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University of California-Irvine
Irvine, CA 29,494 Undergrads 86.5% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$36,121
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$12,840
After Aid
Median Earnings
$80,735
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$12,840
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$80,735
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate86.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients37.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS78.7%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
25.6%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -
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
+$672k
+$275k
+$188k
Median Cost$13k/yr
+$626k
+$229k
+$141k
Full Cost$36k/yr
+$542k
+$146k
+$58k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
28
∞
Median Cost$13k/yr
32
306%
Full Cost$36k/yr
44
44%
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 Return177%
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-6%
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
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
BachCIP: 1402
Median Debt
$18,400
Earnings (5yr)
$102,765
Lifetime Value Added
+$318k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$16,000
Earnings (5yr)
$57,629
Lifetime Value Added
-$23k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$15,526
Earnings (5yr)
$72,132
Lifetime Value Added
+$89k
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
BachCIP: 1405
Median Debt
$16,750
Earnings (5yr)
$109,350
Lifetime Value Added
+$367k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$13,000
Earnings (5yr)
$89,501
Lifetime Value Added
+$219k
Business/Managerial Economics
BachCIP: 5206
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$74,617
Lifetime Value Added
+$107k
Chemical Engineering
BachCIP: 1407
Median Debt
$18,250
Earnings (5yr)
$102,280
Lifetime Value Added
+$314k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$13,000
Earnings (5yr)
$72,001
Lifetime Value Added
+$88k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$17,816
Earnings (5yr)
$94,661
Lifetime Value Added
+$257k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (5yr)
$122,422
Lifetime Value Added
+$464k
Computer Engineering
BachCIP: 1409
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (5yr)
$115,244
Lifetime Value Added
+$411k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$132,705
Lifetime Value Added
+$540k
Criminology
BachCIP: 4504
Median Debt
$15,383
Earnings (5yr)
$59,960
Lifetime Value Added
-$5k
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
$20,080
Earnings (5yr)
$32,865
Lifetime Value Added
-$229k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$80,163
Lifetime Value Added
+$149k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$16,201
Earnings (5yr)
$27,561
Lifetime Value Added
-$275k
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1603
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$32,925
Lifetime Value Added
-$212k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$15,004
Earnings (5yr)
$73,054
Lifetime Value Added
+$96k
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$15,863
Earnings (5yr)
$58,011
Lifetime Value Added
-$20k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (5yr)
$103,261
Lifetime Value Added
+$322k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$16,446
Earnings (5yr)
$52,508
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies
BachCIP: 0502
Median Debt
$18,998
Earnings (5yr)
$50,699
Lifetime Value Added
-$79k
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
BachCIP: 5006
Median Debt
$16,000
Earnings (5yr)
$44,541
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$15,700
Earnings (5yr)
$48,982
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
BachCIP: 4006
Median Debt
$14,916
Earnings (5yr)
$71,246
Lifetime Value Added
+$82k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$15,179
Earnings (5yr)
$68,186
Lifetime Value Added
+$59k
International/Global Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
$14,999
Earnings (5yr)
$62,832
Lifetime Value Added
+$18k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$17,200
Earnings (2yr)
$29,141
Lifetime Value Added
-$246k
Management Information Systems and Services
BachCIP: 5212
Median Debt
$16,500
Earnings (5yr)
$129,344
Lifetime Value Added
+$515k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$16,950
Earnings (5yr)
$75,692
Lifetime Value Added
+$115k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$14,750
Earnings (5yr)
$95,534
Lifetime Value Added
+$264k
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
BachCIP: 3099
Median Debt
$16,800
Earnings (5yr)
$59,782
Lifetime Value Added
-$6k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
$12,477
Earnings (5yr)
$59,960
Lifetime Value Added
-$5k
Neurobiology and Neurosciences
BachCIP: 2615
Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (2yr)
$24,035
Lifetime Value Added
-$293k
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration
BachCIP: 5120
Median Debt
$15,279
Earnings (5yr)
$92,028
Lifetime Value Added
+$238k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
$21,251
Earnings (5yr)
$55,157
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$16,000
Earnings (5yr)
$69,342
Lifetime Value Added
+$68k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$14,900
Earnings (5yr)
$56,253
Lifetime Value Added
-$34k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$17,148
Earnings (5yr)
$64,449
Lifetime Value Added
+$30k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$13,500
Earnings (5yr)
$118,467
Lifetime Value Added
+$435k
Research and Experimental Psychology
BachCIP: 4227
Median Debt
$13,000
Earnings (5yr)
$62,639
Lifetime Value Added
+$16k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
$9,000
Earnings (5yr)
$53,654
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
Social Sciences, General
BachCIP: 4501
Median Debt
$16,338
Earnings (2yr)
$35,060
Lifetime Value Added
-$192k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$56,549
Lifetime Value Added
-$32k
Urban Studies/Affairs
BachCIP: 4512
Median Debt
$15,122
Earnings (5yr)
$62,232
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$32,396
Earnings (5yr)
$96,025
Lifetime Value Added
+$382k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$72,394
Earnings (5yr)
$146,412
Lifetime Value Added
+$811k
City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning
MastCIP: 0403
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (5yr)
$90,716
Lifetime Value Added
+$336k
Civil Engineering
MastCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$71,575
Lifetime Value Added
+$209k
Criminology
MastCIP: 4504
Median Debt
$37,396
Earnings (5yr)
$97,928
Lifetime Value Added
+$398k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
MastCIP: 5107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$246,519
Lifetime Value Added
+$1639k
Mechanical Engineering
MastCIP: 1419
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$142,294
Lifetime Value Added
+$776k
Public Health
MastCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$57,318
Lifetime Value Added
+$77k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
MastCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$85,000
Earnings (5yr)
$150,439
Lifetime Value Added
+$845k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$30,500
Earnings (5yr)
$78,454
Lifetime Value Added
+$231k
Doctoral Degrees
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
DocCIP: 2602
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$55,964
Lifetime Value Added
-$49k
Chemistry
DocCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$117,065
Lifetime Value Added
+$374k
Criminology
DocCIP: 4504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$79,450
Lifetime Value Added
+$136k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
DocCIP: 5005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$21,964
Lifetime Value Added
-$345k
Economics
DocCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$78,971
Lifetime Value Added
+$132k
Neurobiology and Neurosciences
DocCIP: 2615
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$89,197
Lifetime Value Added
+$171k
Physics
DocCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$159,892
Lifetime Value Added
+$683k
Sociology
DocCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$81,111
Lifetime Value Added
+$148k
Professional Degrees
Law
ProfCIP: 2201
Median Debt
$133,605
Earnings (5yr)
$136,056
Lifetime Value Added
+$511k
Medicine
ProfCIP: 5112
Median Debt
$191,478
Earnings (5yr)
$143,998
Lifetime Value Added
+$568k
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.