College ROI

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Point Park University

Pittsburgh, PA 2,331 Undergrads 58.1% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$52,643
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$25,942
After Aid
Median Earnings
$53,024
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$25,942
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$53,024
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$45,856
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate58.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age23.2
Warning: High average starting age indicates non-traditional students with prior work experience, which may inflate the median earnings shown.
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients38.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time92.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS60.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
96.9%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: -54575th: -
SAT Math
25th: -52075th: -
ACT Composite
25th: -2275th: -

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
+$479k
+$12k
-$6k
Median Cost$26k/yr
+$385k
-$81k
-$99k
Full Cost$53k/yr
+$289k
-$178k
-$195k

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
Never
-∞
Median Cost$26k/yr
Never
-106%
Full Cost$53k/yr
Never
-103%
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 Return-96%

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 Return-87%
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
-
Earnings (4yr)
$83,862
Natl Median: $47,094
Lifetime Value Added
+$407k

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,656
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$74,639
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$72k
Behavioral Sciences
BachCIP: 3017
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,673
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,489
Earnings (4yr)
$53,332
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$96k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$47,669
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
-$144k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,549
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,750
Earnings (4yr)
$47,830
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$37,205
Natl Median: $39,980
Lifetime Value Added
-$233k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$40,121
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$208k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, Other
BachCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$52,140
Natl Median: $49,113
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$99,362
Natl Median: $84,599
Lifetime Value Added
+$245k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$32,822
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$271k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$41,751
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
-$194k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,060
Natl Median: $60,056
Lifetime Value Added
-$240k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,283
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,911
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$69,899
Natl Median: $67,934
Lifetime Value Added
+$25k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$69,407
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
+$21k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,803
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$26,374
Earnings (4yr)
$45,859
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
-$159k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$67,101
Natl Median: $82,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$35k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Non-Professional Legal Studies
BachCIP: 2200
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,959
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$41,813
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$201k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,093
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,545
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$78k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,951
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$125k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,805
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$46,703
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$160k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Post-Baccalaureate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $88,516
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$35,228
Earnings (4yr)
$90,722
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$111k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,345
Natl Median: $96,656
Lifetime Value Added
-$205k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Communications Technologies/Technicians
MastCIP: 1001
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,506
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$48,800
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
-$275k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$67,919
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$89k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,978
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$309k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $125,651
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$89,825
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
+$103k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$86,554
Natl Median: $107,835
Lifetime Value Added
+$75k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $97,121
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Journalism
MastCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$62,057
Natl Median: $69,034
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $74,607
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$54,901
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$208k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
$46,356
Earnings (4yr)
$88,525
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
-$84k

Other Programs

Education, Other
DegCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,262
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.