College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

SUNY College at Geneseo

Geneseo, NY 3,869 Undergrads 71.8% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$28,344
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$18,952
After Aid
Median Earnings
$67,050
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$18,952
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$67,050
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$70,405
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate71.8%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.8
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients28.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS80.1%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
66.5%
SAT Avg
1,286
SAT Reading
25th: 60061575th: 670
SAT Math
25th: 59062575th: 670
ACT Composite
25th: 262875th: 31

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
+$585k
+$114k
+$98k
Median Cost$19k/yr
+$516k
+$46k
+$30k
Full Cost$28k/yr
+$483k
+$12k
-$4k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
32
∞
Median Cost$19k/yr
48
44%
Full Cost$28k/yr
Never
-4%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.
  • 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 Return87%

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-31%

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$19,251
Earnings (4yr)
$84,177
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$172k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$42,216
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$165k
Applied Mathematics
BachCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $91,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$71,847
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
+$67k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$66,852
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$39k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$78,286
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$127k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$75,893
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
+$108k
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$63,577
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$84,529
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$174k
Median Debt
$18,250
Earnings (4yr)
$47,460
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,528
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
-$20k
Median Debt
$16,550
Earnings (4yr)
$55,018
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
-$57k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$17,187
Earnings (4yr)
$49,551
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$103k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$66,435
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
+$35k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (4yr)
$70,117
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$64k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
$14,750
Earnings (4yr)
$77,575
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
+$121k
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$66,670
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$37k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$57,972
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$33k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$66,124
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
+$23k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$21,780
Earnings (4yr)
$65,234
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
+$26k
Median Debt
$20,253
Earnings (4yr)
$54,908
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Median Debt
$19,562
Earnings (4yr)
$54,725
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$62,420
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$3k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$62,508
Natl Median: $92,202
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
Median Debt
$15,578
Earnings (4yr)
$52,354
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$220k

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.