College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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St. Thomas Aquinas College

Sparkill, NY 972 Undergrads 62.1% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$53,370
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$19,994
After Aid
Median Earnings
$60,309
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$19,994
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$60,309
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$62,909
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate62.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.4
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients36.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time98.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS71.7%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
93.0%
SAT Avg
1,000
SAT Reading
25th: 41056875th: 520
SAT Math
25th: 47056875th: 565
ACT Composite
25th: -2975th: -

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
+$538k
+$71k
+$54k
Median Cost$20k/yr
+$466k
-$643
-$18k
Full Cost$53k/yr
+$346k
-$121k
-$138k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
37
Median Cost$20k/yr
Never
-25%
Full Cost$53k/yr
Never
-72%
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-41%

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-73%
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

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$79,896
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$133k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,891
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$69,240
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$41k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$64,075
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$12k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,975
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$57,112
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$57,707
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$39k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$73,070
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$38,765
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$205k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$42,435
Natl Median: $75,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,468
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,083
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$60,409
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,918
Natl Median: $53,366
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$45,373
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k
Median Debt
$24,615
Earnings (5yr)
$64,284
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
+$3k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$96,346
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$172k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,079
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$76,928
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
+$1k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$73,667
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$27k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$62,012
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,147
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,444
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.