College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Providence College

Providence, RI 4,170 Undergrads 84.6% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$76,667
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$45,538
After Aid
Median Earnings
$87,054
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$45,538
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$87,054
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate84.6%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients13.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS84.9%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
48.7%
SAT Avg
1,342
SAT Reading
25th: 63062075th: 700
SAT Math
25th: 62060575th: 700
ACT Composite
25th: 282975th: 32

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
+$718k
+$322k
+$234k
Median Cost$46k/yr
+$554k
+$158k
+$70k
Full Cost$77k/yr
+$442k
+$46k
-$42k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
27
Median Cost$46k/yr
44
43%
Full Cost$77k/yr
Never
-15%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year 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 Return62%

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-46%
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

Bachelor's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$97,691
Lifetime Value Added
+$162k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$88,809
Lifetime Value Added
+$96k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$81,311
Lifetime Value Added
+$40k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$68,219
Lifetime Value Added
-$27k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$105,070
Lifetime Value Added
+$218k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$22,750
Earnings (5yr)
$57,791
Lifetime Value Added
-$140k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$100,232
Lifetime Value Added
+$181k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
BachCIP: 5107
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$83,457
Lifetime Value Added
+$56k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$71,039
Lifetime Value Added
-$37k
International/Global Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$71,548
Lifetime Value Added
-$33k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$65,375
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$91,768
Lifetime Value Added
+$118k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$53,810
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$78,163
Lifetime Value Added
+$16k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$69,424
Lifetime Value Added
-$49k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$71,726
Lifetime Value Added
-$32k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$57,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$141k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$66,380
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k
Special Education and Teaching
BachCIP: 1310
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$60,307
Lifetime Value Added
-$120k

Master's Degrees

Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$111,415
Lifetime Value Added
+$454k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$74,576
Lifetime Value Added
+$177k
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Lifetime Value Added
-$129k
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
MastCIP: 1311
Median Debt
$27,985
Earnings (5yr)
$62,004
Lifetime Value Added
+$27k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$47,118
Lifetime Value Added
-$84k

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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 should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.