College ROI

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Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, IN 5,671 Undergrads 50.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$16,107
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$6,223
After Aid
Median Earnings
$74,055
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$6,223
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$74,055
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+26%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$58,620
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate50.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average starting age (2015-17)25.3
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 Recipients40.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time81.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS74.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
72.4%
SAT Avg
1,024
SAT Reading
25th: 45051075th: 570
SAT Math
25th: 44051075th: 570
ACT Composite
25th: 162275th: 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)

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$638k
+$168k
+$151k
Median Cost$6k/yr
+$615k
+$145k
+$129k
Full Cost$16k/yr
+$580k
+$110k
+$93k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
30
∞
Median Cost$6k/yr
32
576%
Full Cost$16k/yr
36
161%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.⚠️ 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

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 Return398%

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 Return70%

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $29,202
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$21,058
Earnings (4yr)
$69,186
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$103k
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Behavioral Sciences
BachCIP: 3017
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$37,956
Natl Median: $48,673
Lifetime Value Added
-$156k
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Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (4yr)
$48,094
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
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Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (4yr)
$57,191
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$20,140
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
-$306k
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Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$19,664
Earnings (4yr)
$84,514
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
+$220k
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Median Debt
$21,316
Earnings (4yr)
$49,326
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k
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Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$75,365
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$150k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$20,336
Earnings (4yr)
$88,158
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$248k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$29,630
Natl Median: $58,894
Lifetime Value Added
-$229k
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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
Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (4yr)
$96,206
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$309k
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Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$84,288
Natl Median: $84,599
Lifetime Value Added
+$218k
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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
+$201k
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Median Debt
$16,588
Earnings (4yr)
$34,560
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$186k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,027
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$17,989
Earnings (4yr)
$65,912
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$77k
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Median Debt
$17,213
Earnings (4yr)
$46,277
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
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History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$218k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$48,359
Natl Median: $56,726
Lifetime Value Added
-$75k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$39,664
Natl Median: $48,568
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$67,466
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
+$89k
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Median Debt
$26,905
Earnings (4yr)
$51,349
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$42k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$18,771
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
-$319k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$19,250
Earnings (4yr)
$63,333
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$57k
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Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,591
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$33k
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Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$85,242
Natl Median: $82,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$226k
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Median Debt
$23,786
Earnings (4yr)
$91,229
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$271k
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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 (5yr)
$47,931
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$79k
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Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$21,400
Earnings (4yr)
$42,322
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
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Median Debt
$18,106
Earnings (4yr)
$88,935
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$254k
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Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$42,204
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$127k
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Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$48,830
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k
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Median Debt
$23,760
Earnings (4yr)
$49,224
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
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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
$31,308
Earnings (4yr)
$88,461
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$129k
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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
-
Earnings (4yr)
$64,815
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
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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
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,512
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
$34,408
Earnings (4yr)
$119,447
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$399k
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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.