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University of Washington-Tacoma Campus
Tacoma, WA 3,989 Undergrads 74.6% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$24,528
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$10,017
After Aid
Median Earnings
$78,466
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$10,017
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$78,466
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate74.6%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients40.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time88.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS82.7%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
83.0%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -
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
+$655k
+$259k
+$171k
Median Cost$10k/yr
+$619k
+$223k
+$135k
Full Cost$25k/yr
+$567k
+$171k
+$83k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
29
∞
Median Cost$10k/yr
32
374%
Full Cost$25k/yr
39
94%
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 Return273%
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 Return28%
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
$14,828
Earnings (5yr)
$87,336
Lifetime Value Added
+$213k
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
$14,845
Earnings (5yr)
$63,860
Lifetime Value Added
+$36k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$13,809
Earnings (5yr)
$69,087
Lifetime Value Added
+$76k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$13,654
Earnings (5yr)
$75,229
Lifetime Value Added
+$122k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$93,627
Lifetime Value Added
+$260k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$68,260
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$15,127
Earnings (5yr)
$121,341
Lifetime Value Added
+$466k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$11,628
Earnings (5yr)
$57,289
Lifetime Value Added
-$16k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$14,000
Earnings (5yr)
$108,406
Lifetime Value Added
+$370k
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies
BachCIP: 0502
Median Debt
$12,551
Earnings (5yr)
$57,840
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$13,856
Earnings (5yr)
$106,265
Lifetime Value Added
+$354k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$54,198
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
International/Global Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
$17,256
Earnings (5yr)
$59,227
Lifetime Value Added
-$329
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$15,071
Earnings (5yr)
$38,699
Lifetime Value Added
-$170k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (5yr)
$81,356
Lifetime Value Added
+$168k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$94,653
Lifetime Value Added
+$268k
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General
BachCIP: 3000
Median Debt
$14,691
Earnings (5yr)
$44,430
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
$15,932
Earnings (5yr)
$57,124
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
Non-Professional General Legal Studies (Undergraduate)
BachCIP: 2200
Median Debt
$14,512
Earnings (5yr)
$74,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$113k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$13,290
Earnings (5yr)
$68,104
Lifetime Value Added
+$69k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$14,342
Earnings (5yr)
$58,994
Lifetime Value Added
-$2k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$15,500
Earnings (5yr)
$65,780
Lifetime Value Added
+$51k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$12,500
Earnings (5yr)
$99,042
Lifetime Value Added
+$300k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
BachCIP: 2313
Median Debt
$14,000
Earnings (5yr)
$42,372
Lifetime Value Added
-$139k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
$14,019
Earnings (5yr)
$61,643
Lifetime Value Added
+$19k
Social Sciences, Other
BachCIP: 4599
Median Debt
$11,734
Earnings (5yr)
$62,975
Lifetime Value Added
+$29k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$13,400
Earnings (5yr)
$64,100
Lifetime Value Added
+$38k
Urban Studies/Affairs
BachCIP: 4512
Median Debt
$15,757
Earnings (5yr)
$66,334
Lifetime Value Added
+$55k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$115,270
Lifetime Value Added
+$552k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$58,052
Earnings (5yr)
$177,513
Lifetime Value Added
+$1079k
City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning
MastCIP: 0403
Median Debt
$40,998
Earnings (5yr)
$93,943
Lifetime Value Added
+$369k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
MastCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$36,600
Earnings (5yr)
$202,642
Lifetime Value Added
+$1291k
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management
MastCIP: 1110
Median Debt
$40,174
Earnings (5yr)
$172,771
Lifetime Value Added
+$1039k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$23,108
Earnings (5yr)
$84,621
Lifetime Value Added
+$289k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
$35,140
Earnings (5yr)
$105,908
Lifetime Value Added
+$472k
Geography and Cartography
MastCIP: 4507
Median Debt
$33,037
Earnings (5yr)
$79,919
Lifetime Value Added
+$248k
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General
MastCIP: 3000
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Lifetime Value Added
-$153k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
MastCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$33,752
Earnings (5yr)
$125,171
Lifetime Value Added
+$636k
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$51,250
Earnings (5yr)
$73,295
Lifetime Value Added
+$191k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$30,990
Earnings (5yr)
$76,198
Lifetime Value Added
+$216k
Doctoral Degrees
Education, General
DocCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$120,269
Lifetime Value Added
+$407k
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.