College ROI

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State University of New York at Cortland

Cortland, NY 5,901 Undergrads 70.8% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$28,108
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$22,345
After Aid
Median Earnings
$58,555
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$22,345
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$58,555
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$60,236
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate70.8%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.4
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients27.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time98.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS77.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
59.8%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: -58075th: -
SAT Math
25th: -58575th: -
ACT Composite
25th: -2575th: -

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
+$524k
+$57k
+$40k
Median Cost$22k/yr
+$444k
-$23k
-$41k
Full Cost$28k/yr
+$423k
-$44k
-$61k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
40
∞
Median Cost$22k/yr
Never
-51%
Full Cost$28k/yr
Never
-61%
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-13%

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-56%
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

Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$52,067
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Archeology
BachCIP: 4503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,748
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$23,125
Earnings (4yr)
$61,879
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$14k
Median Debt
$21,470
Earnings (4yr)
$66,644
Natl Median: $77,981
Lifetime Value Added
+$23k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$63,431
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$2k
Median Debt
$20,187
Earnings (4yr)
$62,122
Natl Median: $58,928
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,936
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Criminology
BachCIP: 4504
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$56,593
Natl Median: $55,556
Lifetime Value Added
-$57k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$48,562
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,842
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$316k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,634
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,281
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
-$243k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,027
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
-$29k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$62,524
Natl Median: $68,245
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (4yr)
$51,043
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$63,740
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
Median Debt
$21,375
Earnings (4yr)
$44,687
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$156k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$19,465
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Outdoor Education
BachCIP: 3106
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,157
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,468
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Natl Median: $50,983
Lifetime Value Added
-$275k
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
$22,000
Earnings (4yr)
$60,296
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$27k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$56,366
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,654
Natl Median: $55,792
Lifetime Value Added
-$89k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$53,524
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$74,079
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
+$80k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$56,466
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Median Debt
$21,794
Earnings (4yr)
$62,275
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Median Debt
$21,485
Earnings (4yr)
$63,201
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$4k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,259
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$68,204
Natl Median: $67,030
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
-$358k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $81,651
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$32,563
Natl Median: $56,313
Lifetime Value Added
-$407k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $79,471
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$57,719
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$175k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$27,333
Earnings (4yr)
$63,148
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
-$125k
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$56,556
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$186k
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$65,285
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$105k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,767
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$96,712
Natl Median: $86,288
Lifetime Value Added
+$252k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,852
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.