College ROI

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Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville, TN 8,698 Undergrads 65.0% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$25,663
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$14,246
After Aid
Median Earnings
$57,413
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$14,246
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$57,413
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$48,501
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate65.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age21.6
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients32.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time93.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS74.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
76.1%
SAT Avg
1,151
SAT Reading
25th: 528-75th: 650
SAT Math
25th: 520-75th: 660
ACT Composite
25th: 20-75th: 27

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)
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$515k
+$48k
+$30k
Median Cost$14k/yr
+$464k
-$3k
-$21k
Full Cost$26k/yr
+$422k
-$44k
-$62k

ROI Efficiency Metrics
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
42
∞
Median Cost$14k/yr
Never
-41%
Full Cost$26k/yr
Never
-67%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
  • 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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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-23%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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-57%
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

Median Debt
$15,500
Earnings (4yr)
$67,411
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$58k
Median Debt
$14,500
Earnings (4yr)
$52,085
Natl Median: $53,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$15,500
Earnings (4yr)
$49,220
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$89k
Median Debt
$17,122
Earnings (4yr)
$60,642
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$65,900
Natl Median: $77,981
Lifetime Value Added
+$47k
Median Debt
$13,500
Earnings (4yr)
$91,580
Natl Median: $98,158
Lifetime Value Added
+$243k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$19,100
Earnings (4yr)
$57,088
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
-$23k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$20,770
Earnings (4yr)
$78,646
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
+$144k
Median Debt
$16,750
Earnings (4yr)
$45,909
Natl Median: $55,384
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$98,978
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
+$299k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$17,855
Earnings (4yr)
$90,521
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$235k
Median Debt
$19,367
Earnings (4yr)
$94,179
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$263k
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General
BachCIP: 1500
Median Debt
$22,087
Earnings (4yr)
$77,658
Natl Median: $80,526
Lifetime Value Added
+$137k
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (4yr)
$40,380
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$164k
Median Debt
$18,000
Earnings (4yr)
$39,565
Natl Median: $48,460
Lifetime Value Added
-$171k
Median Debt
$16,087
Earnings (4yr)
$66,535
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$52k
Median Debt
$13,500
Earnings (4yr)
$37,730
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$187k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,479
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
-$53k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$16,960
Earnings (4yr)
$47,111
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
Median Debt
$18,000
Earnings (4yr)
$44,846
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$126k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$16,177
Earnings (4yr)
$64,892
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$39k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (4yr)
$84,267
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$187k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$15,250
Earnings (4yr)
$46,253
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$44,906
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$125k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,898
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$13,625
Earnings (4yr)
$44,043
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$132k
Median Debt
$15,625
Earnings (4yr)
$71,762
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$92k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$42,830
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$143k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$38,116
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$190k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$14,500
Earnings (4yr)
$50,530
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$78k
Median Debt
$13,000
Earnings (4yr)
$43,264
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$139k
Median Debt
$11,000
Earnings (4yr)
$45,348
Natl Median: $45,338
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k

Master's Degrees

Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,050
Earnings (4yr)
$96,302
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$182k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $115,468
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
MastCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,937
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Civil Engineering
MastCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $98,323
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
MastCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $145,571
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,902
Earnings (4yr)
$51,745
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$216k
Median Debt
$23,143
Earnings (4yr)
$62,121
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $133,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,660
Earnings (4yr)
$61,301
Natl Median: $65,716
Lifetime Value Added
-$127k
Mathematics
MastCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $115,974
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $74,607
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$28,090
Earnings (4yr)
$108,522
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$289k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$51,014
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
-$223k
Median Debt
$37,328
Earnings (4yr)
$52,283
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$211k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $126,911
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,031
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $133,630
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $87,076
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.