College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Sacred Heart University

Fairfield, CT 7,087 Undergrads 71.3% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$69,289
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$46,174
After Aid
Median Earnings
$79,431
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$46,174
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$79,431
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$75,059
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate71.3%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.5
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients15.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time95.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS86.0%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
65.4%
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
+$686k
+$219k
+$202k
Median Cost$46k/yr
+$520k
+$53k
+$35k
Full Cost$69k/yr
+$437k
-$30k
-$48k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
28
∞
Median Cost$46k/yr
50
21%
Full Cost$69k/yr
Never
-19%
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 Return55%

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-48%
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

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,675
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
$18,492
Earnings (4yr)
$79,048
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$233k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,563
Earnings (4yr)
$93,380
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$361k

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$91,777
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$130k
Median Debt
$24,500
Earnings (4yr)
$76,507
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$72,404
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$74,883
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$639
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,697
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$59,068
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$122k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,928
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,384
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,191
Earnings (4yr)
$93,209
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$141k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,710
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$150k
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
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$20,800
Earnings (4yr)
$80,970
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$47k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,399
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
Median Debt
$25,531
Earnings (4yr)
$94,733
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$152k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,998
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$68,092
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$51k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$73,514
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,750
Earnings (4yr)
$65,879
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$68k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$61,373
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$103,244
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$217k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$26,950
Earnings (4yr)
$58,384
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$128k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$54,183
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$162k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$117,457
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$308k
Median Debt
$158,461
Earnings (4yr)
$145,964
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
+$554k
Median Debt
$31,434
Earnings (4yr)
$100,796
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$162k
Chemistry
MastCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,937
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$35,500
Earnings (4yr)
$66,974
Natl Median: $71,953
Lifetime Value Added
-$134k
Median Debt
$62,000
Earnings (4yr)
$71,882
Natl Median: $67,030
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $124,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $120,083
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$80,320
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,601
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$201k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Natl Median: $51,486
Lifetime Value Added
-$480k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $110,694
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$34,525
Earnings (4yr)
$109,545
Natl Median: $83,558
Lifetime Value Added
+$239k
Marketing
MastCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $79,106
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $101,441
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,642
Natl Median: $67,681
Lifetime Value Added
-$182k
Psychology, Other
MastCIP: 4299
Median Debt
$34,167
Earnings (4yr)
$78,644
Natl Median: $61,796
Lifetime Value Added
-$32k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$71,686
Natl Median: $80,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$93k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$32,406
Earnings (4yr)
$125,904
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$381k
Median Debt
$42,460
Earnings (4yr)
$80,626
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
-$14k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$113,199
Natl Median: $82,399
Lifetime Value Added
+$271k
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$59,036
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$206k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $94,506
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $112,196
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$31,170
Earnings (4yr)
$103,998
Natl Median: $86,288
Lifetime Value Added
+$317k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $118,893
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $99,117
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
Gr-CertCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $93,837
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $126,911
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $112,169
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$62,012
Natl Median: $69,444
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $113,566
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Professional Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $133,099
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$61,500
Earnings (4yr)
$85,946
Natl Median: $81,641
Lifetime Value Added
-$176k

Other Programs

Education, General
DegCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,645
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $90,560
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,308
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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.