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University of California-Riverside
Riverside, CA 22,644 Undergrads 80.4% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$34,975
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$13,707
After Aid
Median Earnings
$67,699
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$13,707
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$67,699
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate80.4%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients48.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS72.8%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
63.3%
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
+$576k
+$179k
+$91k
Median Cost$14k/yr
+$527k
+$130k
+$42k
Full Cost$35k/yr
+$450k
+$54k
-$34k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
33
∞
Median Cost$14k/yr
43
85%
Full Cost$35k/yr
Never
-27%
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 Return44%
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-45%
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
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$21,250
Earnings (5yr)
$44,195
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$44,474
Lifetime Value Added
-$134k
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
BachCIP: 2602
Median Debt
$16,958
Earnings (5yr)
$68,378
Lifetime Value Added
+$57k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (5yr)
$61,749
Lifetime Value Added
+$6k
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
BachCIP: 1405
Median Debt
$19,954
Earnings (5yr)
$92,140
Lifetime Value Added
+$235k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$16,500
Earnings (5yr)
$74,583
Lifetime Value Added
+$104k
Business/Managerial Economics
BachCIP: 5206
Median Debt
$18,000
Earnings (5yr)
$62,909
Lifetime Value Added
+$15k
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences
BachCIP: 2604
Median Debt
$18,000
Earnings (5yr)
$73,399
Lifetime Value Added
+$95k
Chemical Engineering
BachCIP: 1407
Median Debt
$17,182
Earnings (5yr)
$90,784
Lifetime Value Added
+$225k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$56,178
Lifetime Value Added
-$38k
Computer Engineering
BachCIP: 1409
Median Debt
$25,083
Earnings (5yr)
$117,682
Lifetime Value Added
+$426k
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,600
Lifetime Value Added
-$191k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$21,508
Lifetime Value Added
-$319k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$17,666
Earnings (5yr)
$66,935
Lifetime Value Added
+$46k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$19,250
Earnings (5yr)
$102,568
Lifetime Value Added
+$313k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$18,052
Earnings (5yr)
$57,551
Lifetime Value Added
-$27k
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
BachCIP: 1414
Median Debt
$18,068
Earnings (5yr)
$81,979
Lifetime Value Added
+$159k
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies
BachCIP: 0502
Median Debt
$22,305
Earnings (5yr)
$53,291
Lifetime Value Added
-$61k
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
BachCIP: 5006
Median Debt
$20,472
Earnings (5yr)
$47,385
Lifetime Value Added
-$110k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$16,681
Earnings (5yr)
$41,498
Lifetime Value Added
-$159k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$19,317
Earnings (5yr)
$52,531
Lifetime Value Added
-$68k
International Relations and National Security Studies
BachCIP: 4509
Median Debt
$18,829
Earnings (5yr)
$56,758
Lifetime Value Added
-$33k
International/Global Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$48,595
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$15,625
Earnings (5yr)
$61,690
Lifetime Value Added
+$6k
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
BachCIP: 1601
Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (5yr)
$40,306
Lifetime Value Added
-$169k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$18,100
Earnings (5yr)
$63,375
Lifetime Value Added
+$19k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (5yr)
$93,294
Lifetime Value Added
+$244k
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology
BachCIP: 2605
Median Debt
$13,939
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$244k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (2yr)
$11,481
Lifetime Value Added
-$414k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
$16,250
Earnings (5yr)
$61,938
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
Neurobiology and Neurosciences
BachCIP: 2615
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (5yr)
$65,261
Lifetime Value Added
+$34k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
$19,022
Earnings (5yr)
$61,942
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Lifetime Value Added
-$205k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$18,000
Earnings (5yr)
$59,096
Lifetime Value Added
-$15k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$53,416
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Public Policy Analysis
BachCIP: 4405
Median Debt
$19,161
Earnings (5yr)
$61,890
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
BachCIP: 2313
Median Debt
$20,783
Earnings (5yr)
$38,017
Lifetime Value Added
-$189k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
$17,691
Earnings (5yr)
$54,555
Lifetime Value Added
-$51k
Social Sciences, Other
BachCIP: 4599
Median Debt
$16,583
Earnings (5yr)
$61,806
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$16,300
Earnings (5yr)
$53,798
Lifetime Value Added
-$57k
Master's Degrees
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
MastCIP: 1405
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$63,005
Lifetime Value Added
+$129k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$76,013
Earnings (5yr)
$92,291
Lifetime Value Added
+$348k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$25,601
Earnings (5yr)
$80,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$247k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
MastCIP: 2313
Median Debt
$48,635
Earnings (5yr)
$66,609
Lifetime Value Added
+$127k
Doctoral Degrees
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
DocCIP: 1405
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$98,201
Lifetime Value Added
+$234k
Chemistry
DocCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$90,970
Lifetime Value Added
+$181k
Education, General
DocCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$97,883
Lifetime Value Added
+$231k
English Language and Literature, General
DocCIP: 2301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$60,839
Lifetime Value Added
-$13k
History
DocCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,771
Lifetime Value Added
-$269k
Psychology, General
DocCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$69,338
Lifetime Value Added
+$54k
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.