College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Trine University

Angola, IN 2,324 Undergrads 61.6% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$51,109
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$25,355
After Aid
Median Earnings
$67,814
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$25,355
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$67,814
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$57,165
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate61.6%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age23.0
Warning: High average starting age indicates non-traditional students with prior work experience, which may inflate the median earnings shown.
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients27.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time98.3%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS81.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
85.5%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: -56075th: -
SAT Math
25th: -57575th: -
ACT Composite
25th: -2575th: -

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
+$597k
+$130k
+$113k
Median Cost$25k/yr
+$506k
+$39k
+$21k
Full Cost$51k/yr
+$413k
-$54k
-$71k

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
31
∞
Median Cost$25k/yr
52
24%
Full Cost$51k/yr
Never
-39%
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 Return20%

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-56%
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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General
AssocCIP: 1500
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,343
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
AssocCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,929
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$65,503
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$4k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$22,625
Earnings (4yr)
$52,806
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $93,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$16,066
Earnings (4yr)
$57,055
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$49,486
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
-$134k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$88,192
Natl Median: $98,158
Lifetime Value Added
+$177k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$78,808
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
+$106k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$78,520
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$103k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$79,824
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
+$113k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,200
Earnings (4yr)
$48,877
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$77,517
Natl Median: $71,753
Lifetime Value Added
+$96k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$92,945
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$213k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,619
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,108
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$86,997
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$168k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,468
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$46,798
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$149k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,805
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$58,816
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$49k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,701
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$232k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$13,800
Earnings (4yr)
$75,483
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
-$21k
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (4yr)
$51,407
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
-$240k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $125,651
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
$132,916
Earnings (4yr)
$79,047
Natl Median: $82,893
Lifetime Value Added
-$153k

Other Programs

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,308
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.