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Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 29,557 Undergrads 67.1% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$29,926
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$19,568
After Aid
Median Earnings
$64,010
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$19,568
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$64,010
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate67.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients22.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time70.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS78.0%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
78.8%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: -62075th: -
SAT Math
25th: -62575th: -
ACT Composite
25th: -2575th: -
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
+$548k
+$151k
+$64k
Median Cost$20k/yr
+$477k
+$81k
-$7k
Full Cost$30k/yr
+$440k
+$44k
-$44k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
36
∞
Median Cost$20k/yr
Never
-10%
Full Cost$30k/yr
Never
-41%
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 Return21%
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-48%
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
$19,962
Earnings (5yr)
$76,958
Lifetime Value Added
+$101k
Agricultural Business and Management
BachCIP: 0101
Median Debt
$16,455
Earnings (5yr)
$71,577
Lifetime Value Added
+$60k
Agricultural Engineering
BachCIP: 1403
Median Debt
$24,057
Earnings (2yr)
$48,041
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
Agriculture, General
BachCIP: 0100
Median Debt
$23,500
Earnings (5yr)
$50,564
Lifetime Value Added
-$105k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
BachCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,448
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
Animal Sciences
BachCIP: 0109
Median Debt
$21,391
Earnings (5yr)
$54,287
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$55,684
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k
Apparel and Textiles
BachCIP: 1909
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,848
Lifetime Value Added
-$201k
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
BachCIP: 2602
Median Debt
$22,735
Earnings (2yr)
$18,315
Lifetime Value Added
-$370k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$54,017
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
BachCIP: 1405
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$96,618
Lifetime Value Added
+$248k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$69,262
Lifetime Value Added
+$43k
Chemical Engineering
BachCIP: 1407
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (5yr)
$95,971
Lifetime Value Added
+$243k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$23,916
Earnings (5yr)
$70,654
Lifetime Value Added
+$53k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (5yr)
$89,866
Lifetime Value Added
+$197k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$19,828
Earnings (5yr)
$56,798
Lifetime Value Added
-$54k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$22,721
Earnings (5yr)
$109,905
Lifetime Value Added
+$347k
Construction Engineering
BachCIP: 1433
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$106,199
Lifetime Value Added
+$319k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$53,265
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$76,531
Lifetime Value Added
+$98k
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,237
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$22,664
Earnings (5yr)
$105,331
Lifetime Value Added
+$313k
Engineering, Other
BachCIP: 1499
Median Debt
$28,067
Earnings (5yr)
$90,867
Lifetime Value Added
+$205k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$44,804
Lifetime Value Added
-$153k
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
BachCIP: 1414
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$81,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$133k
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Business Services
BachCIP: 1902
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (5yr)
$64,739
Lifetime Value Added
+$9k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (5yr)
$81,470
Lifetime Value Added
+$135k
Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management
BachCIP: 0303
Median Debt
$26,639
Earnings (5yr)
$49,281
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
Food Science and Technology
BachCIP: 0110
Median Debt
$20,945
Earnings (5yr)
$61,467
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services
BachCIP: 1905
Median Debt
$22,992
Earnings (5yr)
$61,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$16k
Forest Engineering
BachCIP: 1434
Median Debt
$19,196
Earnings (5yr)
$78,198
Lifetime Value Added
+$110k
Forestry
BachCIP: 0305
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$74,096
Lifetime Value Added
+$79k
Geography and Cartography
BachCIP: 4507
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,568
Lifetime Value Added
-$194k
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
BachCIP: 4006
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$67,728
Lifetime Value Added
+$31k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$23,069
Earnings (5yr)
$60,964
Lifetime Value Added
-$21k
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs
BachCIP: 5111
Median Debt
$22,731
Earnings (5yr)
$103,024
Lifetime Value Added
+$296k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$22,431
Earnings (5yr)
$51,945
Lifetime Value Added
-$93k
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
BachCIP: 1907
Median Debt
$23,028
Earnings (5yr)
$49,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$118k
Industrial Engineering
BachCIP: 1435
Median Debt
$21,899
Earnings (5yr)
$92,997
Lifetime Value Added
+$221k
International/Global Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$22,538
Lifetime Value Added
-$331k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$20,211
Earnings (5yr)
$52,570
Lifetime Value Added
-$88k
Management Information Systems and Services
BachCIP: 5212
Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (5yr)
$77,803
Lifetime Value Added
+$107k
Manufacturing Engineering
BachCIP: 1436
Median Debt
$20,653
Earnings (5yr)
$92,078
Lifetime Value Added
+$214k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$19,250
Earnings (5yr)
$68,673
Lifetime Value Added
+$39k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$19,166
Earnings (5yr)
$63,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$3k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$23,168
Earnings (5yr)
$94,649
Lifetime Value Added
+$233k
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology
BachCIP: 2605
Median Debt
$21,666
Earnings (5yr)
$70,583
Lifetime Value Added
+$53k
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
BachCIP: 3099
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$62,136
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$19,384
Earnings (2yr)
$15,552
Lifetime Value Added
-$396k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$55,537
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
Natural Resources Management and Policy
BachCIP: 0302
Median Debt
$25,666
Earnings (5yr)
$45,158
Lifetime Value Added
-$150k
Natural Sciences
BachCIP: 3018
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$112,393
Lifetime Value Added
+$366k
Nuclear Engineering
BachCIP: 1423
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$94,372
Lifetime Value Added
+$231k
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies
BachCIP: 3101
Median Debt
$20,104
Earnings (5yr)
$50,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Lifetime Value Added
-$197k
Plant Sciences
BachCIP: 0111
Median Debt
$24,005
Earnings (5yr)
$53,355
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$22,286
Earnings (5yr)
$59,150
Lifetime Value Added
-$35k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$22,442
Earnings (5yr)
$49,486
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$60,183
Lifetime Value Added
-$27k
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication
BachCIP: 0907
Median Debt
$22,127
Earnings (5yr)
$52,443
Lifetime Value Added
-$89k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
$21,875
Earnings (2yr)
$37,424
Lifetime Value Added
-$195k
Social Sciences, General
BachCIP: 4501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$27,476
Lifetime Value Added
-$285k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$18,864
Earnings (5yr)
$52,350
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
Sustainability Studies
BachCIP: 3033
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,009
Lifetime Value Added
-$181k
Visual and Performing Arts, General
BachCIP: 5001
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$36,748
Lifetime Value Added
-$221k
Zoology/Animal Biology
BachCIP: 2607
Median Debt
$24,596
Earnings (5yr)
$36,871
Lifetime Value Added
-$219k
Master's Degrees
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$46,000
Earnings (5yr)
$93,312
Lifetime Value Added
+$346k
Civil Engineering
MastCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$95,640
Lifetime Value Added
+$366k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,023
Lifetime Value Added
+$66k
Forestry
MastCIP: 0305
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$76,924
Lifetime Value Added
+$205k
Mechanical Engineering
MastCIP: 1419
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$103,349
Lifetime Value Added
+$432k
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
MastCIP: 3099
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,598
Lifetime Value Added
-$227k
Natural Resources Management and Policy
MastCIP: 0302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$73,952
Lifetime Value Added
+$180k
Public Health
MastCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$36,176
Earnings (5yr)
$79,489
Lifetime Value Added
+$227k
Public Policy Analysis
MastCIP: 4405
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$73,938
Lifetime Value Added
+$179k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
MastCIP: 2313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$49,178
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
MastCIP: 1311
Median Debt
$51,500
Earnings (5yr)
$60,638
Lifetime Value Added
+$63k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$35,450
Earnings (5yr)
$53,677
Lifetime Value Added
-$1k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
MastCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$66,005
Lifetime Value Added
+$111k
Doctoral Degrees
Education, General
DocCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$124,171
Lifetime Value Added
+$401k
Professional Degrees
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration
ProfCIP: 5120
Median Debt
$145,667
Earnings (5yr)
$153,136
Lifetime Value Added
+$610k
Veterinary Medicine
ProfCIP: 0180
Median Debt
$158,163
Earnings (5yr)
$106,174
Lifetime Value Added
+$271k
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.