College ROI

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University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Pembroke, NC 5,330 Undergrads 48.6% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$17,261
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$10,260
After Aid
Median Earnings
$49,668
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$10,260
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$49,668
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$43,407
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate48.6%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average Starting Age22.9
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients49.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time74.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS63.9%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
93.3%
SAT Avg
1,056
SAT Reading
25th: 49052075th: 600
SAT Math
25th: 48049575th: 600
ACT Composite
25th: 181975th: 23

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)
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$451k
-$16k
-$34k
Median Cost$10k/yr
+$414k
-$53k
-$70k
Full Cost$17k/yr
+$389k
-$78k
-$96k

ROI Efficiency Metrics
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$10k/yr
Never
-191%
Full Cost$17k/yr
Never
-154%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
  • 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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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-164%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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-80%
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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$46,321
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,285
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Biotechnology
BachCIP: 2612
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,097
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,648
Earnings (4yr)
$55,233
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$24k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$25,105
Earnings (4yr)
$63,288
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
+$41k
Median Debt
$28,250
Earnings (4yr)
$41,864
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
Median Debt
$24,447
Earnings (4yr)
$53,022
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$80,579
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$173k
Median Debt
$24,527
Earnings (4yr)
$50,382
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,950
Earnings (4yr)
$36,793
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$180k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,535
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$30,913
Earnings (4yr)
$62,355
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
+$33k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,806
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,083
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,900
Earnings (4yr)
$53,779
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$36k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$42,947
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$127k
Median Debt
$27,250
Earnings (4yr)
$78,674
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$159k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$26,877
Earnings (4yr)
$52,344
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$48k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$44,935
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$110k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$25,600
Earnings (4yr)
$44,669
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$113k
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,034
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$76k
Median Debt
$25,082
Earnings (4yr)
$48,370
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$25,064
Earnings (4yr)
$69,372
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$73,686
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
Median Debt
$48,000
Earnings (4yr)
$75,582
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$30,825
Earnings (4yr)
$59,853
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
Median Debt
$57,500
Earnings (4yr)
$55,200
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$176k
Median Debt
$37,174
Earnings (2yr)
$45,221
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$254k
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,602
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$201k

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.