College ROI

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Simpson College

Indianola, IA 1,227 Undergrads 66.6% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$61,227
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$21,936
After Aid
Median Earnings
$56,509
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$21,936
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$56,509
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$59,274
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate66.6%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age21.5
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients33.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS87.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
86.2%
SAT Avg
1,440
SAT Reading
25th: -52575th: -
SAT Math
25th: -56075th: -
ACT Composite
25th: 312475th: 33

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
+$507k
+$41k
+$23k
Median Cost$22k/yr
+$428k
-$38k
-$56k
Full Cost$61k/yr
+$287k
-$180k
-$197k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
45
∞
Median Cost$22k/yr
Never
-71%
Full Cost$61k/yr
Never
-90%
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 Return-74%

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-83%
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
$19,586
Earnings (4yr)
$76,272
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$98k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$57,644
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$56k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$60,908
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$30k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$69,958
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$50k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$93,749
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$232k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$91,318
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$213k
Median Debt
$26,250
Earnings (4yr)
$57,279
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$50k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$43,798
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
-$147k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$43,639
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$171k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,848
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$209k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,597
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,836
Earnings (4yr)
$46,237
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$141k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$47,260
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$65,097
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$29,151
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$294k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,451
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
-
Earnings (4yr)
$63,790
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$3k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,966
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$110k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,219
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,805
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$53,392
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$54,919
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Median Debt
$25,672
Earnings (4yr)
$46,495
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$139k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,696
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k

Post-Baccalaureate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,165
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$51,713
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$231k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $74,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Other Programs

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,802
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.