College ROI

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Southwest Baptist University

Bolivar, MO 1,341 Undergrads 46.3% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$43,607
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$21,174
After Aid
Median Earnings
$57,743
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$21,174
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$57,743
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$50,155
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate46.3%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average Starting Age23.9
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients27.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time78.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS66.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
68.4%
SAT Avg
1,088
SAT Reading
25th: 43054075th: 610
SAT Math
25th: 38056575th: 600
ACT Composite
25th: 172275th: 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
+$511k
+$41k
+$24k
Median Cost$21k/yr
+$435k
-$36k
-$52k
Full Cost$44k/yr
+$354k
-$116k
-$133k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
45
∞
Median Cost$21k/yr
Never
-68%
Full Cost$44k/yr
Never
-84%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
  • 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-62%

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-77%

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
$12,622
Earnings (4yr)
$54,644
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$55k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
AssocCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,787
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,180
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$16,341
Earnings (4yr)
$71,927
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$217k
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Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,533
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,055
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$287k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$56,182
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,016
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
-$8k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,060
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$223k
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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
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$67,499
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
+$25k
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History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$59,948
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$5k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,103
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
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$21,831
Earnings (4yr)
$43,058
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$166k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,990
Earnings (4yr)
$78,525
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$121k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Religious Education
BachCIP: 3904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,633
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$58,770
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$34k
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Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$36,697
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$221k
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Median Debt
$25,646
Earnings (4yr)
$41,618
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$179k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,535
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$19,949
Earnings (4yr)
$50,567
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$242k
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Median Debt
$19,806
Earnings (4yr)
$56,186
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$188k
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Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities
MastCIP: 5132
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,487
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Education, General
DocCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$80,017
Natl Median: $87,373
Lifetime Value Added
-$130k
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Median Debt
$129,814
Earnings (4yr)
$78,101
Natl Median: $82,893
Lifetime Value Added
-$144k
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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.