College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

University of North Alabama

Florence, AL 5,811 Undergrads 53.8% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$23,786
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$12,170
After Aid
Median Earnings
$50,818
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$12,170
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$50,818
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$45,415
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate53.8%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age21.4
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients33.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time85.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS65.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
87.3%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

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
+$460k
-$6k
-$24k
Median Cost$12k/yr
+$417k
-$50k
-$68k
Full Cost$24k/yr
+$375k
-$92k
-$110k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$12k/yr
Never
-155%
Full Cost$24k/yr
Never
-128%
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 Return-127%

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-81%
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
$21,375
Earnings (4yr)
$56,814
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
$24,437
Earnings (4yr)
$48,020
Natl Median: $48,240
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$20,205
Earnings (4yr)
$52,979
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$50k
Median Debt
$21,250
Earnings (4yr)
$51,912
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $77,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$72,885
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
+$108k
Median Debt
$22,004
Earnings (4yr)
$40,334
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$157k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$80,423
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$165k
Median Debt
$20,375
Earnings (4yr)
$48,913
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$84k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$38,735
Natl Median: $47,668
Lifetime Value Added
-$170k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,842
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General
BachCIP: 1500
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $80,526
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,999
Earnings (4yr)
$47,150
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Median Debt
$21,811
Earnings (4yr)
$42,733
Natl Median: $48,460
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k
Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (4yr)
$51,994
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$39,550
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
Median Debt
$29,750
Earnings (4yr)
$50,445
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$18,194
Earnings (4yr)
$41,728
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$75,870
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$131k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,124
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$161k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$34,810
Natl Median: $50,532
Lifetime Value Added
-$204k
Median Debt
$24,845
Earnings (4yr)
$52,044
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$22,900
Earnings (4yr)
$41,734
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology, Other
BachCIP: 3199
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$40,250
Natl Median: $42,573
Lifetime Value Added
-$157k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$78,082
Natl Median: $63,096
Lifetime Value Added
+$147k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$43,706
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$128k
Median Debt
$21,761
Earnings (4yr)
$74,550
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$120k
Median Debt
$19,125
Earnings (4yr)
$33,565
Natl Median: $55,695
Lifetime Value Added
-$215k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,366
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$37,853
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$178k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$33,810
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$213k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,331
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,887
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$47,973
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,500
Earnings (4yr)
$92,349
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$151k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $79,784
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,524
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,520
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology, Other
MastCIP: 3199
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,563
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$95,691
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$180k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,035
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,958
Earnings (4yr)
$56,744
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$165k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,709
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.