College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Rider University

Lawrenceville, NJ 3,106 Undergrads 67.7% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$55,967
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$24,792
After Aid
Median Earnings
$63,250
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$24,792
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$63,250
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$62,208
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate67.7%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.6
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients34.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time95.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS76.9%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
78.6%
SAT Avg
1,227
SAT Reading
25th: 55058575th: 670
SAT Math
25th: 55057575th: 650
ACT Composite
25th: 273075th: 31

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
+$562k
+$95k
+$77k
Median Cost$25k/yr
+$472k
+$5k
-$12k
Full Cost$56k/yr
+$360k
-$107k
-$124k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
34
∞
Median Cost$25k/yr
Never
-13%
Full Cost$56k/yr
Never
-62%
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 Return-23%

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-69%
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

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$24,500
Earnings (4yr)
$91,950
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$208k
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
-$245k
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$47,870
Natl Median: $48,240
Lifetime Value Added
-$146k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$26,868
Earnings (4yr)
$58,008
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$54k
Biopsychology
BachCIP: 3010
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,825
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,875
Earnings (4yr)
$69,423
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$36k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $77,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,523
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,897
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$39k
Median Debt
$23,942
Earnings (4yr)
$72,734
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$61k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,894
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,173
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$30,456
Natl Median: $39,980
Lifetime Value Added
-$293k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$51,406
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$18,771
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$385k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,965
Earnings (4yr)
$51,521
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$107k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$81,583
Natl Median: $61,027
Lifetime Value Added
+$117k
Median Debt
$26,185
Earnings (4yr)
$88,405
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$181k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,459
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (4yr)
$79,664
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
+$114k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,311
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k
Median Debt
$26,910
Earnings (4yr)
$70,122
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
+$41k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$69,451
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
+$36k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$54,724
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
Median Debt
$20,497
Earnings (4yr)
$82,193
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
+$133k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$67,230
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$19k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$65,648
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$43,753
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$173k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$56,713
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$57,202
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$61k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$64,454
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$3k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$63,612
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$46,733
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$148k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Religious Music and Worship
BachCIP: 3905
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,456
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$56,736
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
Median Debt
$25,748
Earnings (4yr)
$60,178
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$36k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$61,208
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$28k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,259
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$21,790
Earnings (4yr)
$103,295
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$224k
Median Debt
$38,129
Earnings (4yr)
$106,939
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$255k
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$76,780
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$80,672
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$25k
Homeland Security
MastCIP: 4303
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $96,660
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $124,807
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$50,967
Earnings (4yr)
$67,220
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$93k
Music
MastCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$45,928
Natl Median: $48,285
Lifetime Value Added
-$292k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$47,260
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
-$260k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$81,362
Natl Median: $80,125
Lifetime Value Added
+$17k
Religious Music and Worship
MastCIP: 3905
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,264
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$49,937
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$234k
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$66,766
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$97k
Median Debt
$17,860
Earnings (4yr)
$67,463
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,033
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,288
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
Gr-CertCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,504
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,147
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,444
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Professional Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$60,771
Natl Median: $70,514
Lifetime Value Added
-$269k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,172
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Other Programs

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,802
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,347
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.