College ROI

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Providence College

Providence, RI 4,229 Undergrads 85.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$80,466
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$48,523
After Aid
Median Earnings
$83,143
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$48,523
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$83,143
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$87,054
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate85.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.1
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients13.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time98.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS84.9%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
50.9%
SAT Avg
1,346
SAT Reading
25th: 63062075th: 700
SAT Math
25th: 62060575th: 690
ACT Composite
25th: 292975th: 32

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
+$714k
+$247k
+$230k
Median Cost$49k/yr
+$540k
+$73k
+$55k
Full Cost$80k/yr
+$425k
-$42k
-$60k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
27
∞
Median Cost$49k/yr
47
32%
Full Cost$80k/yr
Never
-21%
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 Return52%

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-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

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,907
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$103,245
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$209k
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$93,757
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$136k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$85,119
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,429
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,936
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$68,219
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
-$38k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,842
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$95,590
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$150k
Engineering Physics
BachCIP: 1412
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,154
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,750
Earnings (4yr)
$63,736
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$103,021
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$207k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fire Protection
BachCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,436
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$73,165
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
-$21k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$71,039
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$48k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$67,281
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
-$66k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,111
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$89,629
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$105k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$90,503
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$111k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$75,637
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$2k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$63,746
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$76,956
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,366
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$70,356
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$42k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$64,750
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$54,927
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$165k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,535
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Post-Baccalaureate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $104,114
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $79,861
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $146,711
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,414
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$120,118
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$327k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$86,228
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$30k
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
-$350k
Mathematics
MastCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,985
Earnings (4yr)
$64,017
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$165k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$47,118
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$305k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$66,545
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,300
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.