College ROI

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Salisbury University

Salisbury, MD 6,057 Undergrads 69.6% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$28,310
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$17,743
After Aid
Median Earnings
$61,985
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$17,743
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$61,985
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$61,515
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate69.6%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age21.1
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients25.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time96.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS79.9%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
87.5%
SAT Avg
1,252
SAT Reading
25th: 600-75th: 670
SAT Math
25th: 580-75th: 650
ACT Composite
25th: 20-75th: 29

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
+$552k
+$85k
+$67k
Median Cost$18k/yr
+$488k
+$21k
+$3k
Full Cost$28k/yr
+$450k
-$17k
-$35k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
35
∞
Median Cost$18k/yr
61
5%
Full Cost$28k/yr
Never
-34%
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 Return34%

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-44%
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: $54,296
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$23,036
Earnings (4yr)
$89,535
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$215k
Median Debt
$30,208
Earnings (4yr)
$109,739
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
+$369k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$21,410
Earnings (4yr)
$62,407
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$66,519
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$39k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$91,642
Natl Median: $77,981
Lifetime Value Added
+$231k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$41,565
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,874
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$74,731
Natl Median: $75,975
Lifetime Value Added
+$102k
Median Debt
$21,250
Earnings (4yr)
$56,048
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$45k
Median Debt
$24,313
Earnings (4yr)
$97,414
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$275k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$70,822
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$61k
Median Debt
$21,497
Earnings (4yr)
$53,906
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$62k
Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (4yr)
$80,478
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$146k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$44,514
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$141k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$58,548
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
-$24k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$54,262
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$81,116
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
+$151k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$48,963
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$103k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$20,331
Earnings (4yr)
$70,597
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$71,910
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$80k
Median Debt
$15,067
Earnings (4yr)
$54,187
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$49,706
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$97k
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$60,003
Natl Median: $63,114
Lifetime Value Added
-$13k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
$20,325
Earnings (4yr)
$79,158
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
+$136k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$60,089
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$50,319
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$86,233
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$190k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,193
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$19k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$22,250
Earnings (4yr)
$59,110
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$20k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,411
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$59,892
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$13k
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$55,807
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
Median Debt
$22,275
Earnings (4yr)
$59,311
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,259
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Post-Baccalaureate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,752
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,250
Earnings (4yr)
$92,925
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$146k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$66,039
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,759
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
-$157k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $79,784
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$66,037
Natl Median: $81,651
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,831
Natl Median: $70,267
Lifetime Value Added
-$147k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$29,730
Earnings (4yr)
$67,218
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $138,131
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.