College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Terre Haute, IN 2,224 Undergrads 85.1% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$74,226
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$40,665
After Aid
Median Earnings
$101,253
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$40,665
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$101,253
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate85.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients12.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS94.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
72.8%
SAT Avg
1,389
SAT Reading
25th: 62066575th: 710
SAT Math
25th: 66071075th: 760
ACT Composite
25th: 293175th: 34

ROI Sensitivity Analysis

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
+$822k
+$426k
+$338k
Median Cost$41k/yr
+$676k
+$280k
+$192k
Full Cost$74k/yr
+$555k
+$159k
+$71k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
26
Median Cost$41k/yr
34
131%
Full Cost$74k/yr
47
27%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year 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 Return141%

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-23%
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 with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Bachelor's Degrees

Biomedical/Medical Engineering
BachCIP: 1405
Median Debt
$26,441
Earnings (5yr)
$93,920
Lifetime Value Added
+$152k
Chemical Engineering
BachCIP: 1407
Median Debt
$24,499
Earnings (5yr)
$106,661
Lifetime Value Added
+$247k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$24,132
Earnings (5yr)
$89,394
Lifetime Value Added
+$118k
Computer Engineering
BachCIP: 1409
Median Debt
$24,834
Earnings (5yr)
$123,554
Lifetime Value Added
+$373k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$24,500
Earnings (5yr)
$155,655
Lifetime Value Added
+$609k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$26,161
Earnings (5yr)
$98,012
Lifetime Value Added
+$182k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$122,674
Lifetime Value Added
+$366k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$93,120
Lifetime Value Added
+$146k

Master's Degrees

Engineering-Related Fields
MastCIP: 1515
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$82,440
Lifetime Value Added
+$257k

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.