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University of Dayton
Dayton, OH 8,099 Undergrads 80.2% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$64,310
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$31,236
After Aid
Median Earnings
$75,537
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$31,236
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$75,537
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate80.2%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients15.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.3%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS88.9%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
61.7%
SAT Avg
1,313
SAT Reading
25th: 60061575th: 680
SAT Math
25th: 59561575th: 690
ACT Composite
25th: 262675th: 31
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
+$634k
+$237k
+$149k
Median Cost$31k/yr
+$521k
+$125k
+$37k
Full Cost$64k/yr
+$402k
+$6k
-$82k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
30
∞
Median Cost$31k/yr
48
33%
Full Cost$64k/yr
Never
-35%
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 Return25%
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-56%
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
$26,973
Earnings (5yr)
$88,053
Lifetime Value Added
+$142k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$25,125
Earnings (5yr)
$64,526
Lifetime Value Added
-$35k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (5yr)
$96,146
Lifetime Value Added
+$202k
Business/Managerial Economics
BachCIP: 5206
Median Debt
$22,698
Earnings (5yr)
$97,394
Lifetime Value Added
+$212k
Chemical Engineering
BachCIP: 1407
Median Debt
$22,999
Earnings (5yr)
$99,917
Lifetime Value Added
+$231k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (5yr)
$90,774
Lifetime Value Added
+$162k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$71,532
Lifetime Value Added
+$18k
Computer Engineering
BachCIP: 1409
Median Debt
$26,090
Earnings (2yr)
$74,576
Lifetime Value Added
+$75k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$63,215
Lifetime Value Added
-$45k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$60,018
Lifetime Value Added
-$70k
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services
BachCIP: 5131
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$57,361
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (5yr)
$62,519
Lifetime Value Added
-$51k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (5yr)
$100,879
Lifetime Value Added
+$238k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$24,398
Earnings (5yr)
$53,748
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
BachCIP: 5207
Median Debt
$25,492
Earnings (5yr)
$73,481
Lifetime Value Added
+$33k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (5yr)
$86,861
Lifetime Value Added
+$133k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$15,922
Lifetime Value Added
-$434k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$69,228
Lifetime Value Added
+$729
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs
BachCIP: 5111
Median Debt
$23,562
Earnings (5yr)
$71,240
Lifetime Value Added
+$16k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$26,912
Earnings (5yr)
$60,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$68k
International Business
BachCIP: 5211
Median Debt
$24,750
Earnings (5yr)
$90,570
Lifetime Value Added
+$161k
International/Global Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
$24,125
Earnings (5yr)
$55,869
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$45,696
Lifetime Value Added
-$164k
Management Information Systems and Services
BachCIP: 5212
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (5yr)
$89,258
Lifetime Value Added
+$151k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$23,750
Earnings (5yr)
$79,547
Lifetime Value Added
+$78k
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1508
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$85,129
Lifetime Value Added
+$120k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$23,758
Earnings (5yr)
$93,487
Lifetime Value Added
+$182k
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences
BachCIP: 2609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$80,398
Lifetime Value Added
+$84k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$24,687
Earnings (5yr)
$75,766
Lifetime Value Added
+$50k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$57,080
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Lifetime Value Added
-$268k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,435
Lifetime Value Added
-$140k
Special Education and Teaching
BachCIP: 1310
Median Debt
$19,985
Earnings (5yr)
$50,844
Lifetime Value Added
-$144k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$20,872
Earnings (5yr)
$48,689
Lifetime Value Added
-$162k
Master's Degrees
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$25,625
Earnings (5yr)
$93,642
Lifetime Value Added
+$327k
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
MastCIP: 4228
Median Debt
$29,476
Earnings (5yr)
$59,372
Lifetime Value Added
+$30k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
$18,786
Earnings (5yr)
$59,102
Lifetime Value Added
+$27k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
MastCIP: 1410
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$79,473
Lifetime Value Added
+$247k
Engineering, Other
MastCIP: 1499
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$73,949
Lifetime Value Added
+$197k
Manufacturing Engineering
MastCIP: 1436
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$78,971
Lifetime Value Added
+$243k
Materials Engineering
MastCIP: 1418
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$76,460
Lifetime Value Added
+$220k
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
MastCIP: 1311
Median Debt
$28,780
Earnings (5yr)
$58,580
Lifetime Value Added
+$23k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$59,112
Lifetime Value Added
+$27k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
MastCIP: 1313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
Graduate Certificates
Community Organization and Advocacy
Gr-CertCIP: 4402
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Lifetime Value Added
-$35k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
Gr-CertCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$45,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$153
Doctoral Degrees
Law
DocCIP: 2201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$83,478
Lifetime Value Added
+$63k
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
DocCIP: 5123
Median Debt
$106,940
Earnings (5yr)
$80,124
Lifetime Value Added
+$39k
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.