College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Wabash College

Crawfordsville, IN 845 Undergrads 78.9% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$62,750
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$21,906
After Aid
Median Earnings
$69,952
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$21,906
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$69,952
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate78.9%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients23.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS85.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
62.8%
SAT Avg
1,210
SAT Reading
25th: 54062075th: 630
SAT Math
25th: 56062075th: 670
ACT Composite
25th: 242675th: 29

ROI Sensitivity Analysis

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
+$593k
+$196k
+$108k
Median Cost$22k/yr
+$514k
+$117k
+$29k
Full Cost$63k/yr
+$367k
-$30k
-$118k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
32
Median Cost$22k/yr
48
37%
Full Cost$63k/yr
Never
-52%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year 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 Return-6%

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-65%
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 with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Bachelor's Degrees

Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$59,193
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$79,447
Lifetime Value Added
+$111k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$47,056
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$60,746
Lifetime Value Added
-$31k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$51,482
Lifetime Value Added
-$80k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$72,527
Lifetime Value Added
+$59k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$59,688
Lifetime Value Added
-$39k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
BachCIP: 2313
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$49,058
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.