Spring Arbor University

Spring Arbor, MI 1,010 Undergrads 60.2% Grad Rate

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Total Cost

$44,703

Sticker Price

Avg Net Price

$19,353

After Aid

Median Earnings

$55,203

4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$19,353

Peer Midpoint: $20,080.5

Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$55,203

Peer Midpoint: $60,428

Graduation Rate60.2%

Peer Midpoint: 58.9%

Socio-Economic Diversity

Pell Grant Recipients30.1%

Enrollment Status

Full-Time89.2%

Economic Outcomes

Earn More than HS73.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance

51.5%

SAT Avg

1,170

SAT Reading

25th: 540-75th: 630

SAT Math

25th: 470-75th: 610

ACT Composite

25th: --75th: -

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

+$30k

+$12k

Median Cost$19k/yr

+$427k

-$40k

-$57k

Full Cost$45k/yr

+$336k

-$131k

-$148k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age

Return on Inv. %

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

∞

Median Cost$19k/yr

Never

-82%

Full Cost$45k/yr

Never

-92%

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-75%

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-80%

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

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $44,125

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services

BachCIP: 5203

Median Debt

$27,000

Earnings (4yr)

$66,338

Natl Median: $76,194

Lifetime Value Added

+$32k

Bible/Biblical Studies

BachCIP: 3902

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $44,533

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

Earnings (2yr)

$25,194

Natl Median: $57,214

Lifetime Value Added

-$306k

Business Administration, Management and Operations

BachCIP: 5202

Median Debt

History

BachCIP: 5401

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $50,680

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services

BachCIP: 1907

Median Debt

$22,617

Earnings (4yr)

$48,809

Natl Median: $48,568

Lifetime Value Added

-$110k

International Business

BachCIP: 5211

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $73,201

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

BachCIP: 2401

Median Debt

$27,125

Earnings (4yr)

$50,735

Natl Median: $53,072

Lifetime Value Added

-$94k

Management Information Systems and Services

BachCIP: 5212

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $83,290

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods

BachCIP: 5213

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $86,176

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Music

BachCIP: 5009

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $42,892

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries

BachCIP: 3907

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$36,814

Natl Median: $42,915

Lifetime Value Added

-$213k

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

Psychology, General

BachCIP: 4201

Median Debt

$25,000

Earnings (4yr)

$41,167

Natl Median: $50,706

Lifetime Value Added

-$175k

Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication

BachCIP: 0909

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $63,560

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Radio, Television, and Digital Communication

BachCIP: 0907

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $50,497

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

BachCIP: 5138

Median Debt

$25,000

Earnings (4yr)

$91,869

Natl Median: $88,910

Lifetime Value Added

+$227k

Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies

BachCIP: 2313

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $48,471

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

BachCIP: 1609

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $55,000

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Social Sciences, Other

BachCIP: 4599

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $56,812

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Social Work

BachCIP: 4407

Median Debt

$27,000

Earnings (4yr)

$49,642

Natl Median: $51,790

Lifetime Value Added

-$103k

Sociology

BachCIP: 4511

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $52,657

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Special Education and Teaching

BachCIP: 1310

Median Debt

$29,000

Earnings (4yr)

$42,461

Natl Median: $50,499

Lifetime Value Added

-$164k

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness

BachCIP: 3105

Median Debt

Earnings (2yr)

$21,508

Natl Median: $54,562

Lifetime Value Added

-$340k

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas

BachCIP: 1313

Median Debt

$28,360

Earnings (4yr)

$47,270

Natl Median: $51,389

Lifetime Value Added

-$123k

Theological and Ministerial Studies

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $71,953

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Education, General

MastCIP: 1301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $65,824

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services

MastCIP: 1907

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $58,524

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

MastCIP: 1310

Median Debt

$34,216

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $64,397

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas

MastCIP: 1313

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $63,707

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Theological and Ministerial Studies

MastCIP: 3906

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $61,300

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