College ROI

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Prairie View A & M University

Prairie View, TX 8,877 Undergrads 48.6% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$26,555
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$13,638
After Aid
Median Earnings
$61,171
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$13,638
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$61,171
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$49,183
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate48.6%
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 age (2015-17)20.9
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients68.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time91.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS60.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
79.3%
SAT Avg
980
SAT Reading
25th: 45050075th: 550
SAT Math
25th: 41047075th: 530
ACT Composite
25th: 161975th: 21

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
+$538k
+$68k
+$52k
Median Cost$14k/yr
+$489k
+$19k
+$3k
Full Cost$27k/yr
+$443k
-$27k
-$44k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
38
∞
Median Cost$14k/yr
61
6%
Full Cost$27k/yr
Never
-46%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.⚠️ 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

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-49%

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$25,789
Earnings (4yr)
$67,964
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$67k
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Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$49,403
Natl Median: $53,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
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Architecture
BachCIP: 0402
Median Debt
$26,914
Earnings (4yr)
$62,540
Natl Median: $66,914
Lifetime Value Added
+$24k
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Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$51,499
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$67k
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Median Debt
$25,187
Earnings (4yr)
$53,715
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$49k
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Median Debt
$23,246
Earnings (4yr)
$92,591
Natl Median: $98,158
Lifetime Value Added
+$255k
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Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$20,298
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$84,082
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
+$190k
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Median Debt
$26,250
Earnings (4yr)
$48,887
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$89k
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Median Debt
$24,236
Earnings (4yr)
$75,631
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$126k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$69,338
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
+$99k
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Construction Engineering Technology/Technician
BachCIP: 1510
Median Debt
$28,250
Earnings (4yr)
$64,359
Natl Median: $93,843
Lifetime Value Added
+$38k
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Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (4yr)
$47,743
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$28,900
Earnings (4yr)
$115,939
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$433k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$286k
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Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,964
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,945
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,383
Earnings (4yr)
$50,657
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
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History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$16,663
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$365k
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Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$78,757
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$149k
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Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (4yr)
$58,810
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$7k
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Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$28,281
Earnings (4yr)
$88,708
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$225k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$57,212
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$20k
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Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$245k
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Median Debt
$23,374
Earnings (4yr)
$41,831
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$150k
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Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (4yr)
$44,240
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$129k
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Median Debt
$23,022
Earnings (4yr)
$91,910
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$250k
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Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$26,250
Earnings (4yr)
$45,742
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$116k
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Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$22,125
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$23,050
Earnings (4yr)
$46,693
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k
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Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$24,300
Earnings (4yr)
$84,059
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$77k
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Architecture
MastCIP: 0402
Median Debt
$26,029
Earnings (4yr)
$65,641
Natl Median: $74,139
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
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Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$98,290
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$201k
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Chemistry
MastCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,937
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$64,549
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$96k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $124,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician
MastCIP: 1510
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $96,304
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,112
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,648
Earnings (4yr)
$69,898
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$48k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $133,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$114,719
Natl Median: $120,215
Lifetime Value Added
+$325k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$56,507
Natl Median: $60,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$171k
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Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities
MastCIP: 5132
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,487
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $112,705
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$120,963
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$399k
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Sociology
MastCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$37,969
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,330
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$37,031
Earnings (4yr)
$50,032
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$233k
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Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $99,878
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $138,131
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.