College ROI

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Russell Sage College

Troy, NY 1,244 Undergrads 66.6% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$50,607
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$22,917
After Aid
Median Earnings
$66,409
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$22,917
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$66,409
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$58,316
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate66.6%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age22.4
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients43.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS75.6%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
53.3%
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)

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$586k
+$119k
+$102k
Median Cost$23k/yr
+$504k
+$37k
+$19k
Full Cost$51k/yr
+$404k
-$63k
-$80k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
32
∞
Median Cost$23k/yr
52
24%
Full Cost$51k/yr
Never
-44%
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 Return10%

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-59%
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)
$55,125
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
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
Median Debt
$24,375
Earnings (4yr)
$70,329
Natl Median: $65,681
Lifetime Value Added
+$49k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$58,753
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $77,632
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (4yr)
$51,485
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,842
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,369
Earnings (4yr)
$68,647
Natl Median: $68,245
Lifetime Value Added
+$37k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$67,347
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
+$16k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$36,541
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$234k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Nutrition Sciences
BachCIP: 3019
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,513
Natl Median: $60,053
Lifetime Value Added
-$29k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,096
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$22,995
Earnings (4yr)
$50,446
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$110k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,093
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,960
Earnings (4yr)
$89,836
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$199k
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (4yr)
$54,363
Natl Median: $56,812
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,080
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,629
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Post-Baccalaureate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,006
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Nutrition Sciences
PB-CertCIP: 3019
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,974
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$35,864
Earnings (4yr)
$78,852
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$76,917
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
-$4k
Nutrition Sciences
MastCIP: 3019
Median Debt
$40,790
Earnings (4yr)
$65,977
Natl Median: $67,126
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
Psychology, Other
MastCIP: 4299
Median Debt
$38,374
Earnings (4yr)
$73,286
Natl Median: $61,796
Lifetime Value Added
-$36k
Median Debt
$43,307
Earnings (4yr)
$135,279
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$505k
Median Debt
$72,332
Earnings (4yr)
$71,608
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
-$51k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$59,104
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$56,317
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$189k
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (4yr)
$58,695
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$167k

Graduate Certificates

Nutrition Sciences
Gr-CertCIP: 3019
Median Debt
$22,145
Earnings (4yr)
$67,291
Natl Median: $67,688
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k
Psychology, Other
Gr-CertCIP: 4299
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,208
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $126,911
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,774
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
$44,276
Earnings (4yr)
$179,109
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
+$594k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $138,131
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Professional Degrees

Median Debt
$129,487
Earnings (4yr)
$83,955
Natl Median: $81,641
Lifetime Value Added
-$107k

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.