St. Mary's College of Maryland

St. Mary's City, MD 1,603 Undergrads 71.5% Grad Rate

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Total Cost

$31,865

Sticker Price

Avg Net Price

$18,441

After Aid

Median Earnings

$60,029

4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$18,441

Peer Midpoint: $20,081

Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation

$60,029

Peer Midpoint: $60,428

Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment

$60,110

Peer Midpoint: $53,763

Graduation Rate71.5%

Peer Midpoint: 58.9%

Average Starting Age20.4

Socio-Economic Diversity

Pell Grant Recipients20.9%

Enrollment Status

Full-Time98.3%

Economic Outcomes

Earn More than HS79.9%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance

68.6%

SAT Avg

1,261

SAT Reading

25th: 59063875th: 690

SAT Math

25th: 55360075th: 650

ACT Composite

25th: 262975th: 31

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

+$536k

+$69k

+$52k

Median Cost$18k/yr

+$470k

+$3k

-$15k

Full Cost$32k/yr

+$421k

-$46k

-$63k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age

Return on Inv. %

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

∞

Median Cost$18k/yr

Never

-22%

Full Cost$32k/yr

Never

-55%

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-5%

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-57%

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

Anthropology

BachCIP: 4502

Median Debt

$25,000

Earnings (4yr)

$41,309

Natl Median: $46,676

Lifetime Value Added

-$171k

Area Studies

BachCIP: 0501

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $56,625

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

Biological and Physical Sciences

BachCIP: 3001

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $58,891

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Biology, General

BachCIP: 2601

Median Debt

$20,714

Earnings (4yr)

$66,097

Natl Median: $57,214

Lifetime Value Added

+$33k

Chemistry

BachCIP: 4005

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $65,120

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Computer and Information Sciences, General

BachCIP: 1101

Median Debt

$19,500

Earnings (4yr)

$94,101

Natl Median: $92,374

Lifetime Value Added

+$247k

Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft

BachCIP: 5005

Median Debt

Earnings (2yr)

$22,192

Natl Median: $39,775

Lifetime Value Added

-$330k

Economics

BachCIP: 4506

Median Debt

$22,000

Earnings (4yr)

$71,252

Natl Median: $82,686

Lifetime Value Added

+$73k

English Language and Literature, General

BachCIP: 2301

Median Debt

$21,375

Earnings (4yr)

$53,504

Natl Median: $48,590

Lifetime Value Added

-$68k

Fine and Studio Arts

BachCIP: 5007

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$44,442

Natl Median: $41,367

Lifetime Value Added

-$144k

History

BachCIP: 5401

Median Debt

$23,943

Earnings (4yr)

$55,472

Natl Median: $50,680

Lifetime Value Added

-$52k

Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services

BachCIP: 1601

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $49,984

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Mathematics

BachCIP: 2701

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$77,474

Natl Median: $69,562

Lifetime Value Added

+$120k

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other

BachCIP: 3099

Median Debt

Earnings (5yr)

$54,347

Natl Median: $55,693

Lifetime Value Added

-$70k

Music

BachCIP: 5009

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $42,892

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Natural Resources Conservation and Research

BachCIP: 0301

Median Debt

$19,000

Earnings (4yr)

$56,619

Natl Median: $55,012

Lifetime Value Added

-$42k

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

Political Science and Government

BachCIP: 4510

Median Debt

$25,000

Earnings (4yr)

$72,397

Natl Median: $63,293

Lifetime Value Added

+$81k

Psychology, General

BachCIP: 4201

Median Debt

$20,065

Earnings (4yr)

$61,214

Natl Median: $50,706

Lifetime Value Added

-$5k

Public Policy Analysis

BachCIP: 4405

Median Debt

$22,750

Earnings (4yr)

$69,232

Natl Median: $73,721

Lifetime Value Added

+$57k

Religion/Religious Studies

BachCIP: 3802

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $41,390

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Sociology

BachCIP: 4511

Median Debt

Earnings (5yr)

$59,320

Natl Median: $52,657

Lifetime Value Added

-$30k

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. 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.