College ROI

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Palm Beach Atlantic University

West Palm Beach, FL 2,603 Undergrads 55.6% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$53,827
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$28,354
After Aid
Median Earnings
$54,983
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$28,354
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$54,983
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$49,232
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate55.6%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age22.2
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients30.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time95.3%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS70.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
82.0%
SAT Avg
1,075
SAT Reading
25th: 50057575th: 620
SAT Math
25th: 45056075th: 600
ACT Composite
25th: 182375th: 26

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
+$495k
+$28k
+$11k
Median Cost$28k/yr
+$393k
-$74k
-$91k
Full Cost$54k/yr
+$301k
-$166k
-$183k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
52
∞
Median Cost$28k/yr
Never
-90%
Full Cost$54k/yr
Never
-95%
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-81%

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-84%
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
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,533
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$56,258
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
Median Debt
$19,303
Earnings (4yr)
$59,081
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$47,847
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$151k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,980
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$66,689
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$2k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$28,089
Earnings (4yr)
$60,379
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
-$48k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$53,943
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
-$109k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$22,750
Earnings (4yr)
$53,668
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$42,589
Natl Median: $40,103
Lifetime Value Added
-$196k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Non-Professional Legal Studies
BachCIP: 2200
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,959
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$22,844
Earnings (4yr)
$51,530
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$120k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,979
Earnings (4yr)
$76,008
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$73k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,366
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$297k
Median Debt
$23,616
Earnings (5yr)
$50,693
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$135k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,279
Earnings (4yr)
$53,398
Natl Median: $44,535
Lifetime Value Added
-$105k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$33,225
Earnings (4yr)
$72,925
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
-$49k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $96,656
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$55,731
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$215k
International/Globalization Studies
MastCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,219
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$51,043
Earnings (4yr)
$54,393
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$217k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,737
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$43,318
Earnings (4yr)
$59,954
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$165k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,300
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
$228,375
Earnings (4yr)
$132,063
Natl Median: $136,696
Lifetime Value Added
+$229k
Median Debt
$64,401
Earnings (4yr)
$116,095
Natl Median: $138,131
Lifetime Value Added
+$112k

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.