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University of Northern Colorado
Greeley, CO 5,693 Undergrads 57.2% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$26,989
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$18,457
After Aid
Median Earnings
$52,231
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$18,457
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$52,231
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate57.2%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients29.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time90.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS74.8%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
86.4%
SAT Avg
1,077
SAT Reading
25th: 49055575th: 600
SAT Math
25th: 48053575th: 580
ACT Composite
25th: 172375th: 26
ROI Sensitivity Analysis
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
+$455k
+$59k
-$29k
Median Cost$18k/yr
+$389k
-$8k
-$96k
Full Cost$27k/yr
+$358k
-$38k
-$126k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$18k/yr
Never
-144%
Full Cost$27k/yr
Never
-130%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year 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-133%
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-85%
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 with your specific estimates of cost and salary.
Program ROI Analysis
Bachelor's Degrees
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$33,941
Lifetime Value Added
-$240k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$22,598
Earnings (5yr)
$47,179
Lifetime Value Added
-$129k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$70,582
Lifetime Value Added
+$57k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$62,043
Lifetime Value Added
-$8k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$19,848
Earnings (5yr)
$53,322
Lifetime Value Added
-$78k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
BachCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (5yr)
$48,038
Lifetime Value Added
-$122k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (5yr)
$54,233
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services
BachCIP: 5131
Median Debt
$15,554
Earnings (5yr)
$46,282
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (5yr)
$31,299
Lifetime Value Added
-$263k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$19,967
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Lifetime Value Added
-$184k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$47,523
Lifetime Value Added
-$126k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$23,123
Earnings (5yr)
$45,240
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
BachCIP: 4006
Median Debt
$24,121
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Lifetime Value Added
-$222k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$50,469
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
BachCIP: 5100
Median Debt
$19,975
Earnings (5yr)
$46,928
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$22,906
Earnings (5yr)
$52,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
International/Global Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$48,631
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$22,250
Earnings (5yr)
$53,764
Lifetime Value Added
-$75k
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
BachCIP: 1601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$21,508
Lifetime Value Added
-$336k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$11,864
Earnings (5yr)
$60,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$23k
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
BachCIP: 3099
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$44,923
Lifetime Value Added
-$148k
Nutrition Sciences
BachCIP: 3019
Median Debt
$19,875
Earnings (5yr)
$46,874
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management
BachCIP: 3103
Median Debt
$23,875
Earnings (5yr)
$56,189
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
$23,810
Earnings (2yr)
$37,568
Lifetime Value Added
-$190k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (5yr)
$58,329
Lifetime Value Added
-$38k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$46,165
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$18,000
Earnings (5yr)
$76,606
Lifetime Value Added
+$102k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$42,419
Lifetime Value Added
-$169k
Social Sciences, General
BachCIP: 4501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,330
Lifetime Value Added
-$210k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$23,570
Earnings (5yr)
$44,905
Lifetime Value Added
-$148k
Special Education and Teaching
BachCIP: 1310
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$49,362
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
Sustainability Studies
BachCIP: 3033
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$54,162
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$22,250
Earnings (5yr)
$43,737
Lifetime Value Added
-$157k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$22,747
Earnings (5yr)
$46,181
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$86,693
Lifetime Value Added
+$291k
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,500
Earnings (5yr)
$66,844
Lifetime Value Added
+$120k
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
MastCIP: 4228
Median Debt
$42,776
Earnings (5yr)
$57,581
Lifetime Value Added
+$37k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
MastCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$52,374
Earnings (5yr)
$57,478
Lifetime Value Added
+$36k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$34,666
Earnings (5yr)
$51,932
Lifetime Value Added
-$16k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
$29,494
Earnings (5yr)
$69,673
Lifetime Value Added
+$145k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$27,138
Earnings (5yr)
$60,755
Lifetime Value Added
+$66k
Music
MastCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$38,046
Earnings (5yr)
$47,769
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
MastCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$54,990
Earnings (5yr)
$111,158
Lifetime Value Added
+$501k
Special Education and Teaching
MastCIP: 1310
Median Debt
$33,881
Earnings (5yr)
$60,811
Lifetime Value Added
+$66k
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
MastCIP: 1311
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$54,666
Lifetime Value Added
+$10k
Doctoral Degrees
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
DocCIP: 4228
Median Debt
$73,745
Earnings (5yr)
$70,247
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
DocCIP: 5102
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$68,219
Lifetime Value Added
+$28k
Educational Administration and Supervision
DocCIP: 1304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$74,013
Lifetime Value Added
+$40k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.