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Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY 17,420 Undergrads 77.4% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$29,174
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$18,430
After Aid
Median Earnings
$74,502
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$18,430
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$74,502
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate77.4%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients38.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time94.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS80.1%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
49.0%
SAT Avg
1,410
SAT Reading
25th: 64067075th: 720
SAT Math
25th: 68072075th: 770
ACT Composite
25th: 283175th: 33
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
+$626k
+$230k
+$142k
Median Cost$18k/yr
+$560k
+$163k
+$75k
Full Cost$29k/yr
+$521k
+$125k
+$37k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
30
∞
Median Cost$18k/yr
39
114%
Full Cost$29k/yr
48
35%
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 Return162%
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-8%
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
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
BachCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$18,735
Earnings (5yr)
$97,964
Lifetime Value Added
+$262k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$17,699
Earnings (5yr)
$43,848
Lifetime Value Added
-$156k
Applied Mathematics
BachCIP: 2703
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (5yr)
$89,923
Lifetime Value Added
+$202k
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
BachCIP: 2602
Median Debt
$18,250
Earnings (5yr)
$73,829
Lifetime Value Added
+$81k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (5yr)
$68,096
Lifetime Value Added
+$38k
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
BachCIP: 1405
Median Debt
$24,452
Earnings (5yr)
$92,089
Lifetime Value Added
+$218k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$16,362
Earnings (5yr)
$74,434
Lifetime Value Added
+$86k
Chemical Engineering
BachCIP: 1407
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (5yr)
$100,426
Lifetime Value Added
+$280k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$21,490
Earnings (5yr)
$61,248
Lifetime Value Added
-$15k
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions
BachCIP: 5110
Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (5yr)
$106,814
Lifetime Value Added
+$328k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$16,250
Earnings (5yr)
$139,598
Lifetime Value Added
+$571k
Computer Engineering
BachCIP: 1409
Median Debt
$19,750
Earnings (5yr)
$128,966
Lifetime Value Added
+$493k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$42,521
Lifetime Value Added
-$168k
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology
BachCIP: 2613
Median Debt
$20,038
Earnings (5yr)
$52,375
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$80,632
Lifetime Value Added
+$132k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$14,519
Earnings (5yr)
$95,700
Lifetime Value Added
+$245k
Engineering, General
BachCIP: 1401
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (5yr)
$95,741
Lifetime Value Added
+$245k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$18,000
Earnings (5yr)
$53,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies
BachCIP: 0502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,416
Lifetime Value Added
-$209k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$15,750
Earnings (5yr)
$33,435
Lifetime Value Added
-$245k
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
BachCIP: 5100
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (5yr)
$77,240
Lifetime Value Added
+$107k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$59,251
Lifetime Value Added
-$30k
Human Computer Interaction
BachCIP: 3031
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$89,583
Lifetime Value Added
+$199k
Information Science/Studies
BachCIP: 1104
Median Debt
$19,750
Earnings (5yr)
$101,997
Lifetime Value Added
+$292k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$23,375
Earnings (5yr)
$67,142
Lifetime Value Added
+$31k
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
BachCIP: 1601
Median Debt
$18,938
Earnings (5yr)
$66,762
Lifetime Value Added
+$28k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$19,750
Earnings (5yr)
$80,309
Lifetime Value Added
+$130k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$19,920
Earnings (5yr)
$97,629
Lifetime Value Added
+$260k
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
BachCIP: 3099
Median Debt
$21,018
Earnings (5yr)
$57,395
Lifetime Value Added
-$45k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
$16,632
Earnings (5yr)
$59,487
Lifetime Value Added
-$29k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$31,305
Lifetime Value Added
-$247k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
$21,341
Earnings (5yr)
$85,544
Lifetime Value Added
+$169k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (5yr)
$77,623
Lifetime Value Added
+$110k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$16,750
Earnings (5yr)
$60,999
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$106,785
Lifetime Value Added
+$328k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
$16,781
Earnings (5yr)
$43,596
Lifetime Value Added
-$159k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$20,098
Earnings (5yr)
$57,611
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$17,250
Earnings (5yr)
$63,549
Lifetime Value Added
+$3k
Master's Degrees
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
MastCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$80,222
Earnings (5yr)
$154,453
Lifetime Value Added
+$869k
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$23,846
Earnings (5yr)
$72,476
Lifetime Value Added
+$169k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$33,666
Earnings (5yr)
$96,348
Lifetime Value Added
+$374k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
$24,248
Earnings (5yr)
$66,268
Lifetime Value Added
+$115k
Human Resources Management and Services
MastCIP: 5210
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$91,044
Lifetime Value Added
+$329k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
MastCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$19,633
Earnings (5yr)
$83,884
Lifetime Value Added
+$267k
Mechanical Engineering
MastCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$13,759
Earnings (5yr)
$101,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$417k
Natural Resources Management and Policy
MastCIP: 0302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,771
Lifetime Value Added
-$202k
Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$22,014
Earnings (2yr)
$28,598
Lifetime Value Added
-$225k
Public Policy Analysis
MastCIP: 4405
Median Debt
$20,391
Earnings (5yr)
$71,991
Lifetime Value Added
+$165k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
MastCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$29,728
Earnings (5yr)
$131,398
Lifetime Value Added
+$673k
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
MastCIP: 5123
Median Debt
$57,074
Earnings (5yr)
$70,776
Lifetime Value Added
+$154k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
MastCIP: 2313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,409
Lifetime Value Added
-$206k
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$36,023
Earnings (5yr)
$69,480
Lifetime Value Added
+$143k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
MastCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$24,811
Earnings (5yr)
$77,265
Lifetime Value Added
+$210k
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language
MastCIP: 1314
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$89,480
Lifetime Value Added
+$315k
Graduate Certificates
Educational Administration and Supervision
Gr-CertCIP: 1304
Median Debt
$27,849
Earnings (5yr)
$138,594
Lifetime Value Added
+$859k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Gr-CertCIP: 5138
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$115,339
Lifetime Value Added
+$710k
Doctoral Degrees
Music
DocCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$76,688
Earnings (5yr)
$46,857
Lifetime Value Added
-$169k
Professional Degrees
Dentistry
ProfCIP: 5104
Median Debt
$268,332
Earnings (5yr)
$180,218
Lifetime Value Added
+$809k
Medicine
ProfCIP: 5112
Median Debt
$235,558
Earnings (5yr)
$146,211
Lifetime Value Added
+$564k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
ProfCIP: 5138
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$180,189
Lifetime Value Added
+$809k
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
ProfCIP: 5123
Median Debt
$127,784
Earnings (5yr)
$92,238
Lifetime Value Added
+$173k
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.