College ROI

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Seattle Pacific University

Seattle, WA 1,762 Undergrads 66.3% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$56,826
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$24,488
After Aid
Median Earnings
$70,115
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$24,488
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$70,115
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$64,506
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate66.3%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.8
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients34.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time96.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS76.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
83.4%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: -59575th: -
SAT Math
25th: -58075th: -
ACT Composite
25th: -2475th: -

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
+$615k
+$148k
+$130k
Median Cost$24k/yr
+$527k
+$60k
+$42k
Full Cost$57k/yr
+$410k
-$57k
-$74k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
30
∞
Median Cost$24k/yr
45
48%
Full Cost$57k/yr
Never
-36%
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 Return24%

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-56%
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

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$80,110
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$119k
Applied Mathematics
BachCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $91,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,681
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$84,493
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
+$152k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,697
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,137
Earnings (4yr)
$62,411
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$18,908
Earnings (4yr)
$133,039
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$520k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $85,063
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$68,547
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
+$30k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,842
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$25,989
Earnings (4yr)
$66,787
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$17k
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$70,584
Natl Median: $49,808
Lifetime Value Added
+$46k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$106,291
Natl Median: $89,359
Lifetime Value Added
+$318k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,378
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,460
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$32,456
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$269k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,463
Natl Median: $54,945
Lifetime Value Added
-$35k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,911
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$283k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,568
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,949
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$324k
Nutrition Sciences
BachCIP: 3019
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,053
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,252
Earnings (2yr)
$21,234
Natl Median: $62,172
Lifetime Value Added
-$361k
Median Debt
$26,775
Earnings (4yr)
$62,972
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$13k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$25,687
Earnings (4yr)
$58,749
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
Median Debt
$26,986
Earnings (4yr)
$93,334
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$220k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,792
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$25,666
Earnings (4yr)
$46,974
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$144k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$62,392
Natl Median: $59,631
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$26,798
Earnings (4yr)
$50,235
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,557
Natl Median: $44,535
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,028
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$57,318
Natl Median: $125,988
Lifetime Value Added
-$161k
Median Debt
$57,680
Earnings (4yr)
$99,202
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
+$188k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $124,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$95,732
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$158k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,644
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$61,500
Earnings (4yr)
$68,165
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$84k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$121,906
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$386k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,035
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$55,648
Earnings (4yr)
$83,306
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
+$49k
Median Debt
$40,979
Earnings (4yr)
$75,781
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$79,051
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
+$12k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,767
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$55,836
Natl Median: $61,300
Lifetime Value Added
-$196k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,640
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $126,911
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$88,473
Natl Median: $99,878
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k
Education, General
DocCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $87,373
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,794
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.