College ROI

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Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Terre Haute, IN 2,309 Undergrads 84.6% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$77,890
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$42,513
After Aid
Median Earnings
$97,780
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$42,513
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$97,780
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$101,253
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate84.6%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.6
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients11.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS94.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
76.9%
SAT Avg
1,427
SAT Reading
25th: 65066575th: 730
SAT Math
25th: 67071075th: 770
ACT Composite
25th: 293175th: 34

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
+$826k
+$359k
+$342k
Median Cost$43k/yr
+$673k
+$206k
+$189k
Full Cost$78k/yr
+$546k
+$79k
+$61k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
26
∞
Median Cost$43k/yr
35
123%
Full Cost$78k/yr
49
22%
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 Return132%

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
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,441
Earnings (4yr)
$90,484
Natl Median: $93,451
Lifetime Value Added
+$133k
Median Debt
$24,499
Earnings (4yr)
$98,341
Natl Median: $98,158
Lifetime Value Added
+$193k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$24,132
Earnings (4yr)
$88,155
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
+$115k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $104,864
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,834
Earnings (4yr)
$109,164
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
+$275k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$24,500
Earnings (4yr)
$123,753
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$386k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,161
Earnings (4yr)
$96,448
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$178k
Engineering Physics
BachCIP: 1412
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,154
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$112,187
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$298k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$95,983
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$175k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $106,375
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $115,468
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Civil Engineering
MastCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $98,323
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$82,440
Natl Median: $125,651
Lifetime Value Added
+$38k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $115,974
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Systems Engineering
MastCIP: 1427
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $144,565
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.