College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA 7,529 Undergrads 67.0% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$22,278
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$15,901
After Aid
Median Earnings
$54,830
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$15,901
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$54,830
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$55,177
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate67.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age21.0
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients26.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time91.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS81.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
92.7%
SAT Avg
1,122
SAT Reading
25th: 52053575th: 650
SAT Math
25th: 50055075th: 630
ACT Composite
25th: 192375th: 26

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
+$494k
+$27k
+$9k
Median Cost$16k/yr
+$436k
-$30k
-$48k
Full Cost$22k/yr
+$414k
-$53k
-$71k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
53
∞
Median Cost$16k/yr
Never
-84%
Full Cost$22k/yr
Never
-88%
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-57%

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-62%
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
$18,750
Earnings (4yr)
$82,641
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$169k
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$47,105
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$34,102
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$224k
Median Debt
$20,625
Earnings (5yr)
$58,815
Natl Median: $57,640
Lifetime Value Added
-$25k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,909
Natl Median: $58,891
Lifetime Value Added
-$160k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$20,720
Earnings (4yr)
$62,391
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (4yr)
$74,838
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$109k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$16,562
Earnings (4yr)
$53,506
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k
Median Debt
$17,537
Earnings (4yr)
$60,509
Natl Median: $58,928
Lifetime Value Added
-$2k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$22,770
Earnings (4yr)
$89,305
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$220k
Median Debt
$18,000
Earnings (4yr)
$85,688
Natl Median: $95,124
Lifetime Value Added
+$192k
Median Debt
$15,178
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Criminology
BachCIP: 4504
Median Debt
$20,278
Earnings (4yr)
$54,993
Natl Median: $55,556
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
Median Debt
$21,965
Earnings (4yr)
$47,736
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$107k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$39,816
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$175k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,842
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$17,169
Earnings (4yr)
$71,905
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$87k
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$71,643
Natl Median: $84,304
Lifetime Value Added
+$107k
Median Debt
$21,668
Earnings (4yr)
$46,343
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy
BachCIP: 0302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,185
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$18,770
Earnings (4yr)
$81,172
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$158k
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (4yr)
$40,288
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$171k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,986
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
-$113k
Gerontology
BachCIP: 3011
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$63,876
Natl Median: $54,051
Lifetime Value Added
+$25k
Median Debt
$19,184
Earnings (4yr)
$44,066
Natl Median: $43,283
Lifetime Value Added
-$138k
Median Debt
$20,625
Earnings (4yr)
$52,202
Natl Median: $68,245
Lifetime Value Added
-$70k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$19,900
Earnings (4yr)
$49,313
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Median Debt
$20,700
Earnings (4yr)
$41,053
Natl Median: $48,568
Lifetime Value Added
-$164k
Median Debt
$19,829
Earnings (4yr)
$87,580
Natl Median: $80,890
Lifetime Value Added
+$207k
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$51,712
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (4yr)
$76,329
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$121k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$16,661
Earnings (4yr)
$72,757
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$93k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$17,692
Earnings (4yr)
$44,407
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$135k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$38,893
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$189k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,780
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,506
Natl Median: $50,983
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
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
$24,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,277
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$53,829
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$56k
Median Debt
$20,082
Earnings (4yr)
$58,307
Natl Median: $65,093
Lifetime Value Added
-$20k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$64,067
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
+$26k
Median Debt
$18,625
Earnings (4yr)
$49,794
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
Real Estate
BachCIP: 5215
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$83,592
Natl Median: $84,821
Lifetime Value Added
+$176k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,353
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
-$283k
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$54,965
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$15,388
Earnings (4yr)
$50,629
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$20,625
Earnings (4yr)
$53,198
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$61k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$18,750
Earnings (4yr)
$54,629
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$50k
Statistics
BachCIP: 2705
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$57,318
Natl Median: $92,425
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
Median Debt
$23,200
Earnings (4yr)
$45,885
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$123k
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (4yr)
$50,144
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$87k
Median Debt
$25,335
Earnings (2yr)
$39,369
Natl Median: $42,259
Lifetime Value Added
-$165k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$89,173
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$101k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Applied Mathematics
MastCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $116,060
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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
-
Earnings (4yr)
$87,003
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$97k
Median Debt
$37,130
Earnings (4yr)
$60,414
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$138k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,953
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$29,955
Earnings (4yr)
$64,303
Natl Median: $67,030
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
Median Debt
$27,038
Earnings (4yr)
$81,109
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$46k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,644
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,443
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
-$138k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,705
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,079
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: $89,051
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$64,311
Natl Median: $56,301
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
Mathematics
MastCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,739
Natl Median: $72,654
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,729
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$321k
Music
MastCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$32,925
Natl Median: $48,285
Lifetime Value Added
-$391k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,313
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,711
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Public Health
MastCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,751
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $93,020
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $80,125
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,216
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,728
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,129
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$25,795
Earnings (4yr)
$59,834
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$143k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$52,107
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$196k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$13,250
Earnings (4yr)
$64,309
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
Median Debt
$32,500
Earnings (4yr)
$53,892
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$199k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$57,224
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$168k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$70,149
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$51k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,767
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,031
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
DocCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $87,373
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,573
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.