College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI 792 Undergrads 53.4% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$41,787
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$21,456
After Aid
Median Earnings
$50,000
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$21,456
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$50,000
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$48,707
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate53.4%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age27.0
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 Recipients42.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time83.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS66.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
97.7%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

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
+$454k
-$13k
-$31k
Median Cost$21k/yr
+$376k
-$90k
-$108k
Full Cost$42k/yr
+$303k
-$164k
-$181k

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
Never
-∞
Median Cost$21k/yr
Never
-140%
Full Cost$42k/yr
Never
-120%
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 Return-123%

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 Return-91%
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.

Associate's Degrees

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

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$53,722
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
Behavioral Sciences
BachCIP: 3017
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,673
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,533
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,317
Earnings (4yr)
$60,312
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$23k
Median Debt
$22,376
Earnings (4yr)
$51,856
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$93k
Education, Other
BachCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,113
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,027
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,245
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$32,284
Natl Median: $48,568
Lifetime Value Added
-$249k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,200
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,103
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,915
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$24,837
Earnings (4yr)
$46,344
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$139k
Median Debt
$31,000
Earnings (4yr)
$90,425
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$208k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$26,747
Earnings (4yr)
$45,314
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$148k
Median Debt
$16,657
Earnings (4yr)
$43,039
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$167k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,535
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,953
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,122
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,300
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.