College ROI

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Plymouth State University

Plymouth, NH 3,153 Undergrads 56.1% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$29,644
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$19,216
After Aid
Median Earnings
$57,351
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$19,216
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$57,351
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$57,304
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate56.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.0
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients27.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time98.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS73.1%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
87.5%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

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
+$514k
+$47k
+$30k
Median Cost$19k/yr
+$445k
-$22k
-$39k
Full Cost$30k/yr
+$408k
-$59k
-$77k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
43
∞
Median Cost$19k/yr
Never
-57%
Full Cost$30k/yr
Never
-72%
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-34%

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-63%
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

Certificates

Education, Other
CertCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$36,690
Natl Median: $41,151
Lifetime Value Added
-$70k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$88,694
Natl Median: $52,001
Lifetime Value Added
+$460k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$57,887
Natl Median: $58,705
Lifetime Value Added
+$157k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,962
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,689
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$72,824
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$82k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,997
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$63,159
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
Biotechnology
BachCIP: 2612
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,097
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$74,912
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$98k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$67,069
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
+$38k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,874
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$54,740
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$61k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$53,358
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
-$54k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$96,494
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$263k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$59,937
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$35,646
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$223k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,842
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,188
Earnings (4yr)
$45,019
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$69,367
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$55k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,229
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$24,035
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$316k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,726
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$25,995
Earnings (4yr)
$76,631
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$111k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,773
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$52k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$55,156
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$57k
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology, Other
BachCIP: 3199
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,573
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
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,968
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,093
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,870
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$76k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$85,709
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$180k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,366
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,812
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,587
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$78k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,452
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$44,048
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$150k
Median Debt
$26,281
Earnings (4yr)
$49,154
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$107k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,482
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$31,326
Earnings (4yr)
$78,761
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$19k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$69,403
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$73,949
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$3k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,644
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $78,149
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,496
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,093
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $74,607
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Outdoor Education
MastCIP: 3106
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,399
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$64,021
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$73,964
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
-$23k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$54,115
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$203k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$54,720
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$197k
Median Debt
$23,125
Earnings (4yr)
$54,135
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$203k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,363
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $94,506
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,288
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
Gr-CertCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $93,837
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$130,741
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
+$252k

Other Programs

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $90,560
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.