College ROI

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University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

La Crosse, WI 9,277 Undergrads 70.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$19,593
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$16,210
After Aid
Median Earnings
$60,184
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$16,210
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$60,184
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$60,378
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate70.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.2
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients14.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time96.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS84.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
75.5%
SAT Avg
1,220
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: 222475th: 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
+$537k
+$70k
+$53k
Median Cost$16k/yr
+$479k
+$12k
-$6k
Full Cost$20k/yr
+$467k
-$200
-$18k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
37
∞
Median Cost$16k/yr
Never
-9%
Full Cost$20k/yr
Never
-25%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation 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 Return57%

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-28%
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

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$55,075
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
+$57k

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$20,518
Earnings (4yr)
$78,296
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$135k
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$75,197
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
+$111k
Archeology
BachCIP: 4503
Median Debt
$20,475
Earnings (4yr)
$42,939
Natl Median: $41,748
Lifetime Value Added
-$149k
Median Debt
$21,373
Earnings (5yr)
$71,927
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
+$75k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$67,446
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$52k
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$67,521
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$52k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$69,147
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
+$54k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$73,439
Natl Median: $75,975
Lifetime Value Added
+$97k
Median Debt
$21,906
Earnings (4yr)
$56,470
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$36k
Median Debt
$21,470
Earnings (4yr)
$93,633
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$252k
Median Debt
$26,550
Earnings (4yr)
$47,047
Natl Median: $50,452
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$42,963
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$156k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$23,180
Earnings (4yr)
$71,768
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$85k
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (4yr)
$46,043
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$122k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$76,227
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$119k
Median Debt
$19,125
Earnings (4yr)
$34,880
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$218k
Median Debt
$20,359
Earnings (5yr)
$49,518
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,459
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$23,562
Earnings (4yr)
$50,745
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
Insurance
BachCIP: 5217
Median Debt
$17,584
Earnings (4yr)
$69,283
Natl Median: $88,472
Lifetime Value Added
+$66k
Median Debt
$19,390
Earnings (4yr)
$71,022
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
+$79k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$80,552
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$152k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$22,685
Earnings (4yr)
$61,191
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$3k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$69,288
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$66k
Median Debt
$25,464
Earnings (4yr)
$68,454
Natl Median: $62,582
Lifetime Value Added
+$59k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,009
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$169k
Median Debt
$21,666
Earnings (4yr)
$44,710
Natl Median: $50,468
Lifetime Value Added
-$134k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$20,140
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
-$341k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$80,594
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
+$152k
Median Debt
$20,490
Earnings (4yr)
$57,256
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$29k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$21,282
Earnings (4yr)
$55,173
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$46k
Median Debt
$18,648
Earnings (4yr)
$60,079
Natl Median: $65,093
Lifetime Value Added
-$6k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$26,801
Earnings (4yr)
$55,418
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$58,908
Natl Median: $55,792
Lifetime Value Added
-$16k
Median Debt
$24,190
Earnings (4yr)
$55,614
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$21,647
Earnings (4yr)
$50,737
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$58,233
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$21k
Statistics
BachCIP: 2705
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,425
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,122
Earnings (4yr)
$46,328
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$120k
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$53,218
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$62k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$37,488
Earnings (4yr)
$127,722
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
+$452k
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$109,836
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
+$296k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$73,949
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
Median Debt
$20,272
Earnings (4yr)
$65,909
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$89k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $138,757
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $136,736
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,156
Earnings (4yr)
$51,082
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$226k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $84,750
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Natl Median: $57,803
Lifetime Value Added
-$291k
Median Debt
$41,333
Earnings (4yr)
$65,645
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$42,432
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
-$310k
Median Debt
$14,465
Earnings (4yr)
$55,528
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$184k
Median Debt
$25,247
Earnings (4yr)
$60,821
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$135k

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
$56,065
Earnings (4yr)
$80,611
Natl Median: $82,893
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k

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.