College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, IA 1,916 Undergrads 65.4% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$53,069
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$23,689
After Aid
Median Earnings
$66,452
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$23,689
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$66,452
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$66,659
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate65.4%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average starting age (2015-17)21.6
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients34.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time94.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS81.2%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
77.3%
SAT Avg
1,093
SAT Reading
25th: 49053075th: 580
SAT Math
25th: 44052075th: 590
ACT Composite
25th: 202375th: 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
+$580k
+$110k
+$93k
Median Cost$24k/yr
+$495k
+$25k
+$8k
Full Cost$53k/yr
+$389k
-$81k
-$97k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
33
∞
Median Cost$24k/yr
58
10%
Full Cost$53k/yr
Never
-51%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.
  • 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 Return-5%

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-64%

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$25,375
Earnings (4yr)
$83,719
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$151k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (5yr)
$70,844
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$42k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$27,343
Earnings (4yr)
$77,850
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$106k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,523
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$57,694
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$61k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $78,929
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $85,063
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$61,988
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,625
Earnings (4yr)
$72,886
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$68k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,399
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$63,005
Natl Median: $98,442
Lifetime Value Added
+$11k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
-$203k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$74,438
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
+$80k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$66,714
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$21k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$46,087
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
Try this program with your own numbers →
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
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$56,803
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$32,382
Natl Median: $60,642
Lifetime Value Added
-$256k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,250
Earnings (4yr)
$75,832
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$91k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$32,382
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$256k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,631
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$67,548
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$27k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$47,634
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$53,537
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$95k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,535
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$96,239
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$165k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$148,283
Earnings (4yr)
$135,821
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
+$509k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$40,110
Earnings (4yr)
$103,021
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$224k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$68,549
Earnings (4yr)
$62,738
Natl Median: $67,030
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $121,855
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$67,022
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$80,008
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$23k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,681
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$54,215
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$211k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
$98,588
Earnings (4yr)
$75,814
Natl Median: $82,893
Lifetime Value Added
-$171k
Try this program with your own numbers →

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.