College ROI

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Wagner College

Staten Island, NY 1,579 Undergrads 72.5% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$63,007
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$27,733
After Aid
Median Earnings
$74,360
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$27,733
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$74,360
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate72.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients22.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS80.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
83.5%
SAT Avg
1,234
SAT Reading
25th: 580-75th: 670
SAT Math
25th: 570-75th: 650
ACT Composite
25th: 23-75th: 27

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
+$625k
+$229k
+$141k
Median Cost$28k/yr
+$525k
+$129k
+$41k
Full Cost$63k/yr
+$398k
+$2k
-$86k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
30
∞
Median Cost$28k/yr
46
41%
Full Cost$63k/yr
Never
-38%
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 Return20%

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-57%
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

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
BachCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$151,809
Lifetime Value Added
+$627k
Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$55,875
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$87,965
Lifetime Value Added
+$154k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$26,949
Earnings (5yr)
$28,580
Lifetime Value Added
-$320k
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology
BachCIP: 2605
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$65,814
Lifetime Value Added
-$13k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$62,670
Lifetime Value Added
-$37k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$118,823
Lifetime Value Added
+$384k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$64,199
Lifetime Value Added
-$25k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$76,489
Lifetime Value Added
+$68k

Master's Degrees

Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$61,814
Lifetime Value Added
+$92k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
MastCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$42,500
Earnings (5yr)
$157,406
Lifetime Value Added
+$877k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$100,076
Lifetime Value Added
+$389k
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology
MastCIP: 2605
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$92,098
Lifetime Value Added
+$321k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
MastCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$49,365
Earnings (5yr)
$147,893
Lifetime Value Added
+$796k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$78,636
Lifetime Value Added
+$205k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
MastCIP: 1313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$66,029
Lifetime Value Added
+$131k

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.