College ROI

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Viterbo University

La Crosse, WI 1,249 Undergrads 65.6% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$45,558
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$21,260
After Aid
Median Earnings
$69,675
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$21,260
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$69,675
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+25%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$55,660
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate65.6%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age23.7
Warning: High average starting age indicates non-traditional students with prior work experience, which may inflate the median earnings shown.
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients25.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time83.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS85.7%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
72.4%
SAT Avg
1,190
SAT Reading
25th: -57075th: -
SAT Math
25th: -53575th: -
ACT Composite
25th: 222375th: 26

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
+$611k
+$144k
+$127k
Median Cost$21k/yr
+$535k
+$68k
+$50k
Full Cost$46k/yr
+$447k
-$19k
-$37k

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
31
∞
Median Cost$21k/yr
43
66%
Full Cost$46k/yr
Never
-23%
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 Return51%

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-46%
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.

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,949
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,240
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biopsychology
BachCIP: 3010
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,825
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$70,009
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$53k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$63,328
Natl Median: $55,753
Lifetime Value Added
+$1k
Median Debt
$22,814
Earnings (4yr)
$31,051
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$270k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,842
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,849
Earnings (4yr)
$68,568
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
+$42k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$54,322
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
-$53k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,119
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
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
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
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$52,596
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
Median Debt
$26,983
Earnings (4yr)
$77,735
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$112k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$57,159
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$48k
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 (2yr)
$32,563
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$245k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,848
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$207k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,535
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Post-Baccalaureate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$51,180
Natl Median: $61,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$170k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$30,017
Earnings (4yr)
$91,559
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$127k
Median Debt
$17,532
Earnings (4yr)
$77,958
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
Median Debt
$42,780
Earnings (4yr)
$73,502
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$31k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$103,078
Natl Median: $120,260
Lifetime Value Added
+$265k
Median Debt
$16,144
Earnings (4yr)
$60,254
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$149k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,300
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,033
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$28,608
Earnings (4yr)
$88,297
Natl Median: $86,288
Lifetime Value Added
+$191k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,147
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,709
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$57,482
Natl Median: $69,444
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
$59,630
Earnings (4yr)
$124,304
Natl Median: $138,131
Lifetime Value Added
+$198k

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.