College ROI

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The University of Tennessee-Martin

Martin, TN 4,866 Undergrads 52.1% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$23,079
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$10,701
After Aid
Median Earnings
$47,898
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$10,701
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$47,898
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$44,213
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate52.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age22.7
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients46.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time93.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS68.2%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
88.2%
SAT Avg
1,120
SAT Reading
25th: 50055575th: 610
SAT Math
25th: 47053575th: 600
ACT Composite
25th: 192275th: 25

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
+$436k
-$31k
-$48k
Median Cost$11k/yr
+$397k
-$69k
-$87k
Full Cost$23k/yr
+$353k
-$114k
-$131k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$11k/yr
Never
-226%
Full Cost$23k/yr
Never
-158%
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-179%

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-92%
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
$21,250
Earnings (4yr)
$59,150
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$6k
Median Debt
$19,400
Earnings (4yr)
$47,956
Natl Median: $53,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$20,607
Earnings (4yr)
$63,410
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$40k
Median Debt
$22,369
Earnings (4yr)
$54,552
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$31k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $77,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,650
Earnings (4yr)
$44,231
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$118k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$79,403
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$163k
Median Debt
$21,443
Earnings (4yr)
$46,142
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
Median Debt
$29,750
Earnings (4yr)
$87,043
Natl Median: $89,359
Lifetime Value Added
+$221k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$39,322
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$167k
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy
BachCIP: 0302
Median Debt
$22,997
Earnings (4yr)
$46,540
Natl Median: $56,185
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Median Debt
$26,875
Earnings (4yr)
$39,914
Natl Median: $48,460
Lifetime Value Added
-$155k
Median Debt
$20,251
Earnings (4yr)
$64,840
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$51k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$32,241
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
-$227k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,555
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,007
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$17,048
Earnings (4yr)
$48,255
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$84k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,841
Earnings (4yr)
$40,862
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$147k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$44,910
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,029
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$52k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$25,189
Earnings (4yr)
$36,507
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$184k
Median Debt
$23,362
Earnings (4yr)
$77,092
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$145k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$23,804
Earnings (4yr)
$42,811
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$130k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$36,601
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$190k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$20,750
Earnings (4yr)
$49,817
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$42,481
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
Median Debt
$19,401
Earnings (4yr)
$37,930
Natl Median: $41,688
Lifetime Value Added
-$172k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $90,332
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$99,532
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$216k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,953
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$52,733
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$180k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,287
Natl Median: $60,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$316k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $80,125
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$49,814
Earnings (4yr)
$59,759
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$134k
Median Debt
$51,164
Earnings (4yr)
$50,046
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$226k

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.