Back to Colleges
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA 21,691 Undergrads 71.8% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$26,883
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$21,398
After Aid
Median Earnings
$64,762
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$21,398
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$64,762
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate71.8%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients18.5%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time94.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS81.9%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
84.7%
SAT Avg
1,220
SAT Reading
25th: 57062575th: 660
SAT Math
25th: 56061575th: 660
ACT Composite
25th: 222675th: 28
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
+$554k
+$157k
+$69k
Median Cost$21k/yr
+$477k
+$80k
-$8k
Full Cost$27k/yr
+$457k
+$60k
-$27k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
35
∞
Median Cost$21k/yr
Never
-10%
Full Cost$27k/yr
Never
-28%
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 Return45%
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-40%
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
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
CertCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$71,710
Lifetime Value Added
+$279k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
CertCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$21,582
Earnings (5yr)
$56,012
Lifetime Value Added
+$124k
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
CertCIP: 5207
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (5yr)
$68,295
Lifetime Value Added
+$246k
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies
CertCIP: 0502
Median Debt
$25,750
Earnings (5yr)
$56,034
Lifetime Value Added
+$124k
Insurance
CertCIP: 5217
Median Debt
$22,250
Earnings (5yr)
$95,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$507k
International Business
CertCIP: 5211
Median Debt
$25,407
Earnings (5yr)
$64,400
Lifetime Value Added
+$208k
Journalism
CertCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,829
Lifetime Value Added
+$132k
Museology/Museum Studies
CertCIP: 3014
Median Debt
$21,295
Earnings (5yr)
$43,539
Lifetime Value Added
-$6k
Personal Awareness and Self-Improvement
CertCIP: 3701
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$79,063
Lifetime Value Added
+$349k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
CertCIP: 2313
Median Debt
$23,750
Earnings (5yr)
$46,070
Lifetime Value Added
+$20k
Sustainability Studies
CertCIP: 3033
Median Debt
$20,036
Earnings (5yr)
$60,597
Lifetime Value Added
+$171k
Bachelor's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$90,952
Lifetime Value Added
+$199k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
BachCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$24,949
Earnings (5yr)
$67,426
Lifetime Value Added
+$23k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (5yr)
$42,460
Lifetime Value Added
-$179k
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Lifetime Value Added
-$233k
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
BachCIP: 2602
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$87,656
Lifetime Value Added
+$174k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$22,875
Earnings (5yr)
$60,631
Lifetime Value Added
-$30k
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
BachCIP: 1405
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$89,577
Lifetime Value Added
+$189k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$21,399
Earnings (5yr)
$80,929
Lifetime Value Added
+$124k
Business/Commerce, General
BachCIP: 5201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$52,226
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Chemical Engineering
BachCIP: 1407
Median Debt
$26,990
Earnings (5yr)
$90,804
Lifetime Value Added
+$198k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$25,650
Earnings (5yr)
$61,755
Lifetime Value Added
-$21k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$85,051
Lifetime Value Added
+$155k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$22,850
Earnings (5yr)
$63,848
Lifetime Value Added
-$5k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
BachCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$60,807
Lifetime Value Added
-$29k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (5yr)
$87,019
Lifetime Value Added
+$169k
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$41,919
Lifetime Value Added
-$183k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$25,277
Earnings (5yr)
$42,847
Lifetime Value Added
-$176k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$20,486
Earnings (5yr)
$79,242
Lifetime Value Added
+$111k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (5yr)
$110,672
Lifetime Value Added
+$346k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$20,400
Earnings (5yr)
$46,265
Lifetime Value Added
-$147k
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies
BachCIP: 0502
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$313k
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
BachCIP: 5006
Median Debt
$24,116
Earnings (5yr)
$44,273
Lifetime Value Added
-$164k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (5yr)
$89,537
Lifetime Value Added
+$188k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$24,596
Earnings (5yr)
$45,645
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
Geography and Cartography
BachCIP: 4507
Median Debt
$19,572
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Lifetime Value Added
-$233k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$22,250
Earnings (5yr)
$65,473
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs
BachCIP: 5111
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$69,520
Lifetime Value Added
+$38k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$21,379
Earnings (5yr)
$58,682
Lifetime Value Added
-$46k
Human Resources Management and Services
BachCIP: 5210
Median Debt
$21,275
Earnings (5yr)
$75,166
Lifetime Value Added
+$81k
Industrial Engineering
BachCIP: 1435
Median Debt
$21,375
Earnings (5yr)
$94,141
Lifetime Value Added
+$223k
International Relations and National Security Studies
BachCIP: 4509
Median Debt
$21,625
Earnings (5yr)
$68,946
Lifetime Value Added
+$34k
International/Global Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
$21,814
Earnings (5yr)
$51,488
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$23,957
Earnings (5yr)
$57,097
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$21,886
Earnings (5yr)
$59,491
Lifetime Value Added
-$39k
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
BachCIP: 1601
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (2yr)
$20,140
Lifetime Value Added
-$360k
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
BachCIP: 5213
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$96,419
Lifetime Value Added
+$240k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$75,795
Lifetime Value Added
+$85k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (5yr)
$74,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$77k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$22,922
Earnings (5yr)
$86,315
Lifetime Value Added
+$164k
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology
BachCIP: 2605
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Lifetime Value Added
-$194k
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
BachCIP: 3099
Median Debt
$21,761
Earnings (5yr)
$67,075
Lifetime Value Added
+$20k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$37,858
Lifetime Value Added
-$218k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
$23,875
Earnings (5yr)
$50,387
Lifetime Value Added
-$113k
Non-Professional General Legal Studies (Undergraduate)
BachCIP: 2200
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$75,921
Lifetime Value Added
+$86k
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies
BachCIP: 3101
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$51,944
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$63,699
Lifetime Value Added
-$6k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$22,312
Earnings (5yr)
$52,647
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$17,734
Earnings (5yr)
$73,476
Lifetime Value Added
+$68k
Religion/Religious Studies
BachCIP: 3802
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$32,569
Lifetime Value Added
-$246k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$50,428
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1604
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$272k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$22,427
Earnings (5yr)
$52,381
Lifetime Value Added
-$96k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$58,319
Lifetime Value Added
-$49k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$51,198
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$25,225
Earnings (5yr)
$50,407
Lifetime Value Added
-$113k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$100,851
Lifetime Value Added
+$407k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$42,275
Earnings (5yr)
$145,651
Lifetime Value Added
+$789k
City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning
MastCIP: 0403
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$74,342
Lifetime Value Added
+$180k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
MastCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$53,693
Earnings (5yr)
$66,044
Lifetime Value Added
+$108k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
MastCIP: 5005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,941
Lifetime Value Added
-$143k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
$15,877
Earnings (5yr)
$73,074
Lifetime Value Added
+$169k
Fine and Studio Arts
MastCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$49,127
Lifetime Value Added
-$48k
Journalism
MastCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$22,010
Earnings (2yr)
$64,493
Lifetime Value Added
+$129k
Library Science and Administration
MastCIP: 2501
Median Debt
$42,965
Earnings (5yr)
$54,577
Lifetime Value Added
+$4k
Music
MastCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$35,288
Lifetime Value Added
-$181k
Public Health
MastCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$37,882
Earnings (5yr)
$110,605
Lifetime Value Added
+$491k
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
MastCIP: 5123
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$58,077
Lifetime Value Added
+$36k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
MastCIP: 2313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$47,244
Lifetime Value Added
-$66k
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$43,291
Earnings (5yr)
$60,458
Lifetime Value Added
+$58k
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
MastCIP: 1311
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$47,260
Lifetime Value Added
-$38k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
MastCIP: 1313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,345
Lifetime Value Added
+$20k
Doctoral Degrees
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
DocCIP: 4228
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$86,546
Lifetime Value Added
+$121k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
DocCIP: 5102
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$87,478
Lifetime Value Added
+$128k
English Language and Literature, General
DocCIP: 2301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$59,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology
DocCIP: 2605
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$57,318
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Music
DocCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$54,201
Lifetime Value Added
-$120k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
DocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$119,905
Earnings (5yr)
$135,774
Lifetime Value Added
+$478k
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
DocCIP: 5123
Median Debt
$74,694
Earnings (5yr)
$77,325
Lifetime Value Added
+$54k
Professional Degrees
Dentistry
ProfCIP: 5104
Median Debt
$241,115
Earnings (5yr)
$165,250
Lifetime Value Added
+$690k
Law
ProfCIP: 2201
Median Debt
$80,268
Earnings (5yr)
$110,931
Lifetime Value Added
+$299k
Medicine
ProfCIP: 5112
Median Debt
$177,014
Earnings (5yr)
$178,334
Lifetime Value Added
+$784k
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration
ProfCIP: 5120
Median Debt
$147,065
Earnings (5yr)
$139,178
Lifetime Value Added
+$503k
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.