College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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University of Scranton

Scranton, PA 3,554 Undergrads 78.1% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$69,552
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$32,568
After Aid
Median Earnings
$79,409
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$32,568
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$79,409
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$74,652
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate78.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.7
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients23.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time98.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS85.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
81.2%
SAT Avg
1,237
SAT Reading
25th: 59060075th: 660
SAT Math
25th: 57059075th: 658
ACT Composite
25th: 252675th: 30

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
+$686k
+$219k
+$201k
Median Cost$33k/yr
+$569k
+$102k
+$84k
Full Cost$70k/yr
+$435k
-$31k
-$49k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
28
Median Cost$33k/yr
40
72%
Full Cost$70k/yr
Never
-20%
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 Return54%

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-48%
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

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$93,677
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$193k
Applied Mathematics
BachCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $91,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$64,774
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$28k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,713
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$80,611
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$93k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,646
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$62k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$98,369
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$229k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$63,483
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$38k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$79,577
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$74k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,619
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$69,349
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,027
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,423
Earnings (4yr)
$100,962
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$249k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,580
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$76,932
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
+$65k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$22,375
Earnings (4yr)
$68,443
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
+$320
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$76,379
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
+$50k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,172
Natl Median: $48,597
Lifetime Value Added
-$130k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$20,140
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
-$400k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$47,302
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
-$171k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$56,970
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$83,756
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$117k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$61,736
Natl Median: $62,451
Lifetime Value Added
-$62k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$63,410
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
-$39k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,409
Earnings (4yr)
$72,038
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$28k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$26,131
Earnings (4yr)
$54,088
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,699
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$125k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,762
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$105,353
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$282k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,805
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$79,700
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$86k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$60,846
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$30,561
Earnings (4yr)
$92,322
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$113k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $80,271
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$35,011
Earnings (4yr)
$118,200
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$339k
Chemistry
MastCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,937
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$46,445
Earnings (4yr)
$55,859
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$211k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $136,736
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,487
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$159k
Median Debt
$33,235
Earnings (4yr)
$86,961
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$66k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$118,845
Natl Median: $110,694
Lifetime Value Added
+$345k
Median Debt
$57,799
Earnings (4yr)
$93,756
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
+$126k
Median Debt
$41,972
Earnings (4yr)
$86,514
Natl Median: $83,558
Lifetime Value Added
+$62k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$141,924
Natl Median: $97,121
Lifetime Value Added
+$520k
Marketing
MastCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$57,437
Natl Median: $79,106
Lifetime Value Added
-$175k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $101,441
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$50,865
Earnings (5yr)
$114,503
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$288k
Median Debt
$22,451
Earnings (4yr)
$85,423
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
+$53k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,737
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,349
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$335k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $138,131
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$76,753
Earnings (4yr)
$87,408
Natl Median: $82,893
Lifetime Value Added
-$116k

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.