College ROI

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Salem State University

Salem, MA 4,291 Undergrads 62.0% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$28,291
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$15,996
After Aid
Median Earnings
$62,605
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$15,996
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$62,605
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$56,662
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate62.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age22.4
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients39.5%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time86.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS78.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
95.9%
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
+$556k
+$90k
+$72k
Median Cost$16k/yr
+$499k
+$32k
+$15k
Full Cost$28k/yr
+$455k
-$12k
-$30k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
35
∞
Median Cost$16k/yr
53
25%
Full Cost$28k/yr
Never
-29%
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 Return43%

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-41%
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: $44,589
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (4yr)
$67,551
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$53k
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (4yr)
$67,789
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$55k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$25,750
Earnings (4yr)
$81,266
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
+$158k
Median Debt
$24,847
Earnings (4yr)
$50,260
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
Median Debt
$26,250
Earnings (4yr)
$92,380
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$243k
Median Debt
$21,750
Earnings (4yr)
$59,774
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$8k
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,980
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$45,568
Natl Median: $49,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$126k
Median Debt
$26,250
Earnings (4yr)
$43,621
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,397
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
Fire Protection
BachCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,436
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$58,593
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,424
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,323
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$25,450
Earnings (4yr)
$49,572
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$53,648
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$67k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,259
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$4k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,520
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$254k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,213
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,499
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$22,749
Earnings (4yr)
$54,717
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$49k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$95,550
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$267k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,792
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$24,991
Earnings (4yr)
$60,026
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$6k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$25,250
Earnings (4yr)
$51,573
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$75k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,362
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$56,509
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$35k
Median Debt
$26,496
Earnings (4yr)
$55,808
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$40k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,259
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,874
Earnings (4yr)
$32,484
Natl Median: $41,688
Lifetime Value Added
-$239k

Post-Baccalaureate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $104,114
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,661
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $124,255
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,439
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$80,033
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$36k
Median Debt
$32,512
Earnings (4yr)
$69,495
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$57k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$107,339
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
+$275k
Median Debt
$20,658
Earnings (4yr)
$62,341
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$120k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,644
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$69,754
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
-$54k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $79,784
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$69,278
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
-$70k
Mathematics
MastCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,375
Earnings (4yr)
$122,042
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$403k
Median Debt
$53,255
Earnings (4yr)
$69,564
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
-$56k
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$40,594
Earnings (4yr)
$69,819
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$54k
Median Debt
$19,649
Earnings (4yr)
$63,889
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
Median Debt
$40,844
Earnings (4yr)
$57,817
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$162k
Median Debt
$15,041
Earnings (4yr)
$60,928
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
Median Debt
$16,500
Earnings (4yr)
$72,560
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$30k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,767
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Professional Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $78,026
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.