College ROI

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Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, MI 5,989 Undergrads 50.7% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$24,936
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$10,775
After Aid
Median Earnings
$63,454
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$10,775
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$63,454
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$51,955
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate50.7%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age21.6
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients34.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time88.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS71.0%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
72.1%
SAT Avg
1,052
SAT Reading
25th: 48054575th: 600
SAT Math
25th: 44052075th: 570
ACT Composite
25th: 182275th: 26

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)
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$563k
+$96k
+$79k
Median Cost$11k/yr
+$524k
+$58k
+$40k
Full Cost$25k/yr
+$473k
+$7k
-$11k

ROI Efficiency Metrics
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
34
∞
Median Cost$11k/yr
43
103%
Full Cost$25k/yr
Never
-12%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
  • 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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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 Return76%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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-29%
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
$25,406
Earnings (4yr)
$72,171
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$107k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Applied Mathematics
BachCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $91,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$24,865
Earnings (4yr)
$54,038
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$36k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$65,594
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$57k
Median Debt
$28,000
Earnings (4yr)
$47,065
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $77,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$63,167
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
+$28k
Median Debt
$28,840
Earnings (4yr)
$65,826
Natl Median: $75,975
Lifetime Value Added
+$59k
Median Debt
$26,722
Earnings (4yr)
$53,825
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$38k
Median Debt
$25,625
Earnings (4yr)
$90,681
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$249k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$72,888
Natl Median: $78,929
Lifetime Value Added
+$113k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$59,042
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
Median Debt
$24,286
Earnings (4yr)
$41,864
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$139k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$90,482
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$247k
Median Debt
$28,625
Earnings (4yr)
$55,302
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$26k
Median Debt
$18,300
Earnings (4yr)
$65,610
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$57k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$42,270
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$135k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$30,625
Earnings (4yr)
$53,376
Natl Median: $61,911
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$29,327
Earnings (4yr)
$42,803
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$130k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $80,890
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$30,313
Earnings (4yr)
$55,558
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$23k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$58,783
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$3k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,060
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$185k
Median Debt
$26,679
Earnings (4yr)
$83,873
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$197k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Non-Professional Legal Studies
BachCIP: 2200
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,959
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$49,431
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,066
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,093
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,250
Earnings (4yr)
$81,103
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$176k
Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (4yr)
$70,081
Natl Median: $55,792
Lifetime Value Added
+$91k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,875
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$62k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,409
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$227k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$29,750
Earnings (4yr)
$56,961
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$28,504
Earnings (5yr)
$42,539
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$140k
Median Debt
$29,500
Earnings (4yr)
$50,078
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$27,500
Earnings (4yr)
$50,816
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k
Median Debt
$30,333
Earnings (4yr)
$48,561
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,761
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$80,230
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$33k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $124,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$28,370
Earnings (4yr)
$82,773
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other
MastCIP: 1599
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $101,422
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$69,953
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities
MastCIP: 5132
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,487
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$30,750
Earnings (4yr)
$50,633
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
-$221k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$38,219
Earnings (4yr)
$113,545
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$339k
Median Debt
$47,248
Earnings (4yr)
$70,336
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
-$40k
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$32,837
Earnings (4yr)
$64,391
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k
Median Debt
$18,431
Earnings (4yr)
$65,591
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Median Debt
$37,239
Earnings (4yr)
$60,900
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$124k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$64,710
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k

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.