Potomac State College of West Virginia University

Keyser, WV 853 Undergrads 26.8% Grad Rate

School Website|Financial Calculator

Total Cost

$17,619

Sticker Price

Avg Net Price

$9,197

After Aid

Median Earnings

$64,952

4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$9,197

Peer Midpoint: $9,847

Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$64,952

Peer Midpoint: $50,127.5

Graduation Rate26.8%

Peer Midpoint: 34.6%

Socio-Economic Diversity

Pell Grant Recipients46.7%

Enrollment Status

Full-Time92.3%

Economic Outcomes

Earn More than HS71.8%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance

100.0%

SAT Avg

SAT Reading

25th: --75th: -

SAT Math

25th: --75th: -

ACT Composite

25th: --75th: -

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

+$675k

+$159k

+$190k

Median Cost$9k/yr

+$658k

+$142k

+$174k

Full Cost$18k/yr

+$642k

+$127k

+$158k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age

Return on Inv. %

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

∞

Median Cost$9k/yr

1027%

Full Cost$18k/yr

489%

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 Return1040%

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 Return214%

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

Associate's Degrees

Agriculture, General

AssocCIP: 0100

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $45,683

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Business Administration, Management and Operations

AssocCIP: 5202

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $48,733

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Business/Commerce, General

AssocCIP: 5201

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $49,927

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Criminal Justice and Corrections

AssocCIP: 4301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$37,934

Natl Median: $46,706

Lifetime Value Added

-$89k

Education, General

AssocCIP: 1301

Median Debt

$11,050

Earnings (5yr)

$25,062

Natl Median: $41,787

Lifetime Value Added

-$227k

Engineering, General

AssocCIP: 1401

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $72,916

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Forestry

AssocCIP: 0305

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $48,725

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Information Science/Studies

AssocCIP: 1104

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $56,799

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Journalism

AssocCIP: 0904

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $41,496

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

AssocCIP: 2401

Median Debt

$12,000

Earnings (4yr)

$46,233

Natl Median: $44,125

Lifetime Value Added

-$6k

Bachelor's Degrees

Business Administration, Management and Operations

BachCIP: 5202

Median Debt

$25,000

Earnings (4yr)

$73,646

Natl Median: $68,257

Lifetime Value Added

+$124k

Criminal Justice and Corrections

BachCIP: 4301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $55,378

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

BachCIP: 2401

Median Debt

$20,180

Earnings (4yr)

$56,132

Natl Median: $53,072

Lifetime Value Added

-$13k

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

BachCIP: 5138

Median Debt

$23,000

Earnings (4yr)

$83,750

Natl Median: $88,910

Lifetime Value Added

+$201k

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.