College ROI

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Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, PA 6,788 Undergrads 68.0% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$25,537
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$19,608
After Aid
Median Earnings
$57,301
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$19,608
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$57,301
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$53,032
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate68.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.6
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients29.5%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time94.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS76.7%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
71.5%
SAT Avg
1,095
SAT Reading
25th: 50054075th: 610
SAT Math
25th: 48053075th: 580
ACT Composite
25th: 182375th: 26

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
+$514k
+$47k
+$30k
Median Cost$20k/yr
+$443k
-$24k
-$41k
Full Cost$26k/yr
+$422k
-$45k
-$62k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
43
∞
Median Cost$20k/yr
Never
-58%
Full Cost$26k/yr
Never
-68%
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-24%

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-57%
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

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,589
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Area Studies
CertCIP: 0501
Median Debt
$21,437
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,845
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,702
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,705
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,975
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
CertCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,647
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$46,999
Natl Median: $59,056
Lifetime Value Added
+$42k

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$21,250
Earnings (4yr)
$63,186
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$6k
Median Debt
$26,375
Earnings (4yr)
$53,516
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,033
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Median Debt
$23,430
Earnings (4yr)
$56,810
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$45k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,762
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$78k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$78,096
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$121k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Criminology
BachCIP: 4504
Median Debt
$23,875
Earnings (4yr)
$58,115
Natl Median: $55,556
Lifetime Value Added
-$34k
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$40,797
Natl Median: $39,980
Lifetime Value Added
-$179k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,141
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$270k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$69,371
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$54k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,034
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
Median Debt
$19,688
Earnings (4yr)
$62,805
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$3k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$37,922
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$204k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,659
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
+$2k
Median Debt
$25,875
Earnings (4yr)
$56,402
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
-$48k
Median Debt
$26,549
Earnings (4yr)
$63,001
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$25,188
Earnings (4yr)
$48,589
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$113k
Homeland Security
BachCIP: 4303
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$60,458
Natl Median: $70,193
Lifetime Value Added
-$16k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$71,672
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
+$72k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$24,125
Earnings (4yr)
$61,322
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$22,700
Earnings (4yr)
$57,744
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$37k
Median Debt
$23,687
Earnings (4yr)
$46,176
Natl Median: $50,532
Lifetime Value Added
-$134k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$35,060
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$217k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$44,304
Natl Median: $50,468
Lifetime Value Added
-$149k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (2yr)
$24,035
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
-$317k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,548
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$47,654
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$60,530
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$15k
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (4yr)
$84,783
Natl Median: $86,525
Lifetime Value Added
+$172k
Median Debt
$14,578
Earnings (4yr)
$86,557
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$185k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,743
Natl Median: $55,792
Lifetime Value Added
-$78k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,954
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$209k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$25,142
Earnings (4yr)
$46,974
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$127k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,796
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$26,092
Earnings (4yr)
$50,048
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$45,605
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$138k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Post-Baccalaureate Certificates

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

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$88,122
Earnings (4yr)
$126,113
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
+$432k
Applied Mathematics
MastCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $116,060
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$81,485
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$42k
Median Debt
$49,371
Earnings (4yr)
$48,530
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$257k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $124,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$52,289
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
-$201k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,644
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$57,227
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
-$174k
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$30,875
Earnings (4yr)
$49,768
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
-$245k
Mathematics
MastCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,834
Natl Median: $72,654
Lifetime Value Added
-$206k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,161
Natl Median: $74,607
Lifetime Value Added
-$147k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,567
Natl Median: $57,803
Lifetime Value Added
-$125k
Public Health
MastCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$38,302
Earnings (4yr)
$61,838
Natl Median: $82,751
Lifetime Value Added
-$132k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,097
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
-$242k
Median Debt
$23,172
Earnings (4yr)
$57,999
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$167k
Median Debt
$21,250
Earnings (4yr)
$51,858
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$225k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,565
Natl Median: $58,528
Lifetime Value Added
-$309k
Median Debt
$18,393
Earnings (4yr)
$54,734
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$198k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,767
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $80,077
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,166
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,310
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
Gr-CertCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,504
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,178
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
$76,814
Earnings (4yr)
$80,226
Natl Median: $82,893
Lifetime Value Added
-$123k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $90,739
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.