College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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University of Hawaii at Hilo

Hilo, HI 2,260 Undergrads 42.9% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$20,914
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$12,063
After Aid
Median Earnings
$47,856
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$12,063
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$47,856
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate42.9%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients42.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time80.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS62.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
89.8%
SAT Avg
1,025
SAT Reading
25th: 47856575th: 570
SAT Math
25th: 42054075th: 540
ACT Composite
25th: 151975th: 22

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
+$420k
+$23k
-$65k
Median Cost$12k/yr
+$376k
-$20k
-$108k
Full Cost$21k/yr
+$345k
-$52k
-$140k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$12k/yr
Never
-249%
Full Cost$21k/yr
Never
-186%
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-223%

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-100%
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

Certificates

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
CertCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,561
Lifetime Value Added
+$87k

Bachelor's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$47,061
Lifetime Value Added
-$107k
Agriculture, General
BachCIP: 0100
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (2yr)
$32,711
Lifetime Value Added
-$211k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$34,470
Lifetime Value Added
-$213k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (5yr)
$61,366
Lifetime Value Added
+$9k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$17,000
Earnings (5yr)
$47,959
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$20,505
Earnings (5yr)
$44,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$125k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$57,318
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$46,521
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology
BachCIP: 2613
Median Debt
$20,115
Earnings (5yr)
$37,193
Lifetime Value Added
-$190k
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies
BachCIP: 0502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,507
Lifetime Value Added
+$10k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$21,841
Earnings (5yr)
$47,395
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$20,140
Lifetime Value Added
-$326k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$41,041
Lifetime Value Added
-$157k
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration
BachCIP: 5120
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$141,551
Lifetime Value Added
+$608k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$16,478
Lifetime Value Added
-$360k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$18,751
Earnings (5yr)
$45,110
Lifetime Value Added
-$123k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$18,000
Earnings (5yr)
$93,992
Lifetime Value Added
+$255k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$21,662
Earnings (5yr)
$36,076
Lifetime Value Added
-$199k

Master's Degrees

Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
MastCIP: 4228
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
MastCIP: 0301
Median Debt
$36,000
Earnings (5yr)
$52,130
Lifetime Value Added
-$2k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$26,760
Earnings (5yr)
$62,845
Lifetime Value Added
+$96k

Professional Degrees

Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration
ProfCIP: 5120
Median Debt
$218,140
Earnings (5yr)
$141,981
Lifetime Value Added
+$556k

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.