College ROI

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University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

La Crosse, WI 9,277 Undergrads 70.2% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$21,006
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$17,064
After Aid
Median Earnings
$62,782
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$17,064
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$62,782
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$65,850
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate70.2%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average starting age (2015-17)20.2
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients16.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time96.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS83.8%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
75.5%
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
+$551k
+$81k
+$65k
Median Cost$17k/yr
+$490k
+$20k
+$3k
Full Cost$21k/yr
+$475k
+$5k
-$11k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
36
∞
Median Cost$17k/yr
61
5%
Full Cost$21k/yr
Never
-14%
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 Return73%

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%

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
$12,000
Earnings (2yr)
$28,598
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$188k
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Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$78,296
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$134k
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Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$75,197
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
+$110k
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Archeology
BachCIP: 4503
Median Debt
$16,000
Earnings (4yr)
$42,939
Natl Median: $41,748
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$72,896
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
+$81k
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Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$20,750
Earnings (4yr)
$67,446
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$50k
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Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$67,521
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$51k
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Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$21,875
Earnings (2yr)
$44,021
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
-$128k
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Median Debt
$25,250
Earnings (4yr)
$73,439
Natl Median: $75,975
Lifetime Value Added
+$96k
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Median Debt
$20,437
Earnings (4yr)
$56,470
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$38k
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Median Debt
$18,962
Earnings (4yr)
$93,633
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$251k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$23,456
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$314k
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Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$19,250
Earnings (4yr)
$71,768
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$84k
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Median Debt
$22,235
Earnings (4yr)
$46,043
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$126k
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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
+$118k
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Median Debt
$20,653
Earnings (4yr)
$34,880
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$222k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$58,570
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
-$30k
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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
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,745
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
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Insurance
BachCIP: 5217
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$69,283
Natl Median: $88,472
Lifetime Value Added
+$65k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$71,022
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
+$78k
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Median Debt
$24,500
Earnings (4yr)
$80,552
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$151k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$21,600
Earnings (4yr)
$61,191
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$359
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Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$69,288
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$65k
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Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (4yr)
$68,454
Natl Median: $62,582
Lifetime Value Added
+$58k
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Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$49,458
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$105k
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Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$44,710
Natl Median: $50,468
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
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Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$20,140
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
-$345k
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Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$80,594
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
+$151k
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Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$57,256
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$32k
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Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$55,173
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$49k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,079
Natl Median: $65,093
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
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Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$55,418
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
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Median Debt
$21,462
Earnings (4yr)
$58,908
Natl Median: $55,792
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
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Median Debt
$23,764
Earnings (4yr)
$55,614
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$45k
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Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$22,606
Earnings (4yr)
$50,737
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
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Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$20,698
Earnings (4yr)
$58,233
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$24k
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Statistics
BachCIP: 2705
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,425
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,500
Earnings (4yr)
$46,328
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$123k
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Median Debt
$25,343
Earnings (4yr)
$53,218
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
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Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$37,850
Earnings (4yr)
$127,722
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
+$451k
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Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$109,836
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
+$296k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$73,949
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
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Median Debt
$22,072
Earnings (4yr)
$65,909
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $136,736
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$15,884
Earnings (4yr)
$51,082
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$229k
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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
-$294k
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Median Debt
$39,000
Earnings (4yr)
$65,645
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k
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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
-$314k
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Median Debt
$20,338
Earnings (4yr)
$55,528
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$187k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,821
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
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Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
$55,700
Earnings (4yr)
$80,611
Natl Median: $82,893
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
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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.