College ROI

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Truman State University

Kirksville, MO 2,513 Undergrads 70.3% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$25,115
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$12,780
After Aid
Median Earnings
$56,947
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$12,780
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$56,947
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$56,280
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate70.3%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.9
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients19.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS78.2%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
83.8%
SAT Avg
1,320
SAT Reading
25th: 60060275th: 700
SAT Math
25th: 57059075th: 670
ACT Composite
25th: 252775th: 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
+$511k
+$44k
+$27k
Median Cost$13k/yr
+$465k
-$2k
-$19k
Full Cost$25k/yr
+$421k
-$46k
-$64k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
44
∞
Median Cost$13k/yr
Never
-42%
Full Cost$25k/yr
Never
-71%
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-29%

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-58%
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
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$84,515
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$194k
Median Debt
$18,518
Earnings (4yr)
$52,303
Natl Median: $53,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$20,305
Earnings (4yr)
$61,647
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$18k
Median Debt
$22,813
Earnings (4yr)
$70,633
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$88k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
-$173k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,429
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$50,785
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$70k
Median Debt
$19,875
Earnings (4yr)
$48,320
Natl Median: $58,928
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$106,203
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$360k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$56,596
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$22k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,236
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$254k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$46,478
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$45,277
Natl Median: $49,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$124k
Median Debt
$21,104
Earnings (4yr)
$38,923
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$171k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$43,269
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$141k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,459
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$18,625
Earnings (4yr)
$43,405
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
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
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
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$60,586
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$10k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$47,956
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$23,031
Earnings (4yr)
$60,157
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
Median Debt
$25,094
Earnings (4yr)
$77,315
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$139k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$41,487
Natl Median: $55,695
Lifetime Value Added
-$149k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$40,026
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$162k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$41,641
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$155k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,169
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,584
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$55,213
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$34k
Statistics
BachCIP: 2705
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,425
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$14,185
Earnings (4yr)
$91,303
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$141k
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$39,851
Earnings (4yr)
$60,478
Natl Median: $67,030
Lifetime Value Added
-$132k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
MastCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,285
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$17,000
Earnings (4yr)
$44,010
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$289k
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$44,705
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$282k

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.