College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA 1,158 Undergrads 65.9% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$61,772
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$25,472
After Aid
Median Earnings
$72,076
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$25,472
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$72,076
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$70,376
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate65.9%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average starting age (2015-17)23.8
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients44.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time94.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS80.1%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
89.8%
SAT Avg
1,093
SAT Reading
25th: 51056575th: 610
SAT Math
25th: 51555075th: 620
ACT Composite
25th: 161975th: 20

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
+$623k
+$153k
+$137k
Median Cost$25k/yr
+$531k
+$61k
+$45k
Full Cost$62k/yr
+$401k
-$69k
-$86k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
30
∞
Median Cost$25k/yr
45
49%
Full Cost$62k/yr
Never
-39%
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 Return17%

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%

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 →

Certificates

Computer Science
CertCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$119,807
Natl Median: $77,690
Lifetime Value Added
Not scored

Not scored. Graduates of this program earn more than graduates of the school's bachelor's degree in the same field, and about 1.5× the national median for this credential. That usually means students arrived already holding a degree or years of work experience. Our model assumes a student starting right after high school, so it can't measure what this program added. Earnings are as reported by the College Scorecard. Run it with your own cost and expected pay →

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,432
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$28k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$71,909
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$44k
Median Debt
$20,875
Earnings (4yr)
$67,805
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$23k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$85,276
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
+$157k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$80,166
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$118k
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$55,951
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$54,957
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$92,321
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$210k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,121
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$320k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$23,375
Earnings (4yr)
$51,097
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$113k
Median Debt
$24,203
Earnings (5yr)
$102,764
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$275k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,559
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$59,433
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$85,456
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$67k
Civil Engineering
MastCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $98,323
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, Other
MastCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,348
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $125,651
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $115,974
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$79,838
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
+$4k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,288
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,774
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.