Smith College

Northampton, MA 2,544 Undergrads 90.5% Grad Rate

School Website|Financial Calculator

Total Cost

$86,030

Sticker Price

Avg Net Price

$27,579

After Aid

Median Earnings

$57,618

4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$27,579

Peer Midpoint: $20,080.5

Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$57,618

Peer Midpoint: $60,428

Graduation Rate90.5%

Peer Midpoint: 58.9%

Socio-Economic Diversity

Pell Grant Recipients18.1%

Enrollment Status

Full-Time99.7%

Economic Outcomes

Earn More than HS73.9%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance

21.0%

SAT Avg

1,500

SAT Reading

25th: 72072575th: 760

SAT Math

25th: 70072575th: 780

ACT Composite

25th: 323375th: 35

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

+$516k

+$50k

+$32k

Median Cost$28k/yr

+$417k

-$50k

-$67k

Full Cost$86k/yr

+$207k

-$260k

-$277k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age

Return on Inv. %

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

∞

Median Cost$28k/yr

Never

-68%

Full Cost$86k/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-76%

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-87%

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

Anthropology

BachCIP: 4502

Median Debt

Earnings (5yr)

$49,805

Natl Median: $46,676

Lifetime Value Added

-$140k

Architecture

BachCIP: 0402

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $66,914

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Area Studies

BachCIP: 0501

Median Debt

$19,000

Earnings (4yr)

$51,131

Natl Median: $56,625

Lifetime Value Added

-$121k

Astronomy and Astrophysics

BachCIP: 4002

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $68,333

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology

BachCIP: 2602

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $65,466

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Biology, General

BachCIP: 2601

Median Debt

$19,000

Earnings (4yr)

$63,133

Natl Median: $57,214

Lifetime Value Added

-$23k

Chemistry

BachCIP: 4005

Median Debt

Earnings (2yr)

$42,682

Natl Median: $65,120

Lifetime Value Added

-$177k

Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

BachCIP: 1612

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $49,429

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Computer Science

BachCIP: 1107

Median Debt

$19,000

Earnings (2yr)

$71,957

Natl Median: $107,009

Lifetime Value Added

+$67k

Dance

BachCIP: 5003

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $39,980

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft

BachCIP: 5005

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $39,775

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

BachCIP: 1603

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $51,642

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Economics

BachCIP: 4506

Median Debt

$19,000

Earnings (4yr)

$88,067

Natl Median: $82,686

Lifetime Value Added

+$168k

Education, General

BachCIP: 1301

Median Debt

$19,000

Earnings (5yr)

$53,517

Natl Median: $49,808

Lifetime Value Added

-$109k

Engineering, General

BachCIP: 1401

Median Debt

$19,000

Earnings (4yr)

$86,262

Natl Median: $89,359

Lifetime Value Added

+$154k

English Language and Literature, General

BachCIP: 2301

Median Debt

$19,000

Earnings (4yr)

$52,938

Natl Median: $48,590

Lifetime Value Added

-$106k

Environmental Design

BachCIP: 0404

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $57,461

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies

BachCIP: 0502

Median Debt

$18,259

Earnings (4yr)

$46,136

Natl Median: $51,710

Lifetime Value Added

-$163k

Film/Video and Photographic Arts

BachCIP: 5006

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $43,765

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Fine and Studio Arts

BachCIP: 5007

Median Debt

$19,000

Earnings (4yr)

$43,354

Natl Median: $41,367

Lifetime Value Added

-$186k

Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences

BachCIP: 4006

Median Debt

Earnings (2yr)

$11,851

Natl Median: $60,190

Lifetime Value Added

-$460k

Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

BachCIP: 1605

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $55,459

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

History

BachCIP: 5401

Median Debt

$19,000

Earnings (4yr)

$46,960

Natl Median: $50,680

Lifetime Value Added

-$156k

Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services

BachCIP: 1601

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $49,984

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Mathematics

BachCIP: 2701

Median Debt

$16,994

Earnings (5yr)

$56,480

Natl Median: $69,562

Lifetime Value Added

-$85k

Medieval and Renaissance Studies

BachCIP: 3013

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $44,941

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other

BachCIP: 3099

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $55,693

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Music

BachCIP: 5009

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $42,892

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Natural Resources Conservation and Research

BachCIP: 0301

Median Debt

$17,495

Earnings (4yr)

$48,183

Natl Median: $55,012

Lifetime Value Added

-$145k

Neurobiology and Neurosciences

BachCIP: 2615

Median Debt

$18,558

Earnings (2yr)

$34,603

Natl Median: $62,451

Lifetime Value Added

-$250k

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

Political Science and Government

BachCIP: 4510

Median Debt

$19,000

Earnings (4yr)

$68,916

Natl Median: $63,293

Lifetime Value Added

+$22k

Religion/Religious Studies

BachCIP: 3802

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $41,390

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Research and Experimental Psychology

BachCIP: 4227

Median Debt

$18,114

Earnings (4yr)

$51,267

Natl Median: $55,695

Lifetime Value Added

-$119k

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

BachCIP: 1609

Median Debt

$19,000

Earnings (4yr)

$58,304

Natl Median: $55,000

Lifetime Value Added

-$62k

Sociology

BachCIP: 4511

Median Debt

$19,000

Earnings (4yr)

$58,664

Natl Median: $52,657

Lifetime Value Added

-$59k

Statistics

BachCIP: 2705

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $92,425

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Master's Degrees

Biology, General

MastCIP: 2601

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $69,830

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Chemistry

MastCIP: 4005

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $82,937

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Dance

MastCIP: 5003

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $55,404

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft

MastCIP: 5005

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $49,978

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Education, General

MastCIP: 1301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$60,125

Natl Median: $65,824

Lifetime Value Added

-$162k

English Language and Literature, General

MastCIP: 2301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $55,512

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

History

MastCIP: 5401

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $55,360

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

MastCIP: 2401

Median Debt

Earnings (5yr)

$70,680

Natl Median: $65,716

Lifetime Value Added

-$80k

Political Science and Government

MastCIP: 4510

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $78,850

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Social Work

MastCIP: 4407

Median Debt

$60,256

Earnings (4yr)

$68,927

Natl Median: $65,123

Lifetime Value Added

-$83k

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness

MastCIP: 3105

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$57,262

Natl Median: $62,033

Lifetime Value Added

-$189k

Doctoral Degrees

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

DocCIP: 2401

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $69,534

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Social Work

DocCIP: 4407

Median Debt

Earnings (2yr)

$83,177

Natl Median: $98,285

Lifetime Value Added

-$105k

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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.