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Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, TX 18,138 Undergrads 62.2% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$24,517
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$16,025
After Aid
Median Earnings
$54,211
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$16,025
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$54,211
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate62.2%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients39.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time80.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS73.6%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
85.4%
SAT Avg
1,055
SAT Reading
25th: 48052575th: 580
SAT Math
25th: 46051075th: 560
ACT Composite
25th: 192175th: 25
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
+$471k
+$75k
-$13k
Median Cost$16k/yr
+$413k
+$17k
-$71k
Full Cost$25k/yr
+$383k
-$14k
-$101k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$16k/yr
Never
-123%
Full Cost$25k/yr
Never
-115%
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-106%
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-76%
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
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$19,882
Earnings (5yr)
$69,480
Lifetime Value Added
+$57k
Agricultural Business and Management
BachCIP: 0101
Median Debt
$17,750
Earnings (5yr)
$69,969
Lifetime Value Added
+$61k
Agricultural Mechanization
BachCIP: 0102
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$69,696
Lifetime Value Added
+$59k
Agriculture, General
BachCIP: 0100
Median Debt
$19,125
Earnings (5yr)
$58,269
Lifetime Value Added
-$30k
Animal Sciences
BachCIP: 0109
Median Debt
$19,750
Earnings (5yr)
$46,013
Lifetime Value Added
-$130k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$21,758
Earnings (5yr)
$53,949
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$16,278
Earnings (5yr)
$60,416
Lifetime Value Added
-$13k
Business/Commerce, General
BachCIP: 5201
Median Debt
$22,452
Earnings (5yr)
$53,488
Lifetime Value Added
-$68k
Business/Managerial Economics
BachCIP: 5206
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$48,386
Lifetime Value Added
-$110k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$23,874
Earnings (5yr)
$56,588
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$23,287
Earnings (5yr)
$51,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$87k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$18,750
Earnings (5yr)
$97,361
Lifetime Value Added
+$266k
Construction Engineering Technologies
BachCIP: 1510
Median Debt
$19,855
Earnings (5yr)
$89,884
Lifetime Value Added
+$210k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$20,708
Earnings (5yr)
$52,576
Lifetime Value Added
-$76k
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$33,041
Lifetime Value Added
-$239k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
$29,000
Earnings (5yr)
$48,480
Lifetime Value Added
-$109k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$21,114
Earnings (5yr)
$42,548
Lifetime Value Added
-$159k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$22,125
Earnings (5yr)
$49,173
Lifetime Value Added
-$103k
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1901
Median Debt
$21,250
Earnings (5yr)
$50,684
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$23,750
Earnings (5yr)
$72,461
Lifetime Value Added
+$80k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$31,000
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$294k
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services
BachCIP: 1905
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,138
Lifetime Value Added
-$96k
Geography and Cartography
BachCIP: 4507
Median Debt
$18,750
Earnings (5yr)
$53,453
Lifetime Value Added
-$68k
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
BachCIP: 4006
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,612
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
Graphic Communications
BachCIP: 1003
Median Debt
$24,500
Earnings (5yr)
$38,401
Lifetime Value Added
-$194k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$22,651
Earnings (5yr)
$55,956
Lifetime Value Added
-$48k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (5yr)
$56,955
Lifetime Value Added
-$40k
Human Resources Management and Services
BachCIP: 5210
Median Debt
$17,766
Earnings (5yr)
$61,587
Lifetime Value Added
-$3k
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1506
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (2yr)
$59,417
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
Interior Architecture
BachCIP: 0405
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Lifetime Value Added
-$175k
International Business
BachCIP: 5211
Median Debt
$21,379
Earnings (5yr)
$56,546
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$23,125
Earnings (5yr)
$53,420
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Management Information Systems and Services
BachCIP: 5212
Median Debt
$20,265
Earnings (5yr)
$67,102
Lifetime Value Added
+$39k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$18,625
Earnings (5yr)
$56,755
Lifetime Value Added
-$42k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$24,430
Earnings (5yr)
$58,286
Lifetime Value Added
-$29k
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
BachCIP: 3099
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$54,796
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$25,630
Earnings (5yr)
$47,434
Lifetime Value Added
-$118k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$24,432
Earnings (5yr)
$52,238
Lifetime Value Added
-$78k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$50,220
Lifetime Value Added
-$95k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$24,316
Earnings (5yr)
$85,287
Lifetime Value Added
+$176k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$48,540
Lifetime Value Added
-$109k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$26,016
Earnings (5yr)
$49,768
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations
BachCIP: 5219
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$55,164
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$55,900
Lifetime Value Added
-$49k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$17,859
Earnings (5yr)
$99,805
Lifetime Value Added
+$408k
Agriculture, General
MastCIP: 0100
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$38,487
Earnings (5yr)
$99,411
Lifetime Value Added
+$405k
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
MastCIP: 4228
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (5yr)
$58,845
Lifetime Value Added
+$53k
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management
MastCIP: 1110
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$91,744
Lifetime Value Added
+$387k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
MastCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$38,362
Earnings (5yr)
$91,329
Lifetime Value Added
+$335k
Curriculum and Instruction
MastCIP: 1303
Median Debt
$28,601
Earnings (5yr)
$60,004
Lifetime Value Added
+$63k
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services
MastCIP: 5131
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$46,087
Lifetime Value Added
-$40k
Education, Other
MastCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$65,180
Lifetime Value Added
+$110k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
$36,942
Earnings (5yr)
$64,167
Lifetime Value Added
+$101k
Educational/Instructional Media Design
MastCIP: 1305
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$53,984
Lifetime Value Added
+$39k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$30,583
Earnings (5yr)
$51,655
Lifetime Value Added
-$14k
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$57,243
Lifetime Value Added
+$38k
Homeland Security
MastCIP: 4303
Median Debt
$26,168
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
Library Science and Administration
MastCIP: 2501
Median Debt
$35,345
Earnings (5yr)
$62,589
Lifetime Value Added
+$87k
Music
MastCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$76,384
Lifetime Value Added
+$207k
Public Administration
MastCIP: 4404
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$63,005
Lifetime Value Added
+$125k
Security Science and Technology
MastCIP: 4304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$47,260
Lifetime Value Added
-$28k
Sociology
MastCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,565
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
Special Education and Teaching
MastCIP: 1310
Median Debt
$39,049
Earnings (5yr)
$68,891
Lifetime Value Added
+$142k
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
MastCIP: 1311
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$50,856
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
MastCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$40,666
Earnings (5yr)
$64,598
Lifetime Value Added
+$105k
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language
MastCIP: 1314
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$50,439
Lifetime Value Added
+$4k
Doctoral Degrees
Educational Administration and Supervision
DocCIP: 1304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$82,747
Lifetime Value Added
+$113k
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
DocCIP: 1311
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$70,456
Lifetime Value Added
+$54k
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.