Purdue University-Main Campus
Vs. Peer Institutions
Admissions Profile
ROI Sensitivity AnalysisAssuming 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)
ROI Efficiency Metrics
- 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.
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.
Program ROI Analysis
Certificates
Accounting and Related Services
Agriculture, General
Business Administration, Management and Operations
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Education, General
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
Political Science and Government
Associate's Degrees
Business Administration, Management and Operations
Computer Software and Media Applications
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians
Bachelor's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
Agricultural Business and Management
Agricultural Engineering
Agricultural Mechanization
Agricultural Production Operations
Agricultural Public Services
Agriculture, General
Air Transportation
Animal Sciences
Anthropology
Applied Mathematics
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians
Area Studies
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
Biological and Physical Sciences
Biology, General
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
Botany/Plant Biology
Business Administration, Management and Operations
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry
Civil Engineering
Classical and Ancient Studies
Communication and Media Studies
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Computer and Information Sciences, General
Computer Engineering
Computer Science
Computer Software and Media Applications
Construction Engineering
Design and Applied Arts
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
Economics
Education, General
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General
Engineering-Related Fields
Engineering, Other
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other
English Language and Literature, General
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Finance and Financial Management Services
Fine and Studio Arts
Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management
Food Science and Technology
Forestry
Genetics
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
History
Hospitality Administration/Management
Industrial Engineering
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians
Landscape Architecture
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
Marketing
Materials Engineering
Mathematics and Computer Science
Mathematics
Mechanical Engineering
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
Neurobiology and Neurosciences
Nuclear Engineering
Nutrition Sciences
Philosophy
Physics
Plant Sciences
Political Science and Government
Psychology, General
Public Health
Religion/Religious Studies
Research and Experimental Psychology
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
Sociology
Soil Sciences
Special Education and Teaching
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
Statistics
Systems Science and Theory
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians
Zoology/Animal Biology
Master's Degrees
Agricultural Business and Management
Agricultural Engineering
Agricultural Public Services
Air Transportation
Animal Sciences
Anthropology
Apparel and Textiles
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians
Area Studies
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
Biology, General
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
Botany/Plant Biology
Business Administration, Management and Operations
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry
Civil Engineering
Communication and Media Studies
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Computer and Information Sciences, General
Computer Science
Computer Software and Media Applications
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Economics
Education, General
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General
Engineering-Related Fields
Engineering, Other
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other
English Language and Literature, General
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
Fine and Studio Arts
Food Science and Technology
Forestry
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
Hospitality Administration/Management
Industrial Engineering
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
Materials Engineering
Mathematics
Mechanical Engineering
Nuclear Engineering
Physics
Plant Sciences
Political Science and Government
Public Health
Research and Experimental Psychology
Soil Sciences
Statistics
Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences
Zoology/Animal Biology
Graduate Certificates
Communication and Media Studies
Education, General
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research
Information Science/Studies
Psychology, General
Statistics
Doctoral Degrees
Agricultural Business and Management
Agricultural Engineering
Animal Sciences
Anthropology
Area Studies
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
Biology, General
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
Botany/Plant Biology
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry
Civil Engineering
Communication and Media Studies
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Computer Science
Economics
Education, General
Engineering-Related Fields
Engineering, Other
English Language and Literature, General
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
Food Science and Technology
Forestry
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
Gerontology
History
Hospitality Administration/Management
Industrial Engineering
Materials Engineering
Mathematics
Mechanical Engineering
Nuclear Engineering
Nutrition Sciences
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science and Government
Public Health
Research and Experimental Psychology
Sociology
Soil Sciences
Statistics
Zoology/Animal Biology
Professional Degrees
Veterinary Medicine
Other Programs
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.