College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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The University of Texas at Dallas

Richardson, TX 21,317 Undergrads 70.1% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$28,210
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$17,435
After Aid
Median Earnings
$68,227
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$17,435
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$68,227
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate70.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients30.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time85.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS78.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
65.5%
SAT Avg
1,300
SAT Reading
25th: 580-75th: 690
SAT Math
25th: 590-75th: 720
ACT Composite
25th: 25-75th: 32

ROI Sensitivity Analysis

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
+$580k
+$183k
+$95k
Median Cost$17k/yr
+$517k
+$121k
+$33k
Full Cost$28k/yr
+$478k
+$82k
-$6k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
33
Median Cost$17k/yr
46
52%
Full Cost$28k/yr
Never
-6%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year 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 Return85%

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 with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Bachelor's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (5yr)
$75,130
Lifetime Value Added
+$95k
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
BachCIP: 2602
Median Debt
$20,750
Earnings (5yr)
$59,295
Lifetime Value Added
-$26k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$18,750
Earnings (5yr)
$66,026
Lifetime Value Added
+$26k
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
BachCIP: 1405
Median Debt
$18,625
Earnings (5yr)
$82,860
Lifetime Value Added
+$153k
Business/Commerce, General
BachCIP: 5201
Median Debt
$18,992
Earnings (5yr)
$69,701
Lifetime Value Added
+$54k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
BachCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$16,660
Earnings (5yr)
$53,043
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (5yr)
$104,815
Lifetime Value Added
+$317k
Computer Engineering
BachCIP: 1409
Median Debt
$21,375
Earnings (5yr)
$109,387
Lifetime Value Added
+$351k
Criminology
BachCIP: 4504
Median Debt
$19,844
Earnings (5yr)
$52,937
Lifetime Value Added
-$78k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
$19,750
Earnings (5yr)
$47,230
Lifetime Value Added
-$125k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (5yr)
$71,197
Lifetime Value Added
+$65k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$24,125
Earnings (5yr)
$102,788
Lifetime Value Added
+$302k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$18,400
Earnings (5yr)
$81,869
Lifetime Value Added
+$145k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
BachCIP: 5107
Median Debt
$17,241
Earnings (5yr)
$76,198
Lifetime Value Added
+$103k
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
BachCIP: 5100
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$68,010
Lifetime Value Added
+$41k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$19,125
Earnings (5yr)
$69,862
Lifetime Value Added
+$55k
International Business
BachCIP: 5211
Median Debt
$18,750
Earnings (5yr)
$86,091
Lifetime Value Added
+$177k
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
BachCIP: 1601
Median Debt
$20,205
Earnings (5yr)
$53,688
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
BachCIP: 5213
Median Debt
$17,048
Earnings (5yr)
$84,874
Lifetime Value Added
+$168k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$16,969
Earnings (5yr)
$71,437
Lifetime Value Added
+$67k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$17,545
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Lifetime Value Added
-$141k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$20,689
Earnings (5yr)
$86,469
Lifetime Value Added
+$180k
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
BachCIP: 3099
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$58,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$34k
Neurobiology and Neurosciences
BachCIP: 2615
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$59,090
Lifetime Value Added
-$28k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (2yr)
$57,318
Lifetime Value Added
-$14k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$19,711
Earnings (5yr)
$68,514
Lifetime Value Added
+$45k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$16,107
Earnings (5yr)
$55,406
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Public Administration
BachCIP: 4404
Median Debt
$18,000
Earnings (5yr)
$57,861
Lifetime Value Added
-$38k
Public Policy Analysis
BachCIP: 4405
Median Debt
$16,750
Earnings (5yr)
$43,169
Lifetime Value Added
-$159k
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication
BachCIP: 0907
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$64,355
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
Research and Experimental Psychology
BachCIP: 4227
Median Debt
$17,250
Earnings (5yr)
$55,847
Lifetime Value Added
-$54k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$46,765
Lifetime Value Added
-$129k
Visual and Performing Arts, General
BachCIP: 5001
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$47,167
Lifetime Value Added
-$125k

Master's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$22,120
Earnings (5yr)
$102,911
Lifetime Value Added
+$432k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$49,818
Earnings (5yr)
$132,107
Lifetime Value Added
+$681k
Cognitive Science
MastCIP: 3025
Median Debt
$36,670
Earnings (5yr)
$75,620
Lifetime Value Added
+$198k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
MastCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$34,275
Earnings (5yr)
$64,269
Lifetime Value Added
+$99k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
MastCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$22,374
Earnings (5yr)
$134,087
Lifetime Value Added
+$698k
Computer Engineering
MastCIP: 1409
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$141,848
Lifetime Value Added
+$764k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
MastCIP: 4301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$64,990
Lifetime Value Added
+$141k
Design and Applied Arts
MastCIP: 5004
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$65,069
Lifetime Value Added
+$106k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
MastCIP: 5107
Median Debt
$35,395
Earnings (5yr)
$102,464
Lifetime Value Added
+$428k
Information Science/Studies
MastCIP: 1104
Median Debt
$32,797
Earnings (5yr)
$112,970
Lifetime Value Added
+$518k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
MastCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$24,495
Earnings (2yr)
$46,087
Lifetime Value Added
-$42k
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
MastCIP: 5213
Median Debt
$33,305
Earnings (5yr)
$117,354
Lifetime Value Added
+$556k
Marketing
MastCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$23,791
Earnings (5yr)
$115,082
Lifetime Value Added
+$537k
Public Administration
MastCIP: 4404
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$76,817
Lifetime Value Added
+$208k
Research and Experimental Psychology
MastCIP: 4227
Median Debt
$39,943
Earnings (5yr)
$51,872
Lifetime Value Added
-$14k
Systems Engineering
MastCIP: 1427
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$101,406
Lifetime Value Added
+$473k

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.