College ROI

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University of the District of Columbia

Washington, DC 3,351 Undergrads 30.6% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$20,437
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$10,648
After Aid
Median Earnings
$66,946
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$10,648
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$66,946
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+51%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$44,236
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate30.6%
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 Age26.4
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 Recipients41.5%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time42.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS56.9%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
100.0%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

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
+$590k
+$124k
+$106k
Median Cost$11k/yr
+$552k
+$85k
+$68k
Full Cost$20k/yr
+$517k
+$50k
+$32k

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
32
∞
Median Cost$11k/yr
38
177%
Full Cost$20k/yr
47
44%
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 Return183%

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 Return5%
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: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,767
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$57,391
Natl Median: $37,587
Lifetime Value Added
+$100k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,195
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,110
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $38,127
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
AssocCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$51,137
Natl Median: $41,787
Lifetime Value Added
+$40k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,962
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities
AssocCIP: 5132
Median Debt
$14,836
Earnings (5yr)
$92,660
Natl Median: $102,881
Lifetime Value Added
+$404k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,792
Natl Median: $41,339
Lifetime Value Added
+$36k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,669
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$16,670
Earnings (4yr)
$45,346
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,773
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,002
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (4yr)
$71,572
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$103k
Architecture
BachCIP: 0402
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,914
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,141
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$175k
Median Debt
$30,875
Earnings (4yr)
$65,711
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$58k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$84,616
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$190k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$22,977
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $84,599
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities
BachCIP: 5132
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$80,336
Natl Median: $87,441
Lifetime Value Added
+$195k
Median Debt
$51,085
Earnings (4yr)
$57,648
Natl Median: $48,568
Lifetime Value Added
-$6k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Non-Professional Legal Studies
BachCIP: 2200
Median Debt
$37,650
Earnings (4yr)
$74,158
Natl Median: $61,959
Lifetime Value Added
+$123k
Nutrition Sciences
BachCIP: 3019
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,053
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,637
Earnings (4yr)
$66,952
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$68k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$21,383
Earnings (5yr)
$58,850
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$6k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$44,000
Earnings (4yr)
$65,986
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
+$60k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Architecture
MastCIP: 0402
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $74,139
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,837
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$81,908
Earnings (4yr)
$67,720
Natl Median: $67,030
Lifetime Value Added
-$62k
Computer Science
MastCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $145,571
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$63,005
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Education, Other
MastCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,348
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy
MastCIP: 0302
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,563
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$89,963
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
+$133k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,288
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Professional Degrees

Law
ProfCIP: 2201
Median Debt
$110,258
Earnings (4yr)
$90,325
Natl Median: $107,773
Lifetime Value Added
-$16k

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.