)
$84,251
Lifetime Value Added
+$175k
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions
BachCIP: 5110
Median Debt
$23,343
Earnings (5yr)
$68,645
Lifetime Value Added
+$58k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
BachCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$54,361
Lifetime Value Added
-$54k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$23,925
Earnings (5yr)
$96,414
Lifetime Value Added
+$266k
Computer Engineering
BachCIP: 1409
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (5yr)
$109,053
Lifetime Value Added
+$360k
Criminology
BachCIP: 4504
Median Debt
$23,825
Earnings (5yr)
$51,760
Lifetime Value Added
-$76k
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions
BachCIP: 5106
Median Debt
$18,000
Earnings (5yr)
$66,267
Lifetime Value Added
+$40k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$22,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$322k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$90,085
Lifetime Value Added
+$218k
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other
BachCIP: 1599
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (5yr)
$86,205
Lifetime Value Added
+$189k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$51,643
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$23,849
Earnings (5yr)
$67,196
Lifetime Value Added
+$47k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$28,808
Earnings (5yr)
$42,327
Lifetime Value Added
-$154k
Geography and Cartography
BachCIP: 4507
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$58,402
Lifetime Value Added
-$22k
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
BachCIP: 4006
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,060
Lifetime Value Added
-$197k
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other
BachCIP: 5199
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$67,365
Lifetime Value Added
+$48k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (5yr)
$50,573
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
International Relations and National Security Studies
BachCIP: 4509
Median Debt
$21,187
Earnings (5yr)
$44,480
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
BachCIP: 1601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Lifetime Value Added
-$178k
Management Information Systems and Services
BachCIP: 5212
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$69,560
Lifetime Value Added
+$65k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$24,574
Earnings (5yr)
$58,083
Lifetime Value Added
-$24k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$22,450
Earnings (5yr)
$64,496
Lifetime Value Added
+$26k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$91,945
Lifetime Value Added
+$232k
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
BachCIP: 5115
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$45,128
Lifetime Value Added
-$130k
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
BachCIP: 3099
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$49,302
Lifetime Value Added
-$96k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (5yr)
$38,373
Lifetime Value Added
-$187k
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management
BachCIP: 3103
Median Debt
$24,750
Earnings (5yr)
$47,451
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$61,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$1k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (5yr)
$50,828
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$17,990
Earnings (5yr)
$83,865
Lifetime Value Added
+$172k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
BachCIP: 2313
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$53,896
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$52,363
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$24,490
Earnings (5yr)
$50,910
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$74,576
Lifetime Value Added
+$234k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
MastCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$45,500
Lifetime Value Added
-$42k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$20,400
Earnings (5yr)
$102,851
Lifetime Value Added
+$438k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
MastCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (5yr)
$72,388
Lifetime Value Added
+$176k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
$31,248
Earnings (5yr)
$67,158
Lifetime Value Added
+$131k
Engineering, General
MastCIP: 1401
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$96,590
Lifetime Value Added
+$384k
Engineering, Other
MastCIP: 1499
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$135,172
Lifetime Value Added
+$713k
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
MastCIP: 5115
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$53,358
Lifetime Value Added
+$36k
Public Administration
MastCIP: 4404
Median Debt
$39,794
Earnings (5yr)
$83,088
Lifetime Value Added
+$268k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
MastCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (5yr)
$126,467
Lifetime Value Added
+$639k
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
MastCIP: 5123
Median Debt
$65,250
Earnings (5yr)
$82,064
Lifetime Value Added
+$259k
Special Education and Teaching
MastCIP: 1310
Median Debt
$32,377
Earnings (5yr)
$53,460
Lifetime Value Added
+$6k
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
MastCIP: 1311
Median Debt
$44,622
Earnings (5yr)
$58,426
Lifetime Value Added
+$52k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$53,887
Lifetime Value Added
+$10k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
MastCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$56,443
Lifetime Value Added
+$34k
Doctoral Degrees
Education, Other
DocCIP: 1399
Median Debt
$55,877
Earnings (5yr)
$85,877
Lifetime Value Added
+$142k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.