College ROI

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University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth

North Dartmouth, MA 5,221 Undergrads 56.0% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$34,295
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$20,319
After Aid
Median Earnings
$72,048
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$20,319
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$72,048
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$68,878
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate56.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average starting age (2015-17)21.5
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients42.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time88.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS76.9%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
90.6%
SAT Avg
1,182
SAT Reading
25th: 53059075th: 640
SAT Math
25th: 52058075th: 630
ACT Composite
25th: 262875th: 30

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
+$623k
+$153k
+$136k
Median Cost$20k/yr
+$550k
+$80k
+$63k
Full Cost$34k/yr
+$499k
+$29k
+$13k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
30
∞
Median Cost$20k/yr
41
86%
Full Cost$34k/yr
56
10%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.
  • 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 Return111%

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-27%

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,589
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,315
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,229
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$22,125
Earnings (4yr)
$70,053
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$59k
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Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$60,170
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$20k
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Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$91,805
Natl Median: $93,451
Lifetime Value Added
+$225k
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Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$62,430
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$1k
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Median Debt
$25,445
Earnings (4yr)
$73,398
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
+$84k
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Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$79,043
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
+$128k
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Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$79,051
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
+$128k
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Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$84,323
Natl Median: $75,975
Lifetime Value Added
+$168k
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Median Debt
$25,126
Earnings (4yr)
$96,727
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$263k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$98,642
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
+$277k
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Criminology
BachCIP: 4504
Median Debt
$25,979
Earnings (4yr)
$54,174
Natl Median: $55,556
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
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Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,857
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$88k
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Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,981
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$3k
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Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$94,683
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$247k
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Median Debt
$20,813
Earnings (4yr)
$47,268
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$127k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,008
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
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Median Debt
$23,375
Earnings (4yr)
$64,107
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$12k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$32,222
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$257k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$47,771
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$123k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$51,406
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k
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Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$83,480
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$161k
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Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$64,760
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$17k
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Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,549
Earnings (4yr)
$89,310
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$206k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
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
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$62,918
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$3k
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Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$53,561
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
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Median Debt
$26,250
Earnings (4yr)
$86,150
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$182k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$28,218
Earnings (4yr)
$41,529
Natl Median: $46,959
Lifetime Value Added
-$176k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$38,676
Natl Median: $41,688
Lifetime Value Added
-$201k
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Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$27,500
Earnings (4yr)
$85,031
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$73k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,371
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$101,254
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$215k
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Chemistry
MastCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,937
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Civil Engineering
MastCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $98,323
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$52,047
Earnings (4yr)
$72,224
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$40k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $124,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $136,736
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $133,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,486
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,079
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $124,807
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marine Sciences
MastCIP: 3032
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,840
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $138,309
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $115,974
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
MastCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $96,478
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,711
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$87,730
Natl Median: $93,020
Lifetime Value Added
+$96k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,035
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,728
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$28,136
Earnings (4yr)
$69,794
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$61k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,363
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $94,506
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$113,127
Natl Median: $103,299
Lifetime Value Added
+$429k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,509
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $101,517
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Public Policy Analysis
Gr-CertCIP: 4405
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $80,781
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $99,653
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $157,305
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Law
DocCIP: 2201
Median Debt
$122,144
Earnings (4yr)
$78,991
Natl Median: $105,518
Lifetime Value Added
-$135k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $119,220
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$148,729
Natl Median: $138,131
Lifetime Value Added
+$380k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,860
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $85,168
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.