College ROI

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University of Wisconsin-Platteville

Platteville, WI 5,837 Undergrads 62.8% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$21,266
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$16,032
After Aid
Median Earnings
$70,899
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$16,032
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$70,899
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$61,760
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate62.8%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.8
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients21.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time91.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS86.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
89.4%
SAT Avg
1,190
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: 212375th: 28

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
+$621k
+$154k
+$136k
Median Cost$16k/yr
+$563k
+$96k
+$79k
Full Cost$21k/yr
+$544k
+$77k
+$60k

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
30
∞
Median Cost$16k/yr
38
136%
Full Cost$21k/yr
42
78%
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 Return246%

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 Return23%
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
$5,500
Earnings (4yr)
$45,389
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$27k

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (4yr)
$68,982
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$64k
Median Debt
$15,000
Earnings (4yr)
$66,059
Natl Median: $66,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$41k
Animal Sciences
BachCIP: 0109
Median Debt
$18,748
Earnings (4yr)
$53,530
Natl Median: $49,634
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,891
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$20,467
Earnings (4yr)
$50,540
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$84k
Median Debt
$21,459
Earnings (4yr)
$66,306
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$43k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$23,600
Earnings (4yr)
$65,271
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
+$35k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$21,750
Earnings (4yr)
$81,976
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
+$163k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$46,448
Natl Median: $47,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$118k
Median Debt
$21,750
Earnings (4yr)
$82,652
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$168k
Median Debt
$24,272
Earnings (4yr)
$95,300
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
+$265k
Median Debt
$24,783
Earnings (4yr)
$59,533
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$52,895
Natl Median: $49,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$92,443
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$243k
Engineering Physics
BachCIP: 1412
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$85,901
Natl Median: $89,154
Lifetime Value Added
+$193k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$75,099
Natl Median: $81,171
Lifetime Value Added
+$111k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$42,271
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$154k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
-$253k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$44,297
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$144k
Median Debt
$27,275
Earnings (4yr)
$88,918
Natl Median: $98,442
Lifetime Value Added
+$216k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$83,958
Natl Median: $80,890
Lifetime Value Added
+$178k
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,585
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
Median Debt
$22,750
Earnings (4yr)
$87,139
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$203k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$41,386
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$169k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,754
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Plant Sciences
BachCIP: 0111
Median Debt
$15,250
Earnings (4yr)
$61,085
Natl Median: $56,567
Lifetime Value Added
+$2k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$32,569
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$226k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$20,803
Earnings (4yr)
$51,083
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$79k
Median Debt
$21,005
Earnings (4yr)
$50,368
Natl Median: $57,805
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,193
Natl Median: $53,366
Lifetime Value Added
-$149k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$24,307
Earnings (4yr)
$51,628
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$75k
Median Debt
$23,127
Earnings (4yr)
$73,238
Natl Median: $57,887
Lifetime Value Added
+$97k
Median Debt
$22,625
Earnings (4yr)
$43,805
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$141k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$48,600
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$31,133
Earnings (4yr)
$112,770
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$322k
Median Debt
$31,763
Earnings (4yr)
$74,581
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$26,911
Earnings (4yr)
$62,435
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$120k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,008
Earnings (4yr)
$115,411
Natl Median: $120,215
Lifetime Value Added
+$345k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$53,183
Natl Median: $58,091
Lifetime Value Added
-$216k

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.