College ROI

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The College of New Jersey

Ewing, NJ 7,105 Undergrads 86.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$38,860
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$27,646
After Aid
Median Earnings
$72,068
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$27,646
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$72,068
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$73,323
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate86.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.8
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients21.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS86.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
62.3%
SAT Avg
1,246
SAT Reading
25th: 57062575th: 670
SAT Math
25th: 57063575th: 670
ACT Composite
25th: 262975th: 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
+$630k
+$163k
+$145k
Median Cost$28k/yr
+$530k
+$63k
+$46k
Full Cost$39k/yr
+$490k
+$23k
+$5k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
30
∞
Median Cost$28k/yr
45
46%
Full Cost$39k/yr
61
4%
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 Return101%

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-29%
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
$23,894
Earnings (4yr)
$111,509
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$347k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$75,531
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$72k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $93,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,750
Earnings (4yr)
$85,978
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$152k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$25,611
Earnings (4yr)
$90,396
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
+$186k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (4yr)
$93,977
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
+$213k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$68,654
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
+$20k
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$105,377
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$300k
Median Debt
$25,725
Earnings (2yr)
$67,660
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
+$33k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$61,605
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$35k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$66,197
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$21,250
Earnings (4yr)
$92,325
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$200k
Median Debt
$24,790
Earnings (4yr)
$64,465
Natl Median: $47,433
Lifetime Value Added
-$13k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$97,224
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$223k
Engineering Science
BachCIP: 1413
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$88,486
Natl Median: $93,782
Lifetime Value Added
+$158k
Median Debt
$23,188
Earnings (4yr)
$56,905
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,033
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$122k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$59,014
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$67,001
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$67,038
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$91,736
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$196k
Median Debt
$22,875
Earnings (4yr)
$91,052
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$191k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
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
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$69,317
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$25k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$23,527
Earnings (4yr)
$62,397
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$29k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$66,722
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$104,369
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$292k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$24,208
Earnings (4yr)
$68,260
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
+$17k
Median Debt
$23,625
Earnings (4yr)
$66,767
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
Median Debt
$23,299
Earnings (4yr)
$59,328
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$54k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$62,281
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$30k

Master's Degrees

Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$55,693
Natl Median: $63,577
Lifetime Value Added
-$182k
Median Debt
$20,586
Earnings (4yr)
$70,769
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$67k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$66,123
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$109,410
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$272k
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$65,033
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$63,083
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$135k
Median Debt
$26,126
Earnings (4yr)
$63,121
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$135k
Median Debt
$23,360
Earnings (4yr)
$68,613
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$63,611
Natl Median: $65,767
Lifetime Value Added
-$130k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$77,096
Natl Median: $77,692
Lifetime Value Added
+$79k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,288
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,655
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $126,911
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,147
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,709
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.