College ROI

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University of Wisconsin-Stout

Menomonie, WI 5,842 Undergrads 57.0% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$22,797
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$17,490
After Aid
Median Earnings
$64,234
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$17,490
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$64,234
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$58,084
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate57.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age21.9
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients23.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time83.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS80.8%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
87.7%
SAT Avg
1,150
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: 202375th: 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
+$569k
+$102k
+$85k
Median Cost$17k/yr
+$506k
+$39k
+$22k
Full Cost$23k/yr
+$487k
+$20k
+$3k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
33
∞
Median Cost$17k/yr
50
35%
Full Cost$23k/yr
62
4%
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 Return106%

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-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

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$59,192
Natl Median: $57,640
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Applied Mathematics
BachCIP: 2703
Median Debt
$20,520
Earnings (4yr)
$92,803
Natl Median: $91,532
Lifetime Value Added
+$241k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (4yr)
$68,697
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$57k
Median Debt
$20,955
Earnings (4yr)
$59,703
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
-$14k
Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (4yr)
$82,853
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$165k
Median Debt
$24,500
Earnings (4yr)
$94,440
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
+$253k
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$74,146
Natl Median: $58,894
Lifetime Value Added
+$98k
Median Debt
$22,881
Earnings (4yr)
$77,269
Natl Median: $73,587
Lifetime Value Added
+$122k
Median Debt
$20,175
Earnings (4yr)
$101,758
Natl Median: $95,124
Lifetime Value Added
+$309k
Criminology
BachCIP: 4504
Median Debt
$25,852
Earnings (4yr)
$57,529
Natl Median: $55,556
Lifetime Value Added
-$32k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$57,718
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$30k
Median Debt
$23,375
Earnings (4yr)
$59,392
Natl Median: $55,753
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General
BachCIP: 1500
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$76,784
Natl Median: $80,526
Lifetime Value Added
+$118k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$86,490
Natl Median: $89,619
Lifetime Value Added
+$192k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,967
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,873
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,945
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$66,306
Natl Median: $75,399
Lifetime Value Added
+$38k
Median Debt
$23,290
Earnings (4yr)
$59,621
Natl Median: $43,283
Lifetime Value Added
-$15k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$49,703
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
-$96k
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (4yr)
$56,451
Natl Median: $56,726
Lifetime Value Added
-$40k
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$48,043
Natl Median: $48,568
Lifetime Value Added
-$110k
Median Debt
$25,200
Earnings (4yr)
$87,431
Natl Median: $88,451
Lifetime Value Added
+$200k
Median Debt
$24,992
Earnings (4yr)
$87,645
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$201k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,042
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$93k
Median Debt
$22,964
Earnings (4yr)
$88,102
Natl Median: $92,919
Lifetime Value Added
+$205k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$19,750
Earnings (4yr)
$52,366
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
Real Estate
BachCIP: 5215
Median Debt
$17,493
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $84,821
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,875
Earnings (4yr)
$51,545
Natl Median: $55,792
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,436
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Median Debt
$22,609
Earnings (4yr)
$74,697
Natl Median: $68,416
Lifetime Value Added
+$102k
Median Debt
$24,375
Earnings (4yr)
$47,074
Natl Median: $53,366
Lifetime Value Added
-$118k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,444
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$107k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,887
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,260
Earnings (4yr)
$47,256
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
Median Debt
$22,963
Earnings (4yr)
$56,563
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$39k
Median Debt
$28,000
Earnings (4yr)
$41,129
Natl Median: $41,688
Lifetime Value Added
-$169k

Master's Degrees

Applied Mathematics
MastCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $116,060
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$31,805
Earnings (4yr)
$74,326
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $124,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $112,166
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,073
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,527
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$18,087
Earnings (4yr)
$60,490
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$140k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$63,009
Natl Median: $88,332
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$86,764
Natl Median: $83,558
Lifetime Value Added
+$92k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$123,573
Natl Median: $124,807
Lifetime Value Added
+$414k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$114,649
Natl Median: $122,873
Lifetime Value Added
+$336k
Median Debt
$37,007
Earnings (4yr)
$59,937
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $103,349
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$29,295
Earnings (4yr)
$62,663
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
-$120k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,035
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$30,760
Earnings (4yr)
$51,228
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$227k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,897
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,573
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.