College ROI

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University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Eau Claire, WI 8,895 Undergrads 66.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$21,956
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$16,133
After Aid
Median Earnings
$61,789
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$16,133
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$61,789
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$62,438
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate66.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average starting age (2015-17)20.4
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients22.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time93.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS82.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
82.3%
SAT Avg
1,220
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: 222575th: 27

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)

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$543k
+$73k
+$57k
Median Cost$16k/yr
+$485k
+$15k
-$1k
Full Cost$22k/yr
+$464k
-$6k
-$22k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
37
∞
Median Cost$16k/yr
Never
-2%
Full Cost$22k/yr
Never
-28%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.
  • 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 Return47%

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-36%

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
$8,047
Earnings (4yr)
$42,700
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$54k
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Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$83,018
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$173k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$54,872
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$57k
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Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$31,848
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
-$234k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$58,905
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
-$24k
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Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (4yr)
$59,937
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$6k
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Median Debt
$20,250
Earnings (4yr)
$66,606
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$47k
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Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$21,750
Earnings (4yr)
$66,246
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
+$44k
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Median Debt
$18,187
Earnings (4yr)
$58,043
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$22k
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Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$57,862
Natl Median: $58,928
Lifetime Value Added
-$23k
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Median Debt
$19,551
Earnings (4yr)
$106,724
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$354k
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Median Debt
$18,523
Earnings (4yr)
$58,762
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$16k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$14,750
Earnings (4yr)
$69,435
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$69k
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Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$46,075
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$122k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,926
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (4yr)
$75,724
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$117k
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Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (4yr)
$42,995
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$149k
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Median Debt
$19,969
Earnings (4yr)
$58,129
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
-$21k
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Median Debt
$19,874
Earnings (4yr)
$56,739
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
-$33k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,459
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,750
Earnings (4yr)
$80,564
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
+$154k
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History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$21,218
Earnings (4yr)
$42,806
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$150k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$70,219
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
+$75k
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Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$48,173
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,957
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$56k
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Median Debt
$19,688
Earnings (4yr)
$90,193
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$228k
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Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$70,891
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$80k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $91,449
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Materials Sciences
BachCIP: 4010
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $94,684
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$83,027
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$173k
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Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$19,370
Earnings (4yr)
$47,079
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
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Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$87,033
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
+$204k
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Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,316
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
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Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (4yr)
$58,458
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$19k
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Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$63,016
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
+$18k
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Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (4yr)
$78,912
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$142k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$16,900
Earnings (4yr)
$54,074
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
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Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$19,218
Earnings (4yr)
$52,461
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$68k
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Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$36,421
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$205k
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Median Debt
$25,250
Earnings (4yr)
$47,877
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$107k
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Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$21,687
Earnings (4yr)
$53,907
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$56k
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Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$47,473
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$110k
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Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$48,458
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
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Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$30,000
Earnings (4yr)
$136,439
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$528k
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Median Debt
$24,957
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$59,887
Natl Median: $67,030
Lifetime Value Added
-$144k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
$48,447
Earnings (4yr)
$129,249
Natl Median: $138,131
Lifetime Value Added
+$253k
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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.