College ROI

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University of the Cumberlands

Williamsburg, KY 6,941 Undergrads 47.3% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$25,567
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$14,107
After Aid
Median Earnings
$51,882
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$14,107
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$51,882
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$45,036
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate47.3%
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 Age24.5
Warning: High average starting age indicates non-traditional students with prior work experience, which may inflate the median earnings shown.
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients57.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time83.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS68.6%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
98.8%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: -52575th: -
SAT Math
25th: -54575th: -
ACT Composite
25th: -2175th: -

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
+$469k
+$2k
-$15k
Median Cost$14k/yr
+$419k
-$48k
-$66k
Full Cost$26k/yr
+$377k
-$90k
-$107k

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$14k/yr
Never
-130%
Full Cost$26k/yr
Never
-116%
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-109%

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-78%
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.

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,422
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,556
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
AssocCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,288
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$19,987
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (4yr)
$59,702
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$2k
Median Debt
$15,568
Earnings (4yr)
$59,760
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
-$1k
Median Debt
$20,339
Earnings (4yr)
$40,699
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$161k
Median Debt
$21,635
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,375
Earnings (4yr)
$41,785
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$151k
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: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$17,669
Earnings (4yr)
$37,823
Natl Median: $48,597
Lifetime Value Added
-$185k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$16,216
Earnings (4yr)
$45,061
Natl Median: $52,119
Lifetime Value Added
-$123k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$13,730
Earnings (4yr)
$40,751
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$160k
Median Debt
$8,358
Earnings (4yr)
$94,183
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$263k
Religious Education
BachCIP: 3904
Median Debt
$21,593
Earnings (4yr)
$39,211
Natl Median: $43,633
Lifetime Value Added
-$173k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$19,587
Earnings (4yr)
$45,660
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$118k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$40,093
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$166k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$118,662
Earnings (4yr)
$118,251
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
+$374k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,028
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$16,263
Earnings (4yr)
$76,452
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
Median Debt
$43,350
Earnings (4yr)
$54,874
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$186k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $124,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $121,855
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,405
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$11,852
Earnings (4yr)
$48,120
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$251k
Median Debt
$21,878
Earnings (4yr)
$61,352
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$126k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $78,149
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,508
Earnings (5yr)
$48,604
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$255k
Median Debt
$21,171
Earnings (4yr)
$52,175
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$212k
Median Debt
$17,564
Earnings (4yr)
$45,849
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$273k
Median Debt
$12,997
Earnings (4yr)
$47,846
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$254k

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
$32,333
Earnings (4yr)
$98,100
Natl Median: $113,566
Lifetime Value Added
+$29k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $99,878
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $154,538
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$31,421
Earnings (4yr)
$92,853
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k

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.