College ROI

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University of Florida-Online

Gainesville, FL 4,627 Undergrads 63.3% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
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Total Cost
$17,843
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$4,815
After Aid
Median Earnings
$77,321
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$4,815
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$77,321
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$71,588
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate63.3%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age21.4
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients24.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time53.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS80.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
61.3%
SAT Avg
1,338
SAT Reading
25th: 64065575th: 710
SAT Math
25th: 61064575th: 700
ACT Composite
25th: 272975th: 31

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
+$670k
+$203k
+$185k
Median Cost$5k/yr
+$652k
+$186k
+$168k
Full Cost$18k/yr
+$606k
+$139k
+$121k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
28
∞
Median Cost$5k/yr
30
970%
Full Cost$18k/yr
35
189%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation 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 Return455%

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 Return89%
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, or for more sophisticated analysis, the Guided ROI Interview, with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Bachelor's Degrees

Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$14,491
Earnings (4yr)
$47,348
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$70k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,645
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$82,615
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$209k
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$65,370
Natl Median: $58,928
Lifetime Value Added
+$76k
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$126,268
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$540k
Criminology
BachCIP: 4504
Median Debt
$15,224
Earnings (4yr)
$57,953
Natl Median: $55,556
Lifetime Value Added
+$17k
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fire Protection
BachCIP: 4302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$97,839
Natl Median: $86,436
Lifetime Value Added
+$325k
Median Debt
$16,407
Earnings (4yr)
$67,276
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
+$91k
Median Debt
$19,737
Earnings (4yr)
$69,943
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
+$112k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$16,454
Earnings (4yr)
$58,150
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
+$19k
Median Debt
$18,131
Earnings (4yr)
$97,113
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$319k
Median Debt
$14,942
Earnings (4yr)
$64,285
Natl Median: $62,582
Lifetime Value Added
+$68k
Median Debt
$14,800
Earnings (4yr)
$50,633
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
Median Debt
$16,172
Earnings (4yr)
$64,497
Natl Median: $50,468
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$16,598
Earnings (4yr)
$57,053
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$10k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$15,454
Earnings (4yr)
$68,605
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
+$101k
Median Debt
$15,321
Earnings (4yr)
$69,600
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
+$109k
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$62,227
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
+$52k
Median Debt
$16,500
Earnings (4yr)
$79,839
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$187k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,039
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$39k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$60,497
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$38k
Median Debt
$18,657
Earnings (4yr)
$47,546
Natl Median: $41,688
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k

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.