College ROI

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Virginia State University

Petersburg, VA 5,074 Undergrads 46.3% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$27,661
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$15,840
After Aid
Median Earnings
$51,739
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$15,840
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$51,739
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$45,543
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate46.3%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average Starting Age20.7
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients71.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time96.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS55.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
88.6%
SAT Avg
948
SAT Reading
25th: 44048075th: 550
SAT Math
25th: 40045575th: 520
ACT Composite
25th: 141875th: 20

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
+$468k
+$1k
-$16k
Median Cost$16k/yr
+$411k
-$56k
-$73k
Full Cost$28k/yr
+$369k
-$98k
-$116k

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
Never
-∞
Median Cost$16k/yr
Never
-129%
Full Cost$28k/yr
Never
-116%
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 Return-110%

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 Return-80%
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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$72,375
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$91k
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$48,778
Natl Median: $53,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,398
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Median Debt
$26,250
Earnings (4yr)
$49,764
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $77,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$40,896
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$165k
Median Debt
$24,615
Earnings (4yr)
$60,276
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
-$3k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$89,702
Natl Median: $83,742
Lifetime Value Added
+$223k
Median Debt
$28,375
Earnings (4yr)
$48,624
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
BachCIP: 1503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$31,781
Natl Median: $84,599
Lifetime Value Added
-$233k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$28,500
Earnings (4yr)
$46,514
Natl Median: $53,262
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$56,476
Natl Median: $56,726
Lifetime Value Added
-$34k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $80,890
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,015
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$88k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$72,734
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$93k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $88,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,709
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$57k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,193
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$148k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$80,902
Natl Median: $82,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$156k
Median Debt
$31,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$44,002
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$138k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$37,861
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$191k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$28,281
Earnings (4yr)
$49,615
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$30,000
Earnings (4yr)
$40,432
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$169k
Median Debt
$27,524
Earnings (4yr)
$48,362
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$21,964
Natl Median: $41,688
Lifetime Value Added
-$323k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $35,658
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$45,870
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $97,526
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $124,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,716
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
MastCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,711
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $80,125
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$43,707
Earnings (4yr)
$54,395
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
-$194k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$66,322
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$84k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$74,873
Natl Median: $69,444
Lifetime Value Added
+$68k

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $99,878
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$63,005
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
-$219k

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.