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University of South Alabama
Mobile, AL 8,540 Undergrads 48.3% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$22,070
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$15,142
After Aid
Median Earnings
$49,379
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$15,142
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$49,379
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate48.3%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients38.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time87.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS69.5%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
65.5%
SAT Avg
1,119
SAT Reading
25th: 52055575th: 610
SAT Math
25th: 49554575th: 590
ACT Composite
25th: 192375th: 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
+$432k
+$36k
-$52k
Median Cost$15k/yr
+$378k
-$19k
-$107k
Full Cost$22k/yr
+$353k
-$44k
-$132k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$15k/yr
Never
-196%
Full Cost$22k/yr
Never
-166%
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-190%
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-94%
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
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$26,036
Earnings (5yr)
$54,805
Lifetime Value Added
-$54k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
BachCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (5yr)
$64,099
Lifetime Value Added
+$19k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$19,455
Lifetime Value Added
-$343k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$59,484
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$23,500
Earnings (5yr)
$54,316
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Business/Commerce, General
BachCIP: 5201
Median Debt
$29,363
Earnings (2yr)
$32,925
Lifetime Value Added
-$220k
Chemical Engineering
BachCIP: 1407
Median Debt
$20,116
Earnings (5yr)
$88,027
Lifetime Value Added
+$200k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$26,366
Earnings (5yr)
$86,917
Lifetime Value Added
+$191k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$24,870
Earnings (5yr)
$46,121
Lifetime Value Added
-$126k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
BachCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$21,999
Earnings (2yr)
$17,717
Lifetime Value Added
-$360k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$26,328
Earnings (5yr)
$94,533
Lifetime Value Added
+$248k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$25,750
Earnings (5yr)
$84,922
Lifetime Value Added
+$176k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$25,750
Earnings (5yr)
$48,094
Lifetime Value Added
-$109k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (5yr)
$106,281
Lifetime Value Added
+$336k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$21,201
Earnings (5yr)
$42,442
Lifetime Value Added
-$156k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$65,107
Lifetime Value Added
+$27k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$30,066
Earnings (5yr)
$39,891
Lifetime Value Added
-$178k
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs
BachCIP: 5111
Median Debt
$28,000
Earnings (5yr)
$50,197
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$43,909
Lifetime Value Added
-$144k
Information Science/Studies
BachCIP: 1104
Median Debt
$28,000
Earnings (5yr)
$75,104
Lifetime Value Added
+$103k
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
BachCIP: 1601
Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (5yr)
$47,548
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$24,974
Earnings (5yr)
$46,298
Lifetime Value Added
-$124k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (5yr)
$89,384
Lifetime Value Added
+$210k
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General
BachCIP: 3000
Median Debt
$25,419
Earnings (5yr)
$44,628
Lifetime Value Added
-$138k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$22,625
Earnings (5yr)
$37,262
Lifetime Value Added
-$200k
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies
BachCIP: 3101
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (5yr)
$42,033
Lifetime Value Added
-$160k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,967
Lifetime Value Added
-$283k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$23,561
Earnings (5yr)
$44,930
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (5yr)
$70,878
Lifetime Value Added
+$71k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$28,500
Earnings (5yr)
$43,857
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
Statistics
BachCIP: 2705
Median Debt
$22,532
Earnings (5yr)
$51,684
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$47,395
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$46,909
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$64,990
Lifetime Value Added
+$145k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
MastCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$97,225
Earnings (5yr)
$132,594
Lifetime Value Added
+$690k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$114,610
Lifetime Value Added
+$537k
Communication and Media Studies
MastCIP: 0901
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Lifetime Value Added
-$118k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
MastCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (5yr)
$69,027
Lifetime Value Added
+$145k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
MastCIP: 1101
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$83,267
Lifetime Value Added
+$268k
Education, Other
MastCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$57,318
Lifetime Value Added
+$73k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$63,854
Lifetime Value Added
+$100k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
MastCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$51,673
Earnings (5yr)
$120,778
Lifetime Value Added
+$589k
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
MastCIP: 5123
Median Debt
$62,988
Earnings (5yr)
$75,914
Lifetime Value Added
+$205k
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
MastCIP: 1311
Median Debt
$42,799
Earnings (2yr)
$36,668
Lifetime Value Added
-$134k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$34,535
Earnings (5yr)
$53,595
Lifetime Value Added
+$6k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
MastCIP: 1313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$53,852
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
Graduate Certificates
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Gr-CertCIP: 5138
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$141,035
Lifetime Value Added
+$885k
Doctoral Degrees
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
DocCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$80,320
Earnings (5yr)
$77,964
Lifetime Value Added
+$81k
Medicine
DocCIP: 5112
Median Debt
$175,334
Earnings (5yr)
$161,185
Lifetime Value Added
+$684k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
DocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$71,336
Earnings (5yr)
$124,791
Lifetime Value Added
+$422k
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
DocCIP: 5123
Median Debt
$77,490
Earnings (5yr)
$86,610
Lifetime Value Added
+$144k
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.