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Purdue University Northwest
Hammond, IN 5,786 Undergrads 47.4% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$16,287
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$8,463
After Aid
Median Earnings
$48,318
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$8,463
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$48,318
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate47.4%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients37.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time79.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS74.2%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
70.6%
SAT Avg
1,034
SAT Reading
25th: 47055075th: 570
SAT Math
25th: 45054075th: 570
ACT Composite
25th: 162375th: 25
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
+$424k
+$27k
-$61k
Median Cost$8k/yr
+$393k
-$3k
-$91k
Full Cost$16k/yr
+$365k
-$31k
-$119k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$8k/yr
Never
-299%
Full Cost$16k/yr
Never
-204%
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 Return-247%
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-97%
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
$22,875
Earnings (5yr)
$68,859
Lifetime Value Added
+$80k
Behavioral Sciences
BachCIP: 3017
Median Debt
$14,500
Earnings (2yr)
$33,987
Lifetime Value Added
-$186k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$23,120
Earnings (5yr)
$46,164
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$26,850
Earnings (5yr)
$61,921
Lifetime Value Added
+$27k
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other
BachCIP: 5299
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,566
Lifetime Value Added
+$24k
Business/Commerce, General
BachCIP: 5201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$20,140
Lifetime Value Added
-$313k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (2yr)
$52,107
Lifetime Value Added
-$26k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$45,137
Lifetime Value Added
-$110k
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other
BachCIP: 1199
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$55,444
Lifetime Value Added
-$25k
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,342
Lifetime Value Added
-$120k
Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1503
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (2yr)
$62,409
Lifetime Value Added
+$60k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$25,147
Earnings (5yr)
$90,673
Lifetime Value Added
+$243k
Engineering-Related Fields
BachCIP: 1515
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$20,633
Earnings (5yr)
$44,324
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$53,040
Lifetime Value Added
-$45k
Hospitality Administration/Management
BachCIP: 5209
Median Debt
$22,875
Earnings (5yr)
$45,525
Lifetime Value Added
-$107k
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
BachCIP: 1907
Median Debt
$26,298
Earnings (5yr)
$37,197
Lifetime Value Added
-$177k
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$83,780
Lifetime Value Added
+$192k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (5yr)
$45,332
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
BachCIP: 1601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$18,771
Lifetime Value Added
-$326k
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1508
Median Debt
$20,750
Earnings (5yr)
$71,650
Lifetime Value Added
+$101k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$22,352
Earnings (5yr)
$89,239
Lifetime Value Added
+$233k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,366
Lifetime Value Added
-$237k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$21,492
Earnings (5yr)
$44,737
Lifetime Value Added
-$113k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$17,908
Earnings (5yr)
$84,328
Lifetime Value Added
+$196k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,715
Lifetime Value Added
-$252k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$22,554
Earnings (5yr)
$40,654
Lifetime Value Added
-$147k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$24,500
Earnings (5yr)
$47,485
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
Master's Degrees
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$41,226
Earnings (5yr)
$122,242
Lifetime Value Added
+$614k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$28,188
Earnings (2yr)
$43,426
Lifetime Value Added
-$53k
Engineering-Related Fields
MastCIP: 1515
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$74,576
Lifetime Value Added
+$245k
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.