College ROI

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State University of New York at Oswego

Oswego, NY 5,473 Undergrads 66.3% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$27,052
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$16,236
After Aid
Median Earnings
$59,955
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$16,236
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$59,955
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$57,566
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate66.3%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.7
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients39.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time93.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS76.6%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
80.5%
SAT Avg
1,187
SAT Reading
25th: 53058575th: 630
SAT Math
25th: 54058575th: 640
ACT Composite
25th: 232775th: 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
+$535k
+$68k
+$51k
Median Cost$16k/yr
+$477k
+$10k
-$7k
Full Cost$27k/yr
+$438k
-$29k
-$46k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
38
∞
Median Cost$16k/yr
Never
-13%
Full Cost$27k/yr
Never
-48%
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 Return11%

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-49%
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
$21,195
Earnings (4yr)
$70,218
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$73k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$19,362
Earnings (2yr)
$25,774
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$289k
Applied Mathematics
BachCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $91,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,979
Earnings (4yr)
$59,427
Natl Median: $60,997
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Median Debt
$22,308
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$20,144
Earnings (4yr)
$58,932
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$16k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$66,048
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$41k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$26,824
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Cognitive Science
BachCIP: 3025
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$76,118
Natl Median: $81,496
Lifetime Value Added
+$118k
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$100,148
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$301k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$86,865
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
+$200k
Median Debt
$22,036
Earnings (4yr)
$59,563
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$44,939
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$132k
Median Debt
$25,520
Earnings (2yr)
$21,508
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$328k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$87,667
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$206k
Median Debt
$23,519
Earnings (4yr)
$40,431
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$170k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (4yr)
$38,429
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
-$188k
Median Debt
$18,213
Earnings (4yr)
$72,784
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$92k
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (4yr)
$36,511
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$204k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,580
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$64,634
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
+$30k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,459
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$24,896
Earnings (4yr)
$53,429
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$61k
Median Debt
$19,250
Earnings (4yr)
$66,544
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
+$44k
Median Debt
$25,496
Earnings (4yr)
$74,812
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
+$108k
Insurance
BachCIP: 5217
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$57,318
Natl Median: $88,472
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (2yr)
$24,730
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
-$299k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$25,958
Earnings (4yr)
$50,813
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$20,698
Earnings (4yr)
$66,766
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$46k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$25,084
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$41,122
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$165k
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
$23,402
Earnings (4yr)
$56,281
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$37k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (4yr)
$52,023
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k
Median Debt
$23,750
Earnings (4yr)
$58,675
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$48,489
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$40,579
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$169k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,933
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$278k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,537
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$76k
Median Debt
$20,196
Earnings (4yr)
$57,622
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$26k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$59,412
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,259
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (4yr)
$40,755
Natl Median: $44,055
Lifetime Value Added
-$168k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$84,645
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$76k
Median Debt
$22,118
Earnings (4yr)
$92,779
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$147k
Chemistry
MastCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,937
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$70,806
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$46k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,953
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $139,553
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
MastCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,743
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$28,143
Earnings (4yr)
$61,828
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$126k
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)
-
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $78,149
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $101,441
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$40,308
Earnings (4yr)
$61,498
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$129k
Psychology, Other
MastCIP: 4299
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,796
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$50,231
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$215k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$66,839
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$64,132
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$105k
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$65,102
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$96k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,767
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,509
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$96,767
Natl Median: $92,532
Lifetime Value Added
+$258k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,888
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,655
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.