College ROI

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St. John Fisher University

Rochester, NY 2,565 Undergrads 77.8% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$55,201
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$28,945
After Aid
Median Earnings
$70,456
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$28,945
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$70,456
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$66,944
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate77.8%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age21.1
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients28.5%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time98.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS86.7%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
66.4%
SAT Avg
1,214
SAT Reading
25th: 56059075th: 650
SAT Math
25th: 56060075th: 650
ACT Composite
25th: 232675th: 28

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
+$617k
+$150k
+$133k
Median Cost$29k/yr
+$513k
+$46k
+$29k
Full Cost$55k/yr
+$419k
-$48k
-$66k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
30
∞
Median Cost$29k/yr
50
28%
Full Cost$55k/yr
Never
-33%
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 Return30%

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-54%
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

Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$72,171
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$42k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$24,987
Earnings (4yr)
$61,201
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$57,184
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$76k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$65,524
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
-$19k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$58,279
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$67k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Criminology
BachCIP: 4504
Median Debt
$23,188
Earnings (4yr)
$60,481
Natl Median: $55,556
Lifetime Value Added
-$49k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,920
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
-$45k
Median Debt
$21,250
Earnings (4yr)
$54,602
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$97k
Median Debt
$22,875
Earnings (4yr)
$70,455
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$29k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,491
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$139k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,893
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
-$38k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$68,086
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$11k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Non-Professional Legal Studies
BachCIP: 2200
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$54,899
Natl Median: $61,959
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $116,539
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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
-
Earnings (5yr)
$64,308
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$29k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,568
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$105k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$42,908
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$180k
Median Debt
$25,375
Earnings (4yr)
$86,470
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$151k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$55,539
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$55,613
Natl Median: $50,078
Lifetime Value Added
-$97k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$22,914
Earnings (4yr)
$56,069
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
Statistics
BachCIP: 2705
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,425
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,887
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,783
Earnings (4yr)
$56,411
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$31,625
Earnings (4yr)
$84,143
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$48k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$89,525
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$95k
Median Debt
$73,815
Earnings (4yr)
$61,816
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$149k
Median Debt
$34,628
Earnings (4yr)
$109,441
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$270k
Median Debt
$66,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,346
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$228k
Median Debt
$27,475
Earnings (4yr)
$57,619
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$188k

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
$97,204
Earnings (4yr)
$128,060
Natl Median: $113,566
Lifetime Value Added
+$198k

Professional Degrees

Median Debt
$175,497
Earnings (4yr)
$134,673
Natl Median: $138,348
Lifetime Value Added
+$246k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $133,099
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 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.