College ROI

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Roger Williams University

Bristol, RI 3,946 Undergrads 60.7% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$61,950
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$37,999
After Aid
Median Earnings
$68,129
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$37,999
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$68,129
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$70,266
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate60.7%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.5
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients16.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time91.3%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS78.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
87.7%
SAT Avg
1,223
SAT Reading
25th: 580-75th: 660
SAT Math
25th: 560-75th: 650
ACT Composite
25th: 24-75th: 29

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
+$599k
+$133k
+$115k
Median Cost$38k/yr
+$463k
-$4k
-$22k
Full Cost$62k/yr
+$377k
-$90k
-$108k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
31
∞
Median Cost$38k/yr
Never
-16%
Full Cost$62k/yr
Never
-48%
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 Return1%

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-63%
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: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$51,534
Natl Median: $44,669
Lifetime Value Added
-$7k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$26,121
Earnings (4yr)
$98,701
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$212k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Applied Mathematics
BachCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $91,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Architecture
BachCIP: 0402
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$65,092
Natl Median: $66,914
Lifetime Value Added
-$45k
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$71,652
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$76,219
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$40k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$90,146
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
+$147k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$70,575
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$3k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,894
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,745
Earnings (4yr)
$93,340
Natl Median: $95,124
Lifetime Value Added
+$171k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$70,747
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$2k
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,980
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,445
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,857
Natl Median: $48,842
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,500
Earnings (4yr)
$94,919
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$183k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,887
Natl Median: $43,283
Lifetime Value Added
-$70k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,728
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,598
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$342k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$67,621
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
-$26k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,565
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
-$225k
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$66,230
Natl Median: $57,149
Lifetime Value Added
-$36k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$56,566
Natl Median: $53,266
Lifetime Value Added
-$113k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$26,293
Earnings (4yr)
$71,989
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$94,385
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$179k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,119
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
$25,714
Earnings (5yr)
$68,445
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
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$63,405
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$57,212
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,093
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$293k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$20,140
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$419k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,805
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,366
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,771
Natl Median: $46,959
Lifetime Value Added
-$322k
Median Debt
$26,949
Earnings (4yr)
$52,114
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$150k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$264k

Master's Degrees

Architecture
MastCIP: 0402
Median Debt
$61,236
Earnings (4yr)
$75,242
Natl Median: $74,139
Lifetime Value Added
-$46k
Median Debt
$29,000
Earnings (4yr)
$82,320
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$16k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $79,665
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$60,331
Earnings (4yr)
$60,458
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$178k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,597
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $121,855
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$75,846
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,496
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $101,855
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $77,310
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$34,500
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,399
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,443
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Professional Degrees

Law
ProfCIP: 2201
Median Debt
$122,459
Earnings (4yr)
$90,866
Natl Median: $107,773
Lifetime Value Added
-$110k

Other Programs

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.