College ROI

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University of Colorado Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs, CO 8,697 Undergrads 47.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$25,521
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$14,954
After Aid
Median Earnings
$64,695
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$14,954
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$64,695
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$61,386
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate47.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average starting age (2015-17)23.3
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients31.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time82.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS73.8%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
97.4%
SAT Avg
1,133
SAT Reading
25th: 51058075th: 620
SAT Math
25th: 50055075th: 600
ACT Composite
25th: 202375th: 26

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
+$566k
+$96k
+$80k
Median Cost$15k/yr
+$512k
+$42k
+$26k
Full Cost$26k/yr
+$474k
+$4k
-$12k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
34
∞
Median Cost$15k/yr
48
48%
Full Cost$26k/yr
Never
-13%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.⚠️ 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

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 Return71%

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-33%

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Bachelor's Degrees

Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,165
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$42k
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Median Debt
$16,176
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$54,639
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$46k
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Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (4yr)
$66,553
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$51k
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Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,312
Earnings (4yr)
$50,692
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$79k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$121,678
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
+$471k
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Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$20,197
Earnings (4yr)
$97,001
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$284k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,894
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $85,063
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$17,239
Earnings (4yr)
$53,198
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
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Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$75,209
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$118k
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Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$113,627
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$410k
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Engineering, Other
BachCIP: 1499
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $93,989
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$16,750
Earnings (4yr)
$42,627
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$147k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,258
Earnings (4yr)
$48,892
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
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Median Debt
$20,250
Earnings (4yr)
$60,605
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
+$3k
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History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$43,949
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k
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Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$69,992
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$78k
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Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$91,192
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$240k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
$20,250
Earnings (4yr)
$49,909
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
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Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,223
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$42k
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Median Debt
$17,751
Earnings (4yr)
$53,284
Natl Median: $62,172
Lifetime Value Added
-$57k
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Median Debt
$16,750
Earnings (4yr)
$63,538
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$27k
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Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$48,725
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$95k
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Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$78,904
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$146k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$46,444
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
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Systems Engineering
BachCIP: 1427
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $105,185
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,146
Earnings (4yr)
$46,244
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$116k
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Median Debt
$28,476
Earnings (4yr)
$37,628
Natl Median: $41,688
Lifetime Value Added
-$191k
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Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Applied Mathematics
MastCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $116,060
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,825
Natl Median: $82,371
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k
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Median Debt
$37,149
Earnings (4yr)
$96,850
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$186k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,397
Natl Median: $71,953
Lifetime Value Added
-$156k
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Computer Science
MastCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $145,571
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,531
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$54,614
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$191k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $133,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$133,079
Natl Median: $120,215
Lifetime Value Added
+$501k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $79,784
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $115,974
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,059
Natl Median: $64,711
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$91,668
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
+$141k
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Median Debt
$59,450
Earnings (4yr)
$121,683
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$403k
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Sociology
MastCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$47,260
Natl Median: $63,330
Lifetime Value Added
-$244k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,007
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$308k
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Median Debt
$50,255
Earnings (4yr)
$56,724
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$171k
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Graduate Certificates

Education, Other
Gr-CertCIP: 1399
Median Debt
$41,856
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,921
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,492
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $99,550
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $133,630
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $98,707
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $138,131
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.