College ROI

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Quinnipiac University

Hamden, CT 6,531 Undergrads 78.1% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$75,254
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$41,729
After Aid
Median Earnings
$84,682
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$41,729
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$84,682
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$87,596
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate78.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.1
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients18.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time98.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS86.6%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
72.2%
SAT Avg
1,242
SAT Reading
25th: 580-75th: 660
SAT Math
25th: 570-75th: 660
ACT Composite
25th: 25-75th: 30

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
+$717k
+$247k
+$231k
Median Cost$42k/yr
+$567k
+$97k
+$81k
Full Cost$75k/yr
+$447k
-$23k
-$40k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
27
∞
Median Cost$42k/yr
42
54%
Full Cost$75k/yr
Never
-15%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.
  • 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 Return62%

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-47%

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 →

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$103,533
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$237k
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Median Debt
$25,995
Earnings (4yr)
$86,337
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
+$106k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$22,535
Earnings (4yr)
$70,632
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$14k
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Median Debt
$21,375
Earnings (4yr)
$82,357
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$76k
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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
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$63,012
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$77,324
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$37k
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Median Debt
$23,375
Earnings (4yr)
$79,098
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
+$51k
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Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$61,419
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$87k
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Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$100,141
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$211k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$54,574
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$143k
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Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (4yr)
$91,828
Natl Median: $61,027
Lifetime Value Added
+$148k
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Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,094
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
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Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$86,474
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$107k
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Median Debt
$23,651
Earnings (4yr)
$80,374
Natl Median: $68,245
Lifetime Value Added
+$61k
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History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,500
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $98,442
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$93,037
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
+$157k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$77,823
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
+$41k
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Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$61,819
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$95,200
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$174k
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Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$83,258
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$83k
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Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$89,732
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$132k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,582
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Non-Professional Legal Studies
BachCIP: 2200
Median Debt
$24,187
Earnings (4yr)
$74,835
Natl Median: $61,959
Lifetime Value Added
+$18k
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Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,625
Earnings (4yr)
$73,833
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$11k
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Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$61,510
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
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Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$73,547
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
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Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$98,641
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$200k
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Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$29,141
Natl Median: $55,695
Lifetime Value Added
-$351k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$24,069
Earnings (4yr)
$67,262
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$40k
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Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$125,827
Earnings (4yr)
$115,669
Natl Median: $162,386
Lifetime Value Added
+$301k
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Median Debt
$99,613
Earnings (4yr)
$140,822
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
+$519k
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Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$94,066
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
+$113k
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Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$109,384
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$247k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,837
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$93,639
Natl Median: $70,644
Lifetime Value Added
+$109k
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Journalism
MastCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$22,750
Earnings (5yr)
$73,583
Natl Median: $69,034
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $80,125
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,610
Earnings (4yr)
$80,508
Natl Median: $75,972
Lifetime Value Added
-$6k
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Median Debt
$56,600
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$38,438
Earnings (4yr)
$80,998
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
-$2k
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Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$59,042
Earnings (4yr)
$71,091
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$89k
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Median Debt
$22,966
Earnings (4yr)
$64,220
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$151k
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Median Debt
$23,675
Earnings (4yr)
$59,725
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$192k
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Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$99,431
Natl Median: $86,288
Lifetime Value Added
+$279k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $99,117
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,147
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Medicine
DocCIP: 5112
Median Debt
$230,383
Earnings (4yr)
$108,362
Natl Median: $118,504
Lifetime Value Added
+$6k
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Median Debt
$139,793
Earnings (4yr)
$144,224
Natl Median: $138,131
Lifetime Value Added
+$270k
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Median Debt
$86,690
Earnings (4yr)
$89,505
Natl Median: $82,893
Lifetime Value Added
-$134k
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Professional Degrees

Law
ProfCIP: 2201
Median Debt
$108,049
Earnings (4yr)
$100,096
Natl Median: $107,773
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
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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.