College ROI

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State University of New York at New Paltz

New Paltz, NY 6,086 Undergrads 75.3% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$29,524
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$19,499
After Aid
Median Earnings
$60,108
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$19,499
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$60,108
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$65,774
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate75.3%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average starting age (2015-17)21.0
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients36.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time92.3%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS72.2%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
61.6%
SAT Avg
1,265
SAT Reading
25th: 60064075th: 690
SAT Math
25th: 57061075th: 650
ACT Composite
25th: 252875th: 29

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
+$530k
+$60k
+$43k
Median Cost$19k/yr
+$460k
-$10k
-$27k
Full Cost$30k/yr
+$424k
-$47k
-$63k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
39
∞
Median Cost$19k/yr
Never
-38%
Full Cost$30k/yr
Never
-59%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.
  • 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-58%

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$16,500
Earnings (4yr)
$67,626
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$43k
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Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$20,140
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$354k
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Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$31,038
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
-$254k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$17,625
Earnings (4yr)
$57,203
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
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Median Debt
$18,610
Earnings (4yr)
$57,350
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$40k
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Median Debt
$13,999
Earnings (2yr)
$37,568
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
-$194k
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Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (4yr)
$60,929
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
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Median Debt
$18,750
Earnings (4yr)
$60,112
Natl Median: $58,928
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
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Median Debt
$16,875
Earnings (4yr)
$103,020
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$313k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$67,324
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
+$62k
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Median Debt
$15,750
Earnings (2yr)
$51,273
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k
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Median Debt
$20,772
Earnings (4yr)
$39,521
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$191k
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Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$43,128
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$88,403
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$189k
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Median Debt
$16,750
Earnings (4yr)
$45,024
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$143k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$45,563
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
-$139k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,353
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
-$296k
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Median Debt
$20,120
Earnings (5yr)
$76,132
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$97k
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Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$42,997
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$168k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,967
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
-$300k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,771
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
-$256k
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History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$15,750
Earnings (5yr)
$43,609
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,739
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
-$293k
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Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,085
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
-$208k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$21,052
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$345k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$64,993
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$22k
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Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,007
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
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Median Debt
$22,962
Earnings (4yr)
$89,504
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$210k
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Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (2yr)
$15,288
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$399k
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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
$12,752
Earnings (4yr)
$53,534
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
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Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$16,420
Earnings (4yr)
$55,378
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$56k
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Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (4yr)
$47,453
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$123k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,063
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$299k
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Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$22,266
Earnings (4yr)
$51,290
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
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Median Debt
$16,819
Earnings (4yr)
$53,267
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
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Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (4yr)
$60,371
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$15k
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Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$41,097
Natl Median: $41,688
Lifetime Value Added
-$177k
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Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$93,245
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$130k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$55,964
Natl Median: $71,241
Lifetime Value Added
-$166k
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Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$84,763
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$72k
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Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$73,525
Natl Median: $67,030
Lifetime Value Added
-$27k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $124,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, Other
MastCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$56,776
Natl Median: $65,348
Lifetime Value Added
-$158k
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Median Debt
$30,750
Earnings (2yr)
$94,408
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$190k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $133,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$21,964
Natl Median: $49,079
Lifetime Value Added
-$515k
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Median Debt
$36,000
Earnings (4yr)
$64,009
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
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Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,711
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$68,520
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$71,542
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$52,107
Natl Median: $65,767
Lifetime Value Added
-$204k
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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.