College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Saint Mary's College

Notre Dame, IN 1,399 Undergrads 77.8% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$65,706
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$28,552
After Aid
Median Earnings
$59,354
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$28,552
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$59,354
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate77.8%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients25.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS81.0%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
81.1%
SAT Avg
1,233
SAT Reading
25th: 56058875th: 650
SAT Math
25th: 54057375th: 660
ACT Composite
25th: 252675th: 30

ROI Sensitivity Analysis

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
+$512k
+$115k
+$27k
Median Cost$29k/yr
+$409k
+$13k
-$75k
Full Cost$66k/yr
+$275k
-$121k
-$209k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
43
Median Cost$29k/yr
Never
-73%
Full Cost$66k/yr
Never
-88%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year 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 Return-72%

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-84%
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 with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Bachelor's Degrees

Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$76,403
Lifetime Value Added
+$64k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$78,488
Lifetime Value Added
+$80k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$64,387
Lifetime Value Added
-$27k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
BachCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (5yr)
$67,979
Lifetime Value Added
+$963
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$63,846
Lifetime Value Added
-$31k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$26,733
Earnings (5yr)
$53,646
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$74,565
Lifetime Value Added
+$50k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,492
Lifetime Value Added
-$129k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,474
Lifetime Value Added
-$138k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$40,737
Lifetime Value Added
-$198k

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.