College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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St. John's College

Santa Fe, NM 368 Undergrads 60.8% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
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Total Cost
$55,824
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$26,674
After Aid
Median Earnings
$37,727
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$26,674
Peer Midpoint: $20,080.5
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$37,727
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Graduation Rate60.8%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients25.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time98.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS56.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
53.1%
SAT Avg
1,426
SAT Reading
25th: 68071075th: 750
SAT Math
25th: 61066575th: 710
ACT Composite
25th: 282875th: 34

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
+$349k
-$118k
-$135k
Median Cost$27k/yr
+$253k
-$214k
-$231k
Full Cost$56k/yr
+$148k
-$319k
-$336k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$27k/yr
Never
-241%
Full Cost$56k/yr
Never
-167%
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-205%

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-113%
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

Bachelor's Degrees

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$26,697
Earnings (4yr)
$30,778
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$292k

Master's Degrees

Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
MastCIP: 1612
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,499
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
MastCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,716
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.