College ROI

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Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg

Middletown, PA 4,031 Undergrads 40.0% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$32,521
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$23,330
After Aid
Median Earnings
$76,659
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$23,330
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$76,659
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$63,435
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate40.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average Starting Age21.8
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients26.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time94.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS80.1%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
97.6%
SAT Avg
1,227
SAT Reading
25th: 550-75th: 650
SAT Math
25th: 570-75th: 660
ACT Composite
25th: 22-75th: 31

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)
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$665k
+$198k
+$180k
Median Cost$23k/yr
+$581k
+$114k
+$96k
Full Cost$33k/yr
+$548k
+$81k
+$63k

ROI Efficiency Metrics
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
29
∞
Median Cost$23k/yr
38
115%
Full Cost$33k/yr
43
54%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
  • 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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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 Return197%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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 Return1%
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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Certificates

Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (4yr)
$82,162
Natl Median: $79,067
Lifetime Value Added
+$392k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,445
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$102,874
Natl Median: $52,615
Lifetime Value Added
+$594k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,135
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$81,794
Natl Median: $65,682
Lifetime Value Added
+$389k

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
$17,701
Earnings (4yr)
$61,596
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
+$117k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$16,500
Earnings (4yr)
$54,654
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
+$51k

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$25,218
Earnings (4yr)
$88,192
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$184k
Applied Mathematics
BachCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $91,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
$26,750
Earnings (2yr)
$17,396
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
-$392k
Median Debt
$25,601
Earnings (4yr)
$81,617
Natl Median: $65,681
Lifetime Value Added
+$134k
Median Debt
$25,887
Earnings (4yr)
$69,102
Natl Median: $58,891
Lifetime Value Added
+$39k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$25,717
Earnings (4yr)
$64,910
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$6k
Median Debt
$24,973
Earnings (4yr)
$72,218
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$62k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$81,403
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
+$133k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,505
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$120,729
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$432k
Median Debt
$26,471
Earnings (4yr)
$112,269
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
+$368k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$98,637
Natl Median: $85,063
Lifetime Value Added
+$264k
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$56,877
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$24,500
Earnings (4yr)
$81,228
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$131k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$93,277
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$223k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,299
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$96,714
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$250k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$75,396
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
+$87k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$45,943
Natl Median: $48,568
Lifetime Value Added
-$149k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$81,755
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
+$135k
Median Debt
$25,950
Earnings (4yr)
$91,671
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
+$211k
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (4yr)
$58,195
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$73,308
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
+$71k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$24,947
Earnings (4yr)
$79,343
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$117k
Median Debt
$26,723
Earnings (4yr)
$87,997
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$183k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$68,918
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$37k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,543
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,721
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$76,246
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
+$93k
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$91,032
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$206k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,197
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$26,940
Earnings (4yr)
$67,399
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$26k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,362
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$87k
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$52,131
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$97k

Master's Degrees

Area Studies
MastCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,936
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Civil Engineering
MastCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $98,323
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$44,250
Earnings (4yr)
$56,114
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$192k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,953
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$166,387
Natl Median: $124,201
Lifetime Value Added
+$773k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,151
Earnings (4yr)
$62,403
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $133,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering Science
MastCIP: 1413
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $123,681
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $90,955
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,629
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$44,873
Earnings (4yr)
$111,065
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
+$294k
Homeland Security
MastCIP: 4303
Median Debt
$32,931
Earnings (4yr)
$106,535
Natl Median: $96,660
Lifetime Value Added
+$255k
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$103,541
Natl Median: $83,558
Lifetime Value Added
+$228k
Median Debt
$33,905
Earnings (4yr)
$158,815
Natl Median: $112,705
Lifetime Value Added
+$707k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,716
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$139,676
Natl Median: $124,807
Lifetime Value Added
+$542k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$110,540
Natl Median: $115,974
Lifetime Value Added
+$271k
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$87,710
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
+$90k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$69,663
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k

Doctoral Degrees

Area Studies
DocCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,249
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $99,464
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $81,822
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.