College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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University of North Carolina Asheville

Asheville, NC 2,910 Undergrads 63.8% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$21,685
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$12,250
After Aid
Median Earnings
$45,777
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$12,250
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$45,777
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$44,030
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate63.8%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age22.0
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients33.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time92.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS62.0%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
91.9%
SAT Avg
1,251
SAT Reading
25th: 60063575th: 700
SAT Math
25th: 57059575th: 660
ACT Composite
25th: 232675th: 29

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
+$418k
-$49k
-$66k
Median Cost$12k/yr
+$374k
-$93k
-$110k
Full Cost$22k/yr
+$340k
-$127k
-$144k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$12k/yr
Never
-251%
Full Cost$22k/yr
Never
-185%
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-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-101%
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
$19,550
Earnings (4yr)
$69,472
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$81k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,997
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$22,228
Earnings (4yr)
$47,302
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Median Debt
$18,856
Earnings (4yr)
$56,479
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$21k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$12,825
Earnings (4yr)
$60,021
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,429
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$42,743
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$22,147
Earnings (4yr)
$88,084
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$224k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$21,052
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$318k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$18,971
Earnings (4yr)
$66,736
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$60k
Median Debt
$30,513
Earnings (4yr)
$88,346
Natl Median: $89,359
Lifetime Value Added
+$226k
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$33,714
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$214k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,442
Earnings (5yr)
$32,441
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$231k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,459
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$16,313
Earnings (4yr)
$38,565
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$172k
Median Debt
$18,000
Earnings (4yr)
$41,796
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$144k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (4yr)
$56,247
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$23k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$37,484
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$182k
Median Debt
$22,354
Earnings (4yr)
$46,518
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
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
$21,718
Earnings (4yr)
$55,698
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$28k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$40,673
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$154k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$42,267
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$140k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$34,708
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$212k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$20,585
Earnings (4yr)
$44,824
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
Median Debt
$22,582
Earnings (4yr)
$40,444
Natl Median: $41,688
Lifetime Value Added
-$156k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,716
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.