College ROI

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Simmons University

Boston, MA 1,670 Undergrads 76.0% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$64,601
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$23,444
After Aid
Median Earnings
$75,731
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$23,444
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$75,731
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$79,784
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate76.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average starting age (2015-17)20.9
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients36.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time89.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS86.8%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
70.0%
SAT Avg
1,316
SAT Reading
25th: 62066075th: 700
SAT Math
25th: 60065075th: 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
+$650k
+$180k
+$164k
Median Cost$23k/yr
+$566k
+$96k
+$80k
Full Cost$65k/yr
+$418k
-$52k
-$68k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
29
∞
Median Cost$23k/yr
39
94%
Full Cost$65k/yr
Never
-29%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.
  • 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-55%

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

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
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$68,251
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$34k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,713
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$78,547
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$101k
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Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Cognitive Science
BachCIP: 3025
Median Debt
$25,125
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Natl Median: $81,496
Lifetime Value Added
-$212k
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Median Debt
$26,750
Earnings (4yr)
$71,138
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
+$56k
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Median Debt
$19,433
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
-$104k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$212k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$71,643
Natl Median: $76,597
Lifetime Value Added
+$82k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
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
-$223k
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Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$50,439
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
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Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
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
-
Earnings (4yr)
$68,021
Natl Median: $60,053
Lifetime Value Added
+$32k
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Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$55,069
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k
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Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$22,250
Earnings (4yr)
$51,474
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$103k
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Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$64,514
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
+$4k
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Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (5yr)
$91,224
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$196k
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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
$20,750
Earnings (4yr)
$62,992
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$8k
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Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,894
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$27k
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Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$26,601
Earnings (4yr)
$76,569
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$97k
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Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$61,500
Earnings (4yr)
$79,951
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
+$23k
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Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,689
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,705
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$45,227
Earnings (4yr)
$74,038
Natl Median: $66,523
Lifetime Value Added
-$29k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$116,116
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
+$339k
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History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$66,986
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k
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Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$58,512
Natl Median: $56,301
Lifetime Value Added
-$170k
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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
-$218k
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Nutrition Sciences
MastCIP: 3019
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,126
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$71,599
Earnings (4yr)
$123,629
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$404k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,035
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$71,750
Earnings (4yr)
$69,292
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$69,110
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$65,065
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$71,019
Natl Median: $65,965
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,010
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,763
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: $88,805
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$71,750
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $138,131
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$72,395
Earnings (4yr)
$83,921
Natl Median: $82,893
Lifetime Value Added
-$109k
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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.