College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Ramapo College of New Jersey

Mahwah, NJ 4,898 Undergrads 70.5% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$29,483
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$18,173
After Aid
Median Earnings
$67,266
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$18,173
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$67,266
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$67,541
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate70.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age21.3
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients29.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time92.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS77.1%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
70.6%
SAT Avg
1,211
SAT Reading
25th: 58059575th: 650
SAT Math
25th: 55059575th: 650
ACT Composite
25th: 222675th: 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
+$593k
+$126k
+$108k
Median Cost$18k/yr
+$527k
+$61k
+$43k
Full Cost$29k/yr
+$487k
+$20k
+$2k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
32
∞
Median Cost$18k/yr
44
66%
Full Cost$29k/yr
62
2%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • 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.

Donor Return100%

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-26%
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

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$83,004
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$163k
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$68,806
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
+$55k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,891
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$20,750
Earnings (4yr)
$68,904
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$56k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,713
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,263
Earnings (4yr)
$70,306
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$66k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,074
Earnings (4yr)
$56,894
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$39k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$115,174
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$408k
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$44,565
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$75,195
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$104k
Median Debt
$22,791
Earnings (4yr)
$60,757
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$8k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$57,820
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$32k
Median Debt
$22,250
Earnings (4yr)
$82,529
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
+$160k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$71,357
Natl Median: $57,149
Lifetime Value Added
+$64k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$56,712
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
Median Debt
$22,925
Earnings (4yr)
$53,085
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
-$70k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$66,559
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$28k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (4yr)
$41,659
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$167k
Median Debt
$18,250
Earnings (4yr)
$58,005
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$30k
Non-Professional Legal Studies
BachCIP: 2200
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,959
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,003
Earnings (4yr)
$63,853
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$17k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$21,370
Earnings (4yr)
$51,710
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$103,534
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$320k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,050
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,366
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$20,750
Earnings (4yr)
$58,371
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$27k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$19,992
Earnings (4yr)
$55,161
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$53k
Median Debt
$22,719
Earnings (4yr)
$43,063
Natl Median: $41,688
Lifetime Value Added
-$155k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$96,061
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$172k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$141,690
Natl Median: $93,386
Lifetime Value Added
+$545k
Education, Other
MastCIP: 1399
Median Debt
$24,820
Earnings (4yr)
$82,156
Natl Median: $65,348
Lifetime Value Added
+$51k
Median Debt
$30,750
Earnings (4yr)
$86,205
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$86k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$119,811
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$380k
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$40,750
Earnings (4yr)
$64,620
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
Median Debt
$32,499
Earnings (4yr)
$60,901
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$138k

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.