College ROI

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St Lawrence University

Canton, NY 1,918 Undergrads 82.1% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$84,550
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$31,355
After Aid
Median Earnings
$70,872
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$31,355
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$70,872
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$74,500
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate82.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.4
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients23.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS82.2%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
54.3%
SAT Avg
1,371
SAT Reading
25th: 64566575th: 710
SAT Math
25th: 61064575th: 710
ACT Composite
25th: 303175th: 33

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
+$614k
+$144k
+$127k
Median Cost$31k/yr
+$501k
+$31k
+$15k
Full Cost$85k/yr
+$310k
-$160k
-$177k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
31
∞
Median Cost$31k/yr
55
13%
Full Cost$85k/yr
Never
-58%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.
  • 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-20%

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-72%

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 →

Bachelor's Degrees

Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$69,386
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$14k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$82,269
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
+$112k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$72,839
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
+$40k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$41,638
Natl Median: $48,842
Lifetime Value Added
-$215k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$26,498
Earnings (4yr)
$96,345
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$220k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$61,335
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$50k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,720
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,580
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$57,349
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$65,419
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$88,586
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$161k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,451
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
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$75,486
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$61k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$62,479
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$23,649
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$364k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$21,875
Earnings (5yr)
$55,659
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$105k
Statistics
BachCIP: 2705
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,425
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,581
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$175k

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.