College ROI

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St Olaf College

Northfield, MN 3,093 Undergrads 85.1% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$71,843
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$23,874
After Aid
Median Earnings
$56,323
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$23,874
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$56,323
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$65,543
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate85.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.6
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients20.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS77.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
48.3%
SAT Avg
1,380
SAT Reading
25th: 66067075th: 740
SAT Math
25th: 64066575th: 730
ACT Composite
25th: 283175th: 32

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
+$506k
+$39k
+$22k
Median Cost$24k/yr
+$420k
-$47k
-$64k
Full Cost$72k/yr
+$247k
-$219k
-$237k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
46
∞
Median Cost$24k/yr
Never
-75%
Full Cost$72k/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-79%

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-86%
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

Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (4yr)
$47,677
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (4yr)
$62,818
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$24,988
Earnings (5yr)
$65,522
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
-$959
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,477
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,429
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$23,125
Earnings (4yr)
$122,912
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$446k
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,980
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (4yr)
$45,023
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$159k
Median Debt
$21,502
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,642
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$26,671
Earnings (4yr)
$84,559
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$155k
Median Debt
$25,715
Earnings (4yr)
$49,382
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$122k
Median Debt
$23,480
Earnings (4yr)
$54,100
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$44,287
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$165k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,459
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$25,812
Earnings (4yr)
$42,538
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$180k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$87,691
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$179k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,941
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$23,500
Earnings (4yr)
$42,439
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$181k
Median Debt
$23,635
Earnings (4yr)
$48,137
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$132k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (2yr)
$35,416
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
-$229k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
$23,762
Earnings (2yr)
$39,009
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$197k
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (4yr)
$57,869
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$52k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,666
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$81,743
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$121k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$37,335
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
-$225k
Religious Music and Worship
BachCIP: 3905
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,456
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$56,282
Natl Median: $55,695
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Median Debt
$24,830
Earnings (4yr)
$53,232
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,169
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,611
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
Median Debt
$24,644
Earnings (4yr)
$60,225
Natl Median: $46,959
Lifetime Value Added
-$33k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$66,314
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$15k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,909
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k

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.