College ROI

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Rutgers University-Camden

Camden, NJ 3,753 Undergrads 73.0% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$35,178
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$18,745
After Aid
Median Earnings
$77,933
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$18,745
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$77,933
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$74,479
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate73.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age21.8
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients47.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time86.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS81.7%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
66.3%
SAT Avg
1,178
SAT Reading
25th: 54056575th: 640
SAT Math
25th: 51057075th: 660
ACT Composite
25th: 192175th: 25

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
+$674k
+$208k
+$190k
Median Cost$19k/yr
+$607k
+$140k
+$123k
Full Cost$35k/yr
+$548k
+$81k
+$64k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
28
∞
Median Cost$19k/yr
35
182%
Full Cost$35k/yr
43
50%
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 Return189%

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-2%
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
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$89,087
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$208k
Median Debt
$22,862
Earnings (4yr)
$79,510
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
+$135k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,891
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$68,306
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$49k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,713
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,250
Earnings (4yr)
$83,606
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$166k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$19,250
Earnings (4yr)
$73,245
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
+$87k
Median Debt
$15,334
Earnings (4yr)
$84,376
Natl Median: $75,975
Lifetime Value Added
+$172k
Median Debt
$20,904
Earnings (4yr)
$125,303
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$483k
Median Debt
$19,750
Earnings (4yr)
$61,817
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$2k
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (4yr)
$42,712
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$160k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$22,750
Earnings (4yr)
$86,120
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$185k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$55,337
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$54k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,164
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
Median Debt
$20,620
Earnings (4yr)
$100,695
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$296k
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (4yr)
$52,450
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$78k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,459
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$68,108
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
+$47k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$54,657
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$75,850
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
+$107k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$74,122
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
+$94k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$74,813
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$99k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$81,845
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$153k
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$51,581
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$25,492
Earnings (4yr)
$56,008
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$48k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
$21,625
Earnings (4yr)
$58,891
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
-$25k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
$23,971
Earnings (4yr)
$67,544
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
+$43k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$63,765
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$14k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$22,250
Earnings (4yr)
$56,479
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$45k
Median Debt
$24,952
Earnings (4yr)
$99,155
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$285k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,913
Natl Median: $55,695
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
Median Debt
$20,750
Earnings (4yr)
$66,519
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
+$35k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$22,692
Earnings (4yr)
$56,797
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$42k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$55,197
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (4yr)
$59,261
Natl Median: $62,532
Lifetime Value Added
-$22k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$36,224
Earnings (4yr)
$106,813
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$265k
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$125,457
Natl Median: $82,371
Lifetime Value Added
+$428k
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$39,405
Earnings (4yr)
$84,839
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
+$73k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $110,121
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$50,681
Earnings (4yr)
$155,535
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$687k
Chemistry
MastCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,937
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$121,183
Natl Median: $124,201
Lifetime Value Added
+$390k
Median Debt
$30,750
Earnings (4yr)
$75,983
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
-$5k
Median Debt
$32,500
Earnings (2yr)
$41,565
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
-$307k
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$40,763
Earnings (4yr)
$56,792
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
-$177k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,716
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$32,036
Earnings (4yr)
$104,397
Natl Median: $124,807
Lifetime Value Added
+$244k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,355
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,122
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$79,478
Natl Median: $64,711
Lifetime Value Added
+$26k
Median Debt
$47,905
Earnings (4yr)
$74,870
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
-$14k
Median Debt
$30,250
Earnings (4yr)
$89,111
Natl Median: $93,020
Lifetime Value Added
+$110k
Median Debt
$30,750
Earnings (4yr)
$122,331
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$400k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,216
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,664
Natl Median: $55,035
Lifetime Value Added
-$159k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,728
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$66,438
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$89k
Median Debt
$25,940
Earnings (4yr)
$69,291
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $126,911
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $153,586
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,341
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $119,220
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$67,500
Earnings (4yr)
$161,430
Natl Median: $138,131
Lifetime Value Added
+$479k
Median Debt
$86,783
Earnings (4yr)
$86,084
Natl Median: $82,893
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k

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.