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University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT 26,041 Undergrads 70.1% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$21,799
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$13,172
After Aid
Median Earnings
$67,170
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$13,172
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$67,170
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate70.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients21.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time85.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS79.1%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
87.2%
SAT Avg
1,231
SAT Reading
25th: 59064075th: 698
SAT Math
25th: 59064575th: 700
ACT Composite
25th: 222675th: 29
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
+$572k
+$175k
+$87k
Median Cost$13k/yr
+$524k
+$128k
+$40k
Full Cost$22k/yr
+$493k
+$97k
+$9k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
33
∞
Median Cost$13k/yr
44
85%
Full Cost$22k/yr
57
12%
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 Return121%
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-14%
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
$20,643
Earnings (5yr)
$82,700
Lifetime Value Added
+$167k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$23,500
Earnings (5yr)
$43,163
Lifetime Value Added
-$143k
Architecture
BachCIP: 0402
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$62,433
Lifetime Value Added
+$14k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$19,831
Earnings (5yr)
$66,286
Lifetime Value Added
+$43k
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
BachCIP: 1405
Median Debt
$19,476
Earnings (5yr)
$97,195
Lifetime Value Added
+$275k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$20,171
Earnings (5yr)
$83,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$176k
Chemical Engineering
BachCIP: 1407
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (5yr)
$94,911
Lifetime Value Added
+$258k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$15,921
Earnings (5yr)
$66,729
Lifetime Value Added
+$47k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$18,750
Earnings (5yr)
$81,863
Lifetime Value Added
+$160k
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions
BachCIP: 5110
Median Debt
$21,088
Earnings (2yr)
$50,856
Lifetime Value Added
-$54k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$17,500
Earnings (5yr)
$58,546
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
BachCIP: 5102
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$66,963
Lifetime Value Added
+$49k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (5yr)
$116,395
Lifetime Value Added
+$418k
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
$15,284
Earnings (2yr)
$19,227
Lifetime Value Added
-$339k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$15,750
Earnings (5yr)
$80,323
Lifetime Value Added
+$149k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$20,200
Earnings (5yr)
$112,994
Lifetime Value Added
+$393k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$17,375
Earnings (5yr)
$52,921
Lifetime Value Added
-$62k
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
BachCIP: 5006
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (5yr)
$48,574
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$18,408
Earnings (5yr)
$96,414
Lifetime Value Added
+$269k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (5yr)
$48,231
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
Geography and Cartography
BachCIP: 4507
Median Debt
$13,875
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Lifetime Value Added
-$203k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$17,663
Earnings (5yr)
$68,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$57k
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs
BachCIP: 5111
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,987
Lifetime Value Added
-$203k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$18,250
Earnings (5yr)
$51,794
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
BachCIP: 1907
Median Debt
$13,997
Earnings (5yr)
$46,872
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
Information Science/Studies
BachCIP: 1104
Median Debt
$23,920
Earnings (5yr)
$110,079
Lifetime Value Added
+$371k
International/Global Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
$24,305
Earnings (5yr)
$64,104
Lifetime Value Added
+$27k
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
BachCIP: 1601
Median Debt
$20,250
Earnings (2yr)
$26,739
Lifetime Value Added
-$269k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$20,765
Earnings (5yr)
$77,028
Lifetime Value Added
+$124k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$21,897
Earnings (2yr)
$47,952
Lifetime Value Added
-$79k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$21,250
Earnings (5yr)
$87,070
Lifetime Value Added
+$199k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$15,500
Earnings (5yr)
$51,815
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$58,284
Lifetime Value Added
-$19k
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies
BachCIP: 3101
Median Debt
$19,125
Earnings (5yr)
$50,353
Lifetime Value Added
-$84k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$48,432
Lifetime Value Added
-$75k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$18,062
Earnings (5yr)
$60,348
Lifetime Value Added
-$3k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$17,766
Earnings (5yr)
$52,095
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$14,689
Earnings (5yr)
$67,447
Lifetime Value Added
+$52k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (5yr)
$71,368
Lifetime Value Added
+$82k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$54,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$49k
Social Sciences, General
BachCIP: 4501
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$49,866
Lifetime Value Added
-$88k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$13,903
Earnings (5yr)
$55,294
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$14,516
Earnings (5yr)
$52,418
Lifetime Value Added
-$67k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$23,370
Earnings (5yr)
$55,080
Lifetime Value Added
-$45k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$105,407
Lifetime Value Added
+$462k
Architecture
MastCIP: 0402
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$70,514
Lifetime Value Added
+$162k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (5yr)
$135,170
Lifetime Value Added
+$715k
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
MastCIP: 4228
Median Debt
$26,100
Earnings (5yr)
$65,696
Lifetime Value Added
+$120k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
MastCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$56,015
Earnings (5yr)
$57,498
Lifetime Value Added
+$46k
Computer Software and Media Applications
MastCIP: 1108
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (5yr)
$70,635
Lifetime Value Added
+$163k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
$27,739
Earnings (2yr)
$44,170
Lifetime Value Added
-$54k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
MastCIP: 1410
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$84,653
Lifetime Value Added
+$328k
Finance and Financial Management Services
MastCIP: 5208
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$123,559
Lifetime Value Added
+$617k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
MastCIP: 5107
Median Debt
$47,209
Earnings (5yr)
$114,395
Lifetime Value Added
+$539k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$48,849
Lifetime Value Added
-$7k
Information Science/Studies
MastCIP: 1104
Median Debt
$24,323
Earnings (5yr)
$115,541
Lifetime Value Added
+$548k
Mechanical Engineering
MastCIP: 1419
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$104,631
Lifetime Value Added
+$455k
Nutrition Sciences
MastCIP: 3019
Median Debt
$34,500
Earnings (2yr)
$46,478
Lifetime Value Added
-$31k
Public Administration
MastCIP: 4404
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (5yr)
$83,622
Lifetime Value Added
+$275k
Public Health
MastCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$31,219
Earnings (5yr)
$81,066
Lifetime Value Added
+$253k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
MastCIP: 5138
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$85,070
Lifetime Value Added
+$332k
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
MastCIP: 5123
Median Debt
$69,394
Earnings (5yr)
$76,505
Lifetime Value Added
+$213k
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$32,563
Earnings (5yr)
$66,379
Lifetime Value Added
+$126k
Doctoral Degrees
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration
DocCIP: 5120
Median Debt
$128,300
Earnings (5yr)
$137,742
Lifetime Value Added
+$522k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
DocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$54,967
Earnings (5yr)
$121,439
Lifetime Value Added
+$404k
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
DocCIP: 5123
Median Debt
$80,368
Earnings (5yr)
$78,636
Lifetime Value Added
+$93k
Professional Degrees
Law
ProfCIP: 2201
Median Debt
$74,012
Earnings (5yr)
$108,890
Lifetime Value Added
+$313k
Medicine
ProfCIP: 5112
Median Debt
$190,914
Earnings (5yr)
$158,816
Lifetime Value Added
+$674k
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.