College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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Shenandoah University

Winchester, VA 2,127 Undergrads 65.3% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$50,500
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$30,055
After Aid
Median Earnings
$58,433
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$30,055
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$58,433
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate65.3%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients21.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time96.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS73.8%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
77.8%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

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
+$505k
+$108k
+$20k
Median Cost$30k/yr
+$396k
+$14
-$88k
Full Cost$51k/yr
+$323k
-$74k
-$161k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
46
Median Cost$30k/yr
Never
-81%
Full Cost$51k/yr
Never
-89%
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-71%

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-81%
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

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
BachCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$87,914
Lifetime Value Added
+$145k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$20,706
Earnings (5yr)
$64,660
Lifetime Value Added
-$30k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$58,791
Lifetime Value Added
-$76k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$58,666
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$28,029
Lifetime Value Added
-$333k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$29,435
Lifetime Value Added
-$321k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (5yr)
$34,679
Lifetime Value Added
-$276k
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences
BachCIP: 2609
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$59,291
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$56,584
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$63,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$38k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$88,220
Lifetime Value Added
+$147k
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
BachCIP: 5123
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,565
Lifetime Value Added
-$196k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$50,178
Lifetime Value Added
-$146k

Master's Degrees

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
MastCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$104,000
Earnings (5yr)
$109,987
Lifetime Value Added
+$470k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$39,115
Earnings (5yr)
$126,681
Lifetime Value Added
+$612k
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
MastCIP: 4228
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$54,109
Lifetime Value Added
+$14k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$27,108
Earnings (5yr)
$69,756
Lifetime Value Added
+$124k
Music
MastCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$32,569
Lifetime Value Added
-$204k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
MastCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$49,022
Earnings (5yr)
$121,059
Lifetime Value Added
+$564k
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
MastCIP: 5123
Median Debt
$58,924
Earnings (5yr)
$61,876
Lifetime Value Added
+$55k

Doctoral Degrees

Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
DocCIP: 5123
Median Debt
$114,000
Earnings (5yr)
$89,951
Lifetime Value Added
+$115k

Professional Degrees

Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration
ProfCIP: 5120
Median Debt
$162,106
Earnings (5yr)
$138,662
Lifetime Value Added
+$468k

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.