College ROI

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Wagner College

Staten Island, NY 1,651 Undergrads 70.3% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$65,574
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$28,241
After Aid
Median Earnings
$85,313
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$28,241
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$85,313
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$74,360
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate70.3%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.3
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients23.5%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS80.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
88.0%
SAT Avg
1,243
SAT Reading
25th: 600-75th: 660
SAT Math
25th: 590-75th: 630
ACT Composite
25th: 23-75th: 28

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
+$731k
+$264k
+$246k
Median Cost$28k/yr
+$629k
+$162k
+$145k
Full Cost$66k/yr
+$495k
+$28k
+$10k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
27
∞
Median Cost$28k/yr
35
143%
Full Cost$66k/yr
60
4%
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 Return100%

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-34%
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

Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$156,982
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
+$687k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$65,373
Natl Median: $48,240
Lifetime Value Added
-$8k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$26,980
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
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$80,927
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$111k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,949
Earnings (4yr)
$39,664
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$220k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$65,814
Natl Median: $62,582
Lifetime Value Added
-$14k
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
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$58,724
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$61k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,093
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$113,728
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$361k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$67,061
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$76,489
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
+$66k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$85,866
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$65k
Median Debt
$42,500
Earnings (4yr)
$160,495
Natl Median: $127,347
Lifetime Value Added
+$713k
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
MastCIP: 5010
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$83,852
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$47k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $110,694
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
MastCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $79,106
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$92,098
Natl Median: $84,750
Lifetime Value Added
+$103k
Median Debt
$49,365
Earnings (4yr)
$145,987
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$587k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$75,353
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$28k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$66,029
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $138,131
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.