College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

Chattanooga, TN 10,074 Undergrads 56.1% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$26,951
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$15,026
After Aid
Median Earnings
$57,945
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$15,026
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$57,945
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$56,442
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate56.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average starting age (2015-17)21.8
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients36.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time91.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS71.8%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
81.1%
SAT Avg
1,147
SAT Reading
25th: 51356075th: 620
SAT Math
25th: 50054075th: 590
ACT Composite
25th: 202375th: 26

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
+$512k
+$42k
+$26k
Median Cost$15k/yr
+$458k
-$12k
-$28k
Full Cost$27k/yr
+$415k
-$55k
-$71k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
44
∞
Median Cost$15k/yr
Never
-52%
Full Cost$27k/yr
Never
-73%
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 Return-36%

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-62%

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

Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$50,597
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$19,062
Earnings (4yr)
$66,554
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$51k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$25,667
Earnings (4yr)
$92,511
Natl Median: $98,158
Lifetime Value Added
+$249k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$71,634
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
+$90k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$17,748
Earnings (4yr)
$91,615
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
+$243k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$20,198
Earnings (4yr)
$48,212
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$17,625
Earnings (4yr)
$82,644
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$174k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$53,565
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (4yr)
$60,807
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,250
Earnings (4yr)
$86,537
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$204k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$19,537
Earnings (4yr)
$92,900
Natl Median: $89,619
Lifetime Value Added
+$252k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$81,757
Natl Median: $89,359
Lifetime Value Added
+$167k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$19,044
Earnings (4yr)
$45,253
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$125k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$17,241
Earnings (4yr)
$37,293
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$194k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$31,133
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
-$237k
Try this program with your own numbers →
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,756
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$79k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$34,020
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$222k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$42,031
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
-$153k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$18,250
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$19,838
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,531
Earnings (4yr)
$89,407
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$226k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$56,558
Natl Median: $50,532
Lifetime Value Added
-$30k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,607
Earnings (4yr)
$45,955
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,083
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$63,654
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$28k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$16,344
Earnings (4yr)
$44,700
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$130k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$14,500
Earnings (4yr)
$77,838
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$137k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$21,711
Earnings (4yr)
$43,858
Natl Median: $56,812
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$16,723
Earnings (4yr)
$48,410
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$17,422
Earnings (4yr)
$48,413
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$18,969
Earnings (4yr)
$46,029
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
Try this program with your own numbers →

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$91,432
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$139k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,104
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
-$216k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$28,904
Earnings (4yr)
$106,796
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$273k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Computer Science
MastCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $145,571
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$121,621
Natl Median: $125,651
Lifetime Value Added
+$402k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $120,215
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
-$336k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Mathematics
MastCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $74,607
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$91,747
Natl Median: $64,711
Lifetime Value Added
+$141k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$40,896
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
-$309k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$57,562
Earnings (4yr)
$131,034
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$483k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$35,767
Earnings (4yr)
$52,413
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$213k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$38,076
Earnings (4yr)
$51,777
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$219k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$36,203
Earnings (4yr)
$54,877
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$189k
Try this program with your own numbers →

Graduate Certificates

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

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$113,297
Natl Median: $138,131
Lifetime Value Added
+$139k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$75,432
Earnings (4yr)
$78,581
Natl Median: $82,893
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
Try this program with your own numbers →

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.