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State University of New York at New Paltz
New Paltz, NY 6,022 Undergrads 75.8% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$27,034
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$18,481
After Aid
Median Earnings
$58,073
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$18,481
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$58,073
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate75.8%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients33.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time92.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS72.4%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
58.7%
SAT Avg
1,267
SAT Reading
25th: 60062475th: 680
SAT Math
25th: 57061075th: 660
ACT Composite
25th: 242775th: 29
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
+$502k
+$105k
+$17k
Median Cost$18k/yr
+$435k
+$39k
-$49k
Full Cost$27k/yr
+$405k
+$8k
-$80k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
48
∞
Median Cost$18k/yr
Never
-74%
Full Cost$27k/yr
Never
-82%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year 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-50%
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-65%
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
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$22,042
Earnings (5yr)
$72,714
Lifetime Value Added
+$73k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$15,750
Earnings (5yr)
$14,746
Lifetime Value Added
-$408k
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,093
Lifetime Value Added
-$97k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$15,250
Earnings (5yr)
$75,306
Lifetime Value Added
+$92k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$17,083
Earnings (5yr)
$70,059
Lifetime Value Added
+$53k
Business/Commerce, General
BachCIP: 5201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$68,890
Lifetime Value Added
+$44k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (5yr)
$53,859
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
BachCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$64,699
Lifetime Value Added
+$12k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (2yr)
$58,221
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Computer Engineering
BachCIP: 1409
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$67,324
Lifetime Value Added
+$63k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (5yr)
$57,835
Lifetime Value Added
-$42k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$19,875
Earnings (5yr)
$23,543
Lifetime Value Added
-$330k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$67,782
Lifetime Value Added
+$36k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$17,250
Earnings (5yr)
$98,100
Lifetime Value Added
+$263k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$20,250
Earnings (5yr)
$49,665
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies
BachCIP: 0502
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (5yr)
$52,686
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
BachCIP: 5006
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,353
Lifetime Value Added
-$292k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$16,500
Earnings (5yr)
$67,220
Lifetime Value Added
+$31k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$29,713
Lifetime Value Added
-$277k
Geography and Cartography
BachCIP: 4507
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,967
Lifetime Value Added
-$295k
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
BachCIP: 4006
Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (5yr)
$56,558
Lifetime Value Added
-$52k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$14,000
Earnings (5yr)
$49,161
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
International Relations and National Security Studies
BachCIP: 4509
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$57,641
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$52,654
Lifetime Value Added
-$84k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$21,052
Lifetime Value Added
-$341k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$17,250
Earnings (5yr)
$74,409
Lifetime Value Added
+$86k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,007
Lifetime Value Added
-$159k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$15,288
Lifetime Value Added
-$394k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$18,472
Earnings (5yr)
$56,178
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$55,972
Lifetime Value Added
-$57k
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication
BachCIP: 0907
Median Debt
$19,332
Earnings (5yr)
$51,724
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
$16,000
Earnings (5yr)
$60,084
Lifetime Value Added
-$24k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$20,941
Earnings (5yr)
$51,979
Lifetime Value Added
-$89k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$17,875
Earnings (5yr)
$60,232
Lifetime Value Added
-$23k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$20,674
Earnings (5yr)
$59,452
Lifetime Value Added
-$29k
Visual and Performing Arts, General
BachCIP: 5001
Median Debt
$18,000
Earnings (5yr)
$36,940
Lifetime Value Added
-$215k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$90,896
Lifetime Value Added
+$327k
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education
MastCIP: 1302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$55,964
Lifetime Value Added
+$53k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$81,659
Lifetime Value Added
+$248k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
MastCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$40,520
Earnings (5yr)
$69,778
Lifetime Value Added
+$146k
Education, Other
MastCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$72,123
Lifetime Value Added
+$166k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$94,408
Lifetime Value Added
+$407k
Fine and Studio Arts
MastCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$21,023
Lifetime Value Added
-$317k
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
MastCIP: 5115
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (5yr)
$56,993
Lifetime Value Added
+$31k
Special Education and Teaching
MastCIP: 1310
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$69,881
Lifetime Value Added
+$146k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
MastCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$71,050
Lifetime Value Added
+$157k
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language
MastCIP: 1314
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$52,107
Lifetime Value Added
+$16k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.