College ROI

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University of Mary

Bismarck, ND 2,416 Undergrads 60.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$33,672
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$17,770
After Aid
Median Earnings
$65,398
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$17,770
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$65,398
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$60,909
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate60.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age22.6
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients23.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time86.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS80.7%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
75.3%
SAT Avg
1,159
SAT Reading
25th: 580-75th: 680
SAT Math
25th: 530-75th: 660
ACT Composite
25th: 21-75th: 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
+$578k
+$112k
+$94k
Median Cost$18k/yr
+$514k
+$48k
+$30k
Full Cost$34k/yr
+$457k
-$10k
-$27k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
33
∞
Median Cost$18k/yr
47
47%
Full Cost$34k/yr
Never
-22%
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 Return53%

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-41%
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

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$63,969
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$19k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$67,803
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
+$49k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,687
Earnings (4yr)
$71,639
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$78k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,523
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,975
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$45,394
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$134k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$55,357
Natl Median: $58,928
Lifetime Value Added
-$50k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,827
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$88k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,172
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$24,750
Earnings (4yr)
$60,331
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$74,651
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$101k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,792
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Religious Music and Worship
BachCIP: 3905
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,456
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$24,490
Earnings (4yr)
$68,088
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$51k
Median Debt
$23,719
Earnings (4yr)
$46,121
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$127k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,612
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,535
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$92,462
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$142k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$69,031
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
Median Debt
$21,938
Earnings (4yr)
$60,062
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities
MastCIP: 5132
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$79,545
Natl Median: $100,487
Lifetime Value Added
+$28k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $101,441
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,059
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,681
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$79,953
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
+$32k
Median Debt
$18,923
Earnings (4yr)
$124,187
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$418k
Median Debt
$48,604
Earnings (4yr)
$70,746
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
-$49k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,443
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$47,158
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
-$267k

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$84,111
Earnings (4yr)
$124,741
Natl Median: $138,131
Lifetime Value Added
+$213k
Median Debt
$82,000
Earnings (4yr)
$80,105
Natl Median: $82,893
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k

Other Programs

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,426
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.