College ROI

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Vanguard University of Southern California

Costa Mesa, CA 1,933 Undergrads 62.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$52,665
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$21,241
After Aid
Median Earnings
$65,874
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$21,241
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$65,874
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$59,541
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate62.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age21.8
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients43.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time89.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS66.8%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
62.4%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: -55575th: -
SAT Math
25th: -53575th: -
ACT Composite
25th: -2275th: -

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
+$582k
+$115k
+$98k
Median Cost$21k/yr
+$506k
+$39k
+$21k
Full Cost$53k/yr
+$393k
-$74k
-$92k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
32
∞
Median Cost$21k/yr
51
28%
Full Cost$53k/yr
Never
-48%
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 Return2%

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-61%
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 (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,656
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$62,957
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$2k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$59,961
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$35k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,019
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$287k
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$60,138
Natl Median: $49,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$33k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,911
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$58,515
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$46k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$47,152
Natl Median: $41,979
Lifetime Value Added
-$139k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$16,266
Earnings (4yr)
$47,582
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$128k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$48,325
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$129k
Median Debt
$18,930
Earnings (4yr)
$102,239
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$299k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Religious Music and Worship
BachCIP: 3905
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,456
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$54,685
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$55,233
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$75,686
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$77,406
Natl Median: $60,185
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$47,260
Natl Median: $53,024
Lifetime Value Added
-$254k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$154,180
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$645k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,300
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.