College ROI

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University of West Alabama

Livingston, AL 2,974 Undergrads 42.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$22,758
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$12,684
After Aid
Median Earnings
$64,122
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$12,684
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$64,122
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+45%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$44,232
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate42.5%
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 Age22.3
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients56.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time80.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS62.0%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
42.6%
SAT Avg
1,015
SAT Reading
25th: 44045075th: 560
SAT Math
25th: 42048075th: 560
ACT Composite
25th: 161975th: 21

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
+$568k
+$102k
+$84k
Median Cost$13k/yr
+$523k
+$56k
+$38k
Full Cost$23k/yr
+$487k
+$20k
+$2k

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
33
∞
Median Cost$13k/yr
44
84%
Full Cost$23k/yr
62
3%
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 Return104%

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-19%
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: $64,773
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,750
Earnings (4yr)
$77,039
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$276k

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,218
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,891
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$30,875
Earnings (4yr)
$53,696
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$46k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,842
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other
BachCIP: 1599
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $81,678
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
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $80,890
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
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$40,455
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$158k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,739
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$267k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$41,440
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$149k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,652
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$79k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$48,411
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$27,332
Earnings (4yr)
$68,664
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Median Debt
$27,333
Earnings (4yr)
$73,704
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$14k
Median Debt
$27,333
Earnings (4yr)
$60,086
Natl Median: $70,644
Lifetime Value Added
-$135k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,711
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,216
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$34,166
Earnings (4yr)
$59,972
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k
Median Debt
$38,666
Earnings (4yr)
$63,682
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
Median Debt
$27,334
Earnings (4yr)
$59,095
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$144k
Median Debt
$27,333
Earnings (4yr)
$64,605
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k

Doctoral Degrees

Education, Other
DocCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $90,635
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

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.