College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Post University

Waterbury, CT 13,603 Undergrads 18.9% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$28,897
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$21,634
After Aid
Median Earnings
$60,571
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$21,634
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$60,571
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+57%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$38,696
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate18.9%
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 Age31.8
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 Recipients78.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time39.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS51.7%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
100.0%
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)
⚠️ 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
+$540k
+$73k
+$56k
Median Cost$22k/yr
+$462k
-$4k
-$22k
Full Cost$29k/yr
+$436k
-$31k
-$48k

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
37
∞
Median Cost$22k/yr
Never
-28%
Full Cost$29k/yr
Never
-46%
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 Return12%

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-50%
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)
-
Natl Median: $44,589
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,418
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$14,250
Earnings (4yr)
$58,544
Natl Median: $61,907
Lifetime Value Added
+$162k
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (4yr)
$41,539
Natl Median: $49,747
Lifetime Value Added
-$19k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,682
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Non-Professional Legal Studies
CertCIP: 2200
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $78,149
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
$33,118
Earnings (5yr)
$48,971
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Median Debt
$34,470
Earnings (4yr)
$58,801
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$93k
Median Debt
$29,745
Earnings (4yr)
$55,105
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$58k
Median Debt
$28,361
Earnings (4yr)
$36,280
Natl Median: $34,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$129k
Marketing
AssocCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,264
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Non-Professional Legal Studies
AssocCIP: 2200
Median Debt
$31,761
Earnings (4yr)
$42,376
Natl Median: $41,222
Lifetime Value Added
-$67k

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$30,750
Earnings (4yr)
$73,190
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$76k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,334
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$29,772
Earnings (4yr)
$69,512
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$48k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$29,000
Earnings (4yr)
$58,913
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$35k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,308
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$30,750
Earnings (4yr)
$69,363
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$47k
Homeland Security
BachCIP: 4303
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$66,145
Natl Median: $70,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$22k
Median Debt
$37,587
Earnings (4yr)
$44,643
Natl Median: $48,568
Lifetime Value Added
-$154k
Median Debt
$45,694
Earnings (4yr)
$51,181
Natl Median: $48,597
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$30,943
Earnings (4yr)
$74,249
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$84k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$29,875
Earnings (4yr)
$74,201
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$84k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Non-Professional Legal Studies
BachCIP: 2200
Median Debt
$35,456
Earnings (4yr)
$51,731
Natl Median: $61,959
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$35,072
Earnings (4yr)
$49,393
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $88,910
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
$28,490
Earnings (4yr)
$55,606
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$62k

Post-Baccalaureate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$68,263
Natl Median: $86,165
Lifetime Value Added
-$13k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $124,255
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,285
Natl Median: $79,861
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
Legal Support Services
PB-CertCIP: 2203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$47,328
Natl Median: $55,073
Lifetime Value Added
-$211k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,265
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$32,878
Earnings (4yr)
$95,184
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$158k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$50,937
Earnings (4yr)
$101,826
Natl Median: $125,988
Lifetime Value Added
+$216k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$40,259
Earnings (4yr)
$65,752
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$55,120
Earnings (4yr)
$69,262
Natl Median: $57,050
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Median Debt
$54,508
Earnings (4yr)
$97,596
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
+$179k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $103,299
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$57,070
Earnings (4yr)
$77,373
Natl Median: $65,509
Lifetime Value Added
+$87k
Education, General
Gr-CertCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,448
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,166
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
Gr-CertCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $93,837
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,655
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.