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Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College
Erie, PA 3,240 Undergrads 46.9% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$34,081
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$24,558
After Aid
Median Earnings
$76,659
4yr Post-Grad
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$24,558
Peer Midpoint: $20,080.5
Earnings (10yr)$76,659
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Graduation Rate46.9%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients28.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time96.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS80.1%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
96.8%
SAT Avg
1,228
SAT Reading
25th: 560-75th: 650
SAT Math
25th: 560-75th: 660
ACT Composite
25th: 25-75th: 31
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
+$657k
+$197k
+$180k
Median Cost$25k/yr
+$569k
+$109k
+$91k
Full Cost$34k/yr
+$535k
+$75k
+$57k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
28
∞
Median Cost$25k/yr
38
104%
Full Cost$34k/yr
44
47%
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 Return177%
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-8%
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
Certificates
Accounting and Related Services
CertCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$26,499
Earnings (4yr)
$87,526
Nat: $44,589
Lifetime Value Added
+$430k
Area Studies
CertCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings
-
Nat: $52,845
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
CertCIP: 4228
Median Debt
-
Earnings
-
Nat: $54,445
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management
CertCIP: 1110
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$102,874
Nat: $52,615
Lifetime Value Added
+$576k
Finance and Financial Management Services
CertCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$25,965
Earnings
-
Nat: $53,418
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
CertCIP: 1907
Median Debt
-
Earnings
-
Nat: $31,135
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 1506
Median Debt
-
Earnings
-
Nat: $57,294
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Management Information Systems and Services
CertCIP: 5212
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$81,794
Nat: $65,682
Lifetime Value Added
+$375k
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
CertCIP: 5213
Median Debt
-
Earnings
-
Nat: $84,309
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants
CertCIP: 5139
Median Debt
$17,273
Earnings (4yr)
$63,384
Nat: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$197k
Psychology, General
CertCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings
-
Nat: $45,285
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
CertCIP: 0909
Median Debt
-
Earnings
-
Nat: $52,763
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
CertCIP: 5138
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$108,264
Nat: $80,020
Lifetime Value Added
+$627k
Security Science and Technology
CertCIP: 4304
Median Debt
-
Earnings
-
Nat: $54,296
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Associate's Degrees
Business/Commerce, General
AssocCIP: 5201
Median Debt
$17,701
Earnings (4yr)
$61,596
Nat: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
+$104k
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$48,432
Nat: $67,792
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$16,500
Earnings (4yr)
$54,654
Nat: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
+$38k
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians
AssocCIP: 1508
Median Debt
$16,500
Earnings (4yr)
$57,997
Nat: $64,773
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Bachelor's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$25,218
Earnings (4yr)
$88,192
Nat: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$169k
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
-
Earnings
-
Nat: $48,240
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biological and Physical Sciences
BachCIP: 3001
Median Debt
$25,887
Earnings (4yr)
$69,102
Nat: $58,891
Lifetime Value Added
+$26k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$25,717
Earnings (4yr)
$64,910
Nat: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$7k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$24,973
Earnings (4yr)
$72,218
Nat: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$49k
Business/Managerial Economics
BachCIP: 5206
Median Debt
-
Earnings
-
Nat: $77,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$65,230
Nat: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
-$4k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,505
Nat: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Computer Engineering
BachCIP: 1409
Median Debt
$26,471
Earnings (4yr)
$112,269
Nat: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
+$349k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$101,854
Nat: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$271k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$24,500
Earnings (4yr)
$81,228
Nat: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$117k
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$93,277
Nat: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$207k
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$69,338
Nat: $84,599
Lifetime Value Added
+$59k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,299
Nat: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$125k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$96,714
Nat: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$233k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,871
Nat: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
Industrial Engineering
BachCIP: 1435
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (4yr)
$104,758
Nat: $98,442
Lifetime Value Added
+$293k
International Business
BachCIP: 5211
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$57,318
Nat: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
-$39k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (4yr)
$58,195
Nat: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Management Information Systems and Services
BachCIP: 5212
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$95,935
Nat: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$227k
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
BachCIP: 5213
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$73,308
Nat: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
+$57k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$24,947
Earnings (4yr)
$79,343
Nat: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$103k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$23,875
Earnings (4yr)
$77,336
Nat: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$88k
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1508
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$79,342
Nat: $82,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$103k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$26,723
Earnings (4yr)
$87,997
Nat: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$167k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$60,193
Nat: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
Nutrition Sciences
BachCIP: 3019
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$63,010
Nat: $60,053
Lifetime Value Added
-$22k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
$23,299
Earnings (4yr)
$81,763
Nat: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
+$121k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$68,918
Nat: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$24k
Polymer/Plastics Engineering
BachCIP: 1432
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$87,636
Nat: $92,919
Lifetime Value Added
+$165k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,543
Nat: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication
BachCIP: 0907
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$66,876
Nat: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$91,032
Nat: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$190k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
BachCIP: 2313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$14,164
Nat: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$428k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,362
Nat: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$110,498
Nat: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$487k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$127,665
Nat: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$633k
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
MastCIP: 4228
Median Debt
$44,250
Earnings (4yr)
$56,114
Nat: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
Manufacturing Engineering
MastCIP: 1436
Median Debt
-
Earnings
-
Nat: $122,873
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, 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.