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Southern Utah University
Cedar City, UT 9,533 Undergrads 53.7% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$19,512
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$11,432
After Aid
Median Earnings
$50,296
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$11,432
Peer Midpoint: $9,014
Earnings (10yr)$50,296
Peer Midpoint: $40,397
Graduation Rate53.7%
Peer Midpoint: 32.9%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients33.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time85.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS68.3%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
80.5%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: -58075th: -
SAT Math
25th: -55575th: -
ACT Composite
25th: -2375th: -
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
+$497k
+$108k
+$13k
Median Cost$11k/yr
+$476k
+$87k
-$8k
Full Cost$20k/yr
+$462k
+$73k
-$23k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
43
∞
Median Cost$11k/yr
Never
-38%
Full Cost$20k/yr
Never
-63%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year 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-8%
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-48%
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
Associate's Degrees
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$8,702
Earnings (5yr)
$48,508
Lifetime Value Added
+$3k
Bachelor's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$10,550
Earnings (5yr)
$74,399
Lifetime Value Added
+$111k
Agriculture, General
BachCIP: 0100
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$57,314
Lifetime Value Added
-$21k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$13,125
Earnings (5yr)
$58,829
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$43,849
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$12,450
Earnings (5yr)
$50,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$79,081
Lifetime Value Added
+$146k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$83,405
Lifetime Value Added
+$178k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$16,701
Earnings (5yr)
$47,102
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$46,163
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (5yr)
$48,419
Lifetime Value Added
-$93k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$47,952
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k
Engineering Technology, General
BachCIP: 1500
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$81,628
Lifetime Value Added
+$165k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$21,964
Lifetime Value Added
-$307k
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1901
Median Debt
$12,917
Earnings (5yr)
$39,450
Lifetime Value Added
-$168k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$77,808
Lifetime Value Added
+$136k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$30,166
Lifetime Value Added
-$248k
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services
BachCIP: 1905
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (5yr)
$44,753
Lifetime Value Added
-$124k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$44,768
Lifetime Value Added
-$124k
Hospitality Administration/Management
BachCIP: 5209
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$44,327
Lifetime Value Added
-$127k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$14,200
Earnings (5yr)
$38,062
Lifetime Value Added
-$180k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$52,322
Lifetime Value Added
-$61k
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies
BachCIP: 3101
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$37,309
Lifetime Value Added
-$186k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$9,250
Earnings (5yr)
$43,217
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (5yr)
$70,566
Lifetime Value Added
+$82k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$37,765
Lifetime Value Added
-$183k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$13,500
Earnings (5yr)
$52,531
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$14,500
Earnings (5yr)
$52,567
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$14,739
Earnings (5yr)
$92,791
Lifetime Value Added
+$356k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$90,167
Lifetime Value Added
+$334k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$14,798
Earnings (5yr)
$83,779
Lifetime Value Added
+$279k
Public Administration
MastCIP: 4404
Median Debt
$17,000
Earnings (5yr)
$67,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$136k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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 should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.