College ROI

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Suffolk University

Boston, MA 4,268 Undergrads 64.9% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$65,281
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$29,618
After Aid
Median Earnings
$74,456
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$29,618
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$74,456
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$67,506
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate64.9%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.2
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients29.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS75.9%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
82.3%
SAT Avg
1,216
SAT Reading
25th: 55060075th: 670
SAT Math
25th: 54058075th: 630
ACT Composite
25th: 242675th: 28

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
+$648k
+$181k
+$164k
Median Cost$30k/yr
+$541k
+$74k
+$57k
Full Cost$65k/yr
+$413k
-$54k
-$71k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
29
∞
Median Cost$30k/yr
44
53%
Full Cost$65k/yr
Never
-30%
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 Return34%

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-54%
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

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,116
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,747
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,669
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$86,396
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$148k
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$67,377
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$3k
Median Debt
$26,926
Earnings (4yr)
$71,855
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$37k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $77,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,398
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Criminology
BachCIP: 4504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,848
Natl Median: $55,556
Lifetime Value Added
-$237k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$60,159
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$54k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$43,553
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$192k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,842
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$70,886
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$30k
Median Debt
$24,875
Earnings (4yr)
$38,139
Natl Median: $46,634
Lifetime Value Added
-$238k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$68,752
Natl Median: $61,027
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$90,090
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$176k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$44,029
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$195k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$46,401
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$175k
Median Debt
$25,982
Earnings (4yr)
$86,406
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
+$148k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,990
Earnings (2yr)
$30,771
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
-$292k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$20,543
Earnings (4yr)
$57,220
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
-$78k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$71,855
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$37k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$67,779
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
+$6k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Non-Professional Legal Studies
BachCIP: 2200
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$70,274
Natl Median: $61,959
Lifetime Value Added
+$25k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,829
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
-$219k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,096
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$73,484
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$50k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$54,117
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$103k
Median Debt
$26,012
Earnings (4yr)
$66,709
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$2k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,452
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,366
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$61,032
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k

Post-Baccalaureate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,156
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$40,539
Earnings (4yr)
$107,236
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$249k
Median Debt
$42,540
Earnings (4yr)
$125,542
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$408k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$195,072
Natl Median: $97,526
Lifetime Value Added
+$1009k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$65,945
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
-$125k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,073
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$69,052
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $97,366
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$133,979
Natl Median: $110,694
Lifetime Value Added
+$458k
Median Debt
$41,162
Earnings (4yr)
$99,661
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
+$183k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,558
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,993
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $97,121
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $95,627
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$37,754
Earnings (4yr)
$104,109
Natl Median: $124,807
Lifetime Value Added
+$222k
Marketing
MastCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$85,595
Natl Median: $79,106
Lifetime Value Added
+$60k
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$76,289
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$22k
Philosophy
MastCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,272
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $78,850
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$92,015
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
+$116k
Public Health
MastCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,751
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $80,125
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
MastCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,330
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Taxation
MastCIP: 5216
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$114,731
Natl Median: $114,810
Lifetime Value Added
+$314k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,363
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,168
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$48,823
Natl Median: $60,655
Lifetime Value Added
-$182k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,178
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $99,878
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Law
DocCIP: 2201
Median Debt
$113,386
Earnings (4yr)
$103,969
Natl Median: $105,518
Lifetime Value Added
+$17k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$123,199
Natl Median: $113,071
Lifetime Value Added
+$159k

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.