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Piedmont University
Demorest, GA 1,117 Undergrads 52.6% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$46,801
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$20,599
After Aid
Median Earnings
$65,743
4yr Post-Grad
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$20,599
Peer Midpoint: $20,080.5
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$65,743
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Graduation Rate52.6%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients42.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time95.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS71.9%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
93.3%
SAT Avg
1,129
SAT Reading
25th: 52856575th: 625
SAT Math
25th: 51055075th: 620
ACT Composite
25th: 182375th: 25
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
+$581k
+$114k
+$97k
Median Cost$21k/yr
+$507k
+$40k
+$23k
Full Cost$47k/yr
+$413k
-$54k
-$72k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
32
∞
Median Cost$21k/yr
50
30%
Full Cost$47k/yr
Never
-43%
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 Return13%
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-57%
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
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
BachCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,240
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
BachCIP: 2602
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$58,185
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$65,564
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$21k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$43,125
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering Physics
BachCIP: 1412
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,154
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering Science
BachCIP: 1413
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $93,782
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
BachCIP: 5100
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$37,200
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
-$220k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Literature
BachCIP: 2314
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,173
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General
BachCIP: 3000
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (5yr)
$39,302
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$203k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$23,906
Earnings (4yr)
$79,552
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$128k
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
BachCIP: 5123
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,792
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
BachCIP: 2313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$45,643
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Master's Degrees
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$17,832
Earnings (4yr)
$69,459
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Curriculum and Instruction
MastCIP: 1303
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$75,565
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$72,134
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$16k
Educational/Instructional Media Design
MastCIP: 1305
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,644
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Natural Sciences
MastCIP: 3018
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$65,598
Natl Median: $64,321
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Special Education and Teaching
MastCIP: 1310
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$65,919
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$97k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$26,925
Earnings (4yr)
$63,728
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$116k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
MastCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$28,195
Earnings (4yr)
$62,811
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$125k
Doctoral Degrees
Curriculum and Instruction
DocCIP: 1303
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,031
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Professional Degrees
Curriculum and Instruction
ProfCIP: 1303
Median Debt
$27,336
Earnings (4yr)
$73,718
Natl Median: $71,870
Lifetime Value Added
-$175k
Other Programs
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
DegCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,292
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Educational Administration and Supervision
DegCIP: 1304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $90,560
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Special Education and Teaching
DegCIP: 1310
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,406
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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.