College ROI

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Valparaiso University

Valparaiso, IN 2,083 Undergrads 69.9% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$60,499
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$21,657
After Aid
Median Earnings
$73,639
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$21,657
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$73,639
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$69,661
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate69.9%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average starting age (2015-17)20.7
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients30.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time98.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS81.2%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
89.4%
SAT Avg
1,178
SAT Reading
25th: 54059075th: 640
SAT Math
25th: 52057075th: 640
ACT Composite
25th: 232775th: 31

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
+$635k
+$165k
+$148k
Median Cost$22k/yr
+$557k
+$87k
+$70k
Full Cost$60k/yr
+$417k
-$53k
-$69k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
30
∞
Median Cost$22k/yr
40
90%
Full Cost$60k/yr
Never
-32%
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 Return30%

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-55%

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 →

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$71,848
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$68k
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Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,333
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$60,092
Natl Median: $60,997
Lifetime Value Added
-$25k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$61,072
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
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Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$78,163
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$116k
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Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,245
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
-$8k
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Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$80,173
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
+$131k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,429
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,325
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$96,079
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
+$253k
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Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$94,111
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$238k
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Criminology
BachCIP: 4504
Median Debt
$21,841
Earnings (4yr)
$63,772
Natl Median: $55,556
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,771
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$264k
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Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$40,467
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
-$176k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$87,944
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
+$191k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,439
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$88k
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Median Debt
$25,170
Earnings (4yr)
$73,880
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$83k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
-$315k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,459
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$55,485
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k
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Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$115,095
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
+$397k
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History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$24,035
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$325k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$89,527
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
+$189k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,612
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$21k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$86,317
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
+$178k
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Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$24,500
Earnings (4yr)
$66,773
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$28k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $118,943
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,564
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$13k
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Median Debt
$22,228
Earnings (4yr)
$90,583
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$211k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$60,143
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
-$34k
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Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$46,886
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$143k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$56,054
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
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Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (4yr)
$58,104
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$205k
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Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$81,278
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$140k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,598
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$284k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,588
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
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Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$57,609
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$45k
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Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$47,644
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$129k
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Statistics
BachCIP: 2705
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,425
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,495
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$79k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$54,933
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$67k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,535
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
MastCIP: 5010
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$85,511
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$75k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,010
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$155k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $138,757
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $124,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
MastCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,743
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, Other
MastCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,348
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$92,948
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
+$124k
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Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities
MastCIP: 5132
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,487
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $107,835
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $97,121
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,716
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
MastCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,272
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $80,125
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,896
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
-$193k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,286
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$317k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,767
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $94,506
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$30,750
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $103,299
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
Gr-CertCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $118,588
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
Gr-CertCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,543
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Professional Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$119,400
Natl Median: $133,099
Lifetime Value Added
+$160k
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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.