College ROI

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Smith College

Northampton, MA 2,544 Undergrads 90.5% Grad Rate
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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: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$57,618
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$64,027
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate90.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.5
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
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
+$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
42
∞
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, or for more sophisticated analysis, the Guided ROI Interview, 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
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,333
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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
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
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (4yr)
$86,262
Natl Median: $89,359
Lifetime Value Added
+$154k
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,938
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,461
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$18,259
Earnings (4yr)
$46,136
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (4yr)
$43,354
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$186k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$11,851
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
-$460k
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
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
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,941
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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
Median Debt
$17,495
Earnings (4yr)
$48,183
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
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
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (4yr)
$68,916
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$22k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$18,114
Earnings (4yr)
$51,267
Natl Median: $55,695
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
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
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
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
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$70,680
Natl Median: $65,716
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
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

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 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.