Back to Colleges
Suffolk University
Boston, MA 4,434 Undergrads 61.2% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$62,822
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$30,031
After Aid
Median Earnings
$67,506
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$30,031
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$67,506
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate61.2%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients27.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS75.9%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
84.7%
SAT Avg
1,197
SAT Reading
25th: 56060075th: 660
SAT Math
25th: 53058075th: 620
ACT Composite
25th: 242675th: 32
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
+$574k
+$178k
+$90k
Median Cost$30k/yr
+$466k
+$70k
-$18k
Full Cost$63k/yr
+$348k
-$48k
-$136k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
33
∞
Median Cost$30k/yr
Never
-17%
Full Cost$63k/yr
Never
-60%
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-21%
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-69%
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
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$82,133
Lifetime Value Added
+$102k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$53,943
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$26,926
Earnings (5yr)
$76,970
Lifetime Value Added
+$63k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$65,400
Lifetime Value Added
-$24k
Criminology
BachCIP: 4504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,848
Lifetime Value Added
-$238k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$62,088
Lifetime Value Added
-$50k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$63,804
Lifetime Value Added
-$36k
English Language and Literature/Letters, Other
BachCIP: 2399
Median Debt
$24,875
Earnings (5yr)
$48,178
Lifetime Value Added
-$162k
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
BachCIP: 5207
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$69,843
Lifetime Value Added
+$10k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$93,638
Lifetime Value Added
+$188k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$44,029
Lifetime Value Added
-$197k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$46,401
Lifetime Value Added
-$177k
Information Science/Studies
BachCIP: 1104
Median Debt
$25,982
Earnings (5yr)
$86,177
Lifetime Value Added
+$132k
International Relations and National Security Studies
BachCIP: 4509
Median Debt
$26,990
Earnings (2yr)
$30,771
Lifetime Value Added
-$293k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$80,578
Lifetime Value Added
+$90k
Non-Professional General Legal Studies (Undergraduate)
BachCIP: 2200
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$56,271
Lifetime Value Added
-$96k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,829
Lifetime Value Added
-$220k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$77,636
Lifetime Value Added
+$68k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$60,751
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
BachCIP: 0909
Median Debt
$26,012
Earnings (2yr)
$35,594
Lifetime Value Added
-$249k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$57,937
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$40,539
Earnings (5yr)
$104,716
Lifetime Value Added
+$425k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$42,540
Earnings (5yr)
$131,472
Lifetime Value Added
+$653k
Business/Managerial Economics
MastCIP: 5206
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$104,858
Lifetime Value Added
+$426k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
MastCIP: 4301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$65,945
Lifetime Value Added
+$91k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$64,170
Lifetime Value Added
+$75k
Finance and Financial Management Services
MastCIP: 5208
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$133,979
Lifetime Value Added
+$674k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
MastCIP: 5107
Median Debt
$41,162
Earnings (5yr)
$100,124
Lifetime Value Added
+$385k
Marketing
MastCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$95,032
Lifetime Value Added
+$342k
Public Administration
MastCIP: 4404
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (5yr)
$85,129
Lifetime Value Added
+$257k
Taxation
MastCIP: 5216
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$118,682
Lifetime Value Added
+$544k
Graduate Certificates
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Gr-CertCIP: 5115
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$48,823
Lifetime Value Added
+$34k
Doctoral Degrees
Law
DocCIP: 2201
Median Debt
$113,386
Earnings (5yr)
$104,847
Lifetime Value Added
+$223k
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.