College ROI

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Union University

Jackson, TN 1,607 Undergrads 64.0% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$58,363
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$27,171
After Aid
Median Earnings
$60,152
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$27,171
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$60,152
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$53,990
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate64.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age26.9
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 Recipients28.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time87.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS74.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
60.4%
SAT Avg
1,256
SAT Reading
25th: 60063075th: 710
SAT Math
25th: 56059575th: 680
ACT Composite
25th: 222775th: 30

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
+$537k
+$70k
+$53k
Median Cost$27k/yr
+$439k
-$28k
-$45k
Full Cost$58k/yr
+$327k
-$140k
-$157k

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
37
∞
Median Cost$27k/yr
Never
-46%
Full Cost$58k/yr
Never
-75%
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 Return-47%

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-76%
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
$19,750
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,769
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,533
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,147
Earnings (4yr)
$63,234
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$21k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,894
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,842
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$34,256
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$269k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,460
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$34,300
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$269k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$41,226
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$203k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$22,729
Earnings (4yr)
$57,184
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,612
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,103
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,007
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$48k
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
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$26,506
Earnings (4yr)
$44,056
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$179k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,353
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$323k
Median Debt
$17,437
Earnings (4yr)
$72,824
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$53k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Religious Music and Worship
BachCIP: 3905
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,456
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$26,647
Earnings (4yr)
$46,286
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$160k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,598
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$303k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$44,906
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$179k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,424
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$223k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,259
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,055
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$51,250
Earnings (4yr)
$99,874
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$189k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,837
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,072
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$227k
Median Debt
$18,074
Earnings (4yr)
$58,174
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$179k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,015
Natl Median: $66,232
Lifetime Value Added
-$237k
Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities
MastCIP: 5132
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,487
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,716
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$45,333
Earnings (4yr)
$108,206
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$262k
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$39,435
Earnings (4yr)
$54,660
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$212k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$80,560
Natl Median: $54,640
Lifetime Value Added
+$20k

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $113,566
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,031
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, Other
DocCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $90,635
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$75,008
Earnings (4yr)
$88,094
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$211,565
Natl Median: $130,822
Lifetime Value Added
+$814k
Median Debt
$209,190
Earnings (4yr)
$131,659
Natl Median: $136,696
Lifetime Value Added
+$230k
Median Debt
$152,499
Earnings (4yr)
$182,606
Natl Median: $138,131
Lifetime Value Added
+$604k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,982
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Professional Degrees

Median Debt
$34,108
Earnings (4yr)
$69,625
Natl Median: $78,026
Lifetime Value Added
-$229k

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.