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University of Central Arkansas
Conway, AR 7,426 Undergrads 48.9% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$24,265
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$16,775
After Aid
Median Earnings
$45,938
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$16,775
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$45,938
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate48.9%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients39.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time87.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS62.6%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
90.5%
SAT Avg
1,117
SAT Reading
25th: 49055075th: 570
SAT Math
25th: 45052075th: 550
ACT Composite
25th: 192375th: 25
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
+$404k
+$8k
-$80k
Median Cost$17k/yr
+$344k
-$53k
-$141k
Full Cost$24k/yr
+$317k
-$80k
-$168k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$17k/yr
Never
-233%
Full Cost$24k/yr
Never
-192%
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 Return-236%
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-107%
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
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$16,798
Earnings (5yr)
$68,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$46k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
BachCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$21,750
Earnings (5yr)
$49,459
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$20,756
Earnings (5yr)
$59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$22k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$18,307
Earnings (5yr)
$55,193
Lifetime Value Added
-$57k
Business/Commerce, General
BachCIP: 5201
Median Debt
$18,150
Earnings (5yr)
$65,716
Lifetime Value Added
+$26k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Lifetime Value Added
-$178k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$23,691
Earnings (2yr)
$28,960
Lifetime Value Added
-$262k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
BachCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$13,767
Earnings (5yr)
$48,263
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$22,079
Earnings (5yr)
$60,015
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,007
Lifetime Value Added
-$289k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$19,314
Earnings (5yr)
$40,059
Lifetime Value Added
-$182k
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1901
Median Debt
$28,446
Earnings (5yr)
$43,076
Lifetime Value Added
-$157k
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
BachCIP: 5006
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$19,899
Lifetime Value Added
-$356k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$16,896
Earnings (5yr)
$65,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$26k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$38,265
Lifetime Value Added
-$198k
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services
BachCIP: 1905
Median Debt
$18,775
Earnings (5yr)
$46,160
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$50,069
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other
BachCIP: 5199
Median Debt
$16,000
Earnings (5yr)
$64,544
Lifetime Value Added
+$17k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$25,250
Earnings (5yr)
$37,357
Lifetime Value Added
-$205k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$21,562
Earnings (5yr)
$44,341
Lifetime Value Added
-$146k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$59,511
Lifetime Value Added
-$22k
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
BachCIP: 1601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$39,958
Lifetime Value Added
-$183k
Management Information Systems and Services
BachCIP: 5212
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$66,120
Lifetime Value Added
+$29k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$19,557
Earnings (5yr)
$43,795
Lifetime Value Added
-$151k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$16,711
Earnings (2yr)
$39,927
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
BachCIP: 5115
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$50,200
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (5yr)
$54,202
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$21,351
Earnings (5yr)
$45,243
Lifetime Value Added
-$139k
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
BachCIP: 0909
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$48,074
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$19,250
Earnings (5yr)
$77,918
Lifetime Value Added
+$118k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
BachCIP: 2313
Median Debt
$24,995
Earnings (2yr)
$18,771
Lifetime Value Added
-$356k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$23,505
Earnings (5yr)
$44,484
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$24,227
Earnings (5yr)
$43,267
Lifetime Value Added
-$155k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$23,945
Earnings (5yr)
$45,778
Lifetime Value Added
-$134k
Master's Degrees
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$16,000
Earnings (2yr)
$48,432
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
MastCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$36,256
Earnings (5yr)
$68,346
Lifetime Value Added
+$136k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$46,087
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General
MastCIP: 1901
Median Debt
$24,186
Earnings (5yr)
$46,803
Lifetime Value Added
-$61k
Library Science, Other
MastCIP: 2599
Median Debt
$18,060
Earnings (5yr)
$56,585
Lifetime Value Added
+$31k
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
MastCIP: 5115
Median Debt
$40,276
Earnings (5yr)
$64,510
Lifetime Value Added
+$103k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
MastCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$37,479
Earnings (5yr)
$106,211
Lifetime Value Added
+$462k
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
MastCIP: 5123
Median Debt
$38,223
Earnings (5yr)
$71,279
Lifetime Value Added
+$162k
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
MastCIP: 1311
Median Debt
$24,062
Earnings (5yr)
$52,873
Lifetime Value Added
-$4k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$26,073
Earnings (5yr)
$49,034
Lifetime Value Added
-$40k
Graduate Certificates
Educational Administration and Supervision
Gr-CertCIP: 1304
Median Debt
$33,513
Earnings (5yr)
$75,132
Lifetime Value Added
+$272k
Doctoral Degrees
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
DocCIP: 5123
Median Debt
$59,486
Earnings (5yr)
$78,327
Lifetime Value Added
+$78k
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.