College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

SUNY at Purchase College

Purchase, NY 3,197 Undergrads 68.0% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$29,043
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$18,913
After Aid
Median Earnings
$45,570
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$18,913
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$45,570
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$45,092
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate68.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age21.1
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients36.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time94.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS51.8%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
74.1%
SAT Avg
1,312
SAT Reading
25th: 62062575th: 710
SAT Math
25th: 56559575th: 670
ACT Composite
25th: 272975th: 30

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
+$416k
-$51k
-$68k
Median Cost$19k/yr
+$348k
-$119k
-$136k
Full Cost$29k/yr
+$312k
-$155k
-$173k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$19k/yr
Never
-200%
Full Cost$29k/yr
Never
-165%
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 Return-194%

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-101%
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

Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$15,250
Earnings (4yr)
$40,048
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$183k
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$51,954
Natl Median: $48,240
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$21,125
Earnings (4yr)
$55,718
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$51k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$18,750
Earnings (4yr)
$46,596
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$128k
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$30,406
Natl Median: $39,980
Lifetime Value Added
-$267k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$39,974
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$184k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$17,750
Earnings (4yr)
$63,207
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$9k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,695
Earnings (4yr)
$43,265
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
-$156k
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$30,385
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$273k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,580
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$18,125
Earnings (4yr)
$45,661
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$135k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$52,859
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
-$75k
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$47,922
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$116k
Literature
BachCIP: 2314
Median Debt
$24,400
Earnings (4yr)
$49,153
Natl Median: $46,173
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$72,237
Natl Median: $88,839
Lifetime Value Added
+$79k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$20,379
Earnings (4yr)
$41,926
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$167k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$42,872
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$166k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$17,242
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
-$378k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$47,022
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$124k
Median Debt
$22,846
Earnings (4yr)
$42,372
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$36,895
Natl Median: $56,812
Lifetime Value Added
-$211k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$18,971
Earnings (4yr)
$53,042
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$39,791
Natl Median: $41,688
Lifetime Value Added
-$186k
Median Debt
$22,798
Earnings (4yr)
$53,100
Natl Median: $47,629
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k

Master's Degrees

Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
MastCIP: 5010
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,079
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
MastCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$37,812
Earnings (5yr)
$34,862
Natl Median: $48,285
Lifetime Value Added
-$397k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,460
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.