College ROI

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Virginia Military Institute

Lexington, VA 1,527 Undergrads 76.8% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$34,824
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$17,113
After Aid
Median Earnings
$75,027
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$17,113
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$75,027
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$77,369
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate76.8%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.5
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients16.5%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time100.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS91.0%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
71.3%
SAT Avg
1,244
SAT Reading
25th: 55060075th: 630
SAT Math
25th: 50059075th: 640
ACT Composite
25th: 242575th: 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
+$652k
+$185k
+$168k
Median Cost$17k/yr
+$591k
+$124k
+$106k
Full Cost$35k/yr
+$527k
+$60k
+$43k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
29
∞
Median Cost$17k/yr
36
173%
Full Cost$35k/yr
47
34%
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 Return158%

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-11%
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

Applied Mathematics
BachCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$74,740
Natl Median: $91,532
Lifetime Value Added
+$104k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$21,250
Earnings (4yr)
$71,547
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$80k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$25,750
Earnings (4yr)
$76,991
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
+$121k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$94,397
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$254k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$22,150
Earnings (4yr)
$76,296
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$116k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$73,619
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
+$85k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$72,630
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
+$88k
Median Debt
$21,875
Earnings (4yr)
$72,700
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
+$89k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$73,971
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
+$98k
Median Debt
$19,971
Earnings (4yr)
$76,909
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$121k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$19,250
Earnings (4yr)
$75,059
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$107k

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.