College ROI

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Simmons University

Boston, MA 1,670 Undergrads 76.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$63,460
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$25,265
After Aid
Median Earnings
$73,823
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$25,265
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$73,823
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$63,494
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate76.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.9
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients31.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time89.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS81.2%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
70.0%
SAT Avg
1,316
SAT Reading
25th: 62065075th: 700
SAT Math
25th: 60060075th: 690
ACT Composite
25th: 262975th: 34

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
+$643k
+$176k
+$159k
Median Cost$25k/yr
+$552k
+$85k
+$68k
Full Cost$63k/yr
+$415k
-$52k
-$70k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
29
∞
Median Cost$25k/yr
41
75%
Full Cost$63k/yr
Never
-31%
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-53%
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

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
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$68,251
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$25k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,713
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$75,275
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$68k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Cognitive Science
BachCIP: 3025
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Natl Median: $81,496
Lifetime Value Added
-$218k
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$71,138
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
+$47k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,894
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$49,323
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$49,531
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$134k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$71,643
Natl Median: $76,433
Lifetime Value Added
+$73k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,873
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,954
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
-$229k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$88,738
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$168k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,739
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Nutrition Sciences
BachCIP: 3019
Median Debt
$21,750
Earnings (4yr)
$68,021
Natl Median: $60,053
Lifetime Value Added
+$23k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,250
Earnings (4yr)
$55,069
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$26,278
Earnings (4yr)
$51,474
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$109k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$64,514
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$4k
Median Debt
$22,125
Earnings (5yr)
$84,018
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$133k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$10,888
Earnings (4yr)
$62,992
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$16k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$208k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$26,974
Earnings (4yr)
$76,569
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$89k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$81,874
Earnings (4yr)
$102,226
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$213k
Median Debt
$50,276
Earnings (4yr)
$79,951
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
+$18k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,689
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$134k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$67,394
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,705
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$74,038
Natl Median: $66,523
Lifetime Value Added
-$34k
Median Debt
$71,750
Earnings (4yr)
$116,116
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
+$335k
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$59,676
Earnings (4yr)
$66,986
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
-$96k
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$58,512
Natl Median: $56,301
Lifetime Value Added
-$173k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,870
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Literature
MastCIP: 2314
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,492
Natl Median: $55,337
Lifetime Value Added
-$220k
Nutrition Sciences
MastCIP: 3019
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,126
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$71,750
Earnings (4yr)
$123,629
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$400k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,035
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$81,180
Earnings (4yr)
$69,292
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$75k
Median Debt
$36,597
Earnings (4yr)
$69,110
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$65,293
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$122k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$48,041
Natl Median: $65,767
Lifetime Value Added
-$253k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$66,724
Natl Median: $65,965
Lifetime Value Added
-$31k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,010
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities
Gr-CertCIP: 5132
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $112,957
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,763
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,147
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $99,878
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $126,925
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $88,805
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $138,131
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$72,750
Earnings (4yr)
$83,921
Natl Median: $82,893
Lifetime Value Added
-$116k
Social Work
DocCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $98,285
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $85,168
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.