College ROI

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Pacific Lutheran University

Tacoma, WA 2,401 Undergrads 72.0% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$62,459
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$19,589
After Aid
Median Earnings
$63,671
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$19,589
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$63,671
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$66,990
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate72.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age21.4
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients34.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time98.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS80.1%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
78.0%
SAT Avg
1,168
SAT Reading
25th: 54063275th: 660
SAT Math
25th: 50063275th: 600
ACT Composite
25th: 222575th: 28

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
+$565k
+$98k
+$81k
Median Cost$20k/yr
+$494k
+$28k
+$10k
Full Cost$62k/yr
+$340k
-$127k
-$144k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
34
∞
Median Cost$20k/yr
56
14%
Full Cost$62k/yr
Never
-64%
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 Return-28%

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-71%
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

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$43,199
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$166k
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (4yr)
$53,077
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$76k
Median Debt
$20,750
Earnings (4yr)
$75,576
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$102k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$22,933
Earnings (4yr)
$59,993
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
-$19k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,429
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,604
Earnings (4yr)
$57,317
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
Median Debt
$23,534
Earnings (4yr)
$128,703
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$505k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,125
Earnings (4yr)
$44,459
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$148k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,459
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$231k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,981
Earnings (4yr)
$43,650
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$155k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,472
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
-$31k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,459
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$43,685
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$155k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$78,056
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$121k
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$55,178
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$26,525
Earnings (5yr)
$39,968
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$193k
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
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$69,366
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$54k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$21,969
Earnings (4yr)
$55,118
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$91,528
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$223k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$45,374
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$148k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$226k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$21,774
Earnings (4yr)
$67,458
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
+$39k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$20,825
Earnings (4yr)
$59,853
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$20k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,113
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$84k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$66,848
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
+$35k
Median Debt
$29,740
Earnings (2yr)
$44,551
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$132k

Master's Degrees

Applied Mathematics
MastCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $116,060
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$39,150
Earnings (4yr)
$100,684
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$210k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $124,807
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$72,057
Earnings (4yr)
$58,052
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$167k
Median Debt
$82,634
Earnings (4yr)
$101,335
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$216k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$43,426
Natl Median: $55,035
Lifetime Value Added
-$290k
Median Debt
$34,896
Earnings (4yr)
$77,198
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
+$4k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,363
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $138,131
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.