College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, IN 5,671 Undergrads 48.0% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$15,571
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$6,079
After Aid
Median Earnings
$73,337
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$6,079
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$73,337
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+52%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$48,318
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate48.0%
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 Age25.3
Warning: High average starting age indicates non-traditional students with prior work experience, which may inflate the median earnings shown.
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients37.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time81.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS74.2%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
72.4%
SAT Avg
1,024
SAT Reading
25th: 45055075th: 570
SAT Math
25th: 44054075th: 570
ACT Composite
25th: 162375th: 24

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)
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$639k
+$172k
+$155k
Median Cost$6k/yr
+$617k
+$151k
+$133k
Full Cost$16k/yr
+$583k
+$116k
+$99k

ROI Efficiency Metrics
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
29
∞
Median Cost$6k/yr
32
608%
Full Cost$16k/yr
36
177%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).⚠️ 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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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 Return434%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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 Return86%
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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Certificates

Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 1511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,447
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $29,202
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,135
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$22,875
Earnings (4yr)
$69,186
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$101k
Behavioral Sciences
BachCIP: 3017
Median Debt
$14,500
Earnings (4yr)
$37,956
Natl Median: $48,673
Lifetime Value Added
-$155k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$23,120
Earnings (4yr)
$48,094
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Median Debt
$26,850
Earnings (4yr)
$57,191
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$20,140
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
-$305k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$84,514
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
+$218k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,326
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Median Debt
$18,153
Earnings (4yr)
$75,365
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$149k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$88,158
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$246k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$29,630
Natl Median: $58,894
Lifetime Value Added
-$228k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $78,929
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician
BachCIP: 1510
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $93,843
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,342
Natl Median: $48,878
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
Median Debt
$25,147
Earnings (4yr)
$96,206
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$308k
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1503
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$84,288
Natl Median: $84,599
Lifetime Value Added
+$217k
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $84,304
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$82,075
Natl Median: $89,619
Lifetime Value Added
+$200k
Median Debt
$20,633
Earnings (4yr)
$34,560
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$185k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,027
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$18,933
Earnings (4yr)
$65,912
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$76k
Median Debt
$20,031
Earnings (4yr)
$46,277
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
-$84k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$53,040
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$36k
Median Debt
$22,875
Earnings (5yr)
$45,525
Natl Median: $56,726
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Median Debt
$26,298
Earnings (4yr)
$39,664
Natl Median: $48,568
Lifetime Value Added
-$141k
Median Debt
$25,750
Earnings (4yr)
$67,466
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
+$88k
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,349
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$18,771
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
-$317k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$25,218
Earnings (4yr)
$63,333
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$56k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,750
Earnings (4yr)
$85,242
Natl Median: $82,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$224k
Median Debt
$22,352
Earnings (4yr)
$91,229
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$270k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physical Sciences, General
BachCIP: 4001
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,944
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,366
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$229k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$21,492
Earnings (4yr)
$42,322
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$118k
Median Debt
$17,908
Earnings (4yr)
$88,935
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$252k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,715
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$244k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$22,554
Earnings (4yr)
$48,830
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$62k
Median Debt
$24,500
Earnings (4yr)
$49,224
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$41,226
Earnings (4yr)
$88,461
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$128k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,953
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
MastCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $145,571
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$28,188
Earnings (4yr)
$64,815
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $133,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$74,576
Natl Median: $125,651
Lifetime Value Added
+$33k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,524
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
MastCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $115,974
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$33,564
Earnings (4yr)
$119,447
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$399k

Professional Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $133,099
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.