College ROI

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Waldorf University

Forest City, IA 1,827 Undergrads 40.6% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$39,675
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$19,693
After Aid
Median Earnings
$67,834
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$19,693
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$67,834
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+33%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$51,165
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate40.6%
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 Age29.7
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 Recipients36.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time68.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS78.2%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
77.0%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

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
+$597k
+$130k
+$113k
Median Cost$20k/yr
+$526k
+$59k
+$42k
Full Cost$40k/yr
+$454k
-$12k
-$30k

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$20k/yr
45
59%
Full Cost$40k/yr
Never
-21%
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 Return54%

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-43%
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.

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,511
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
$20,062
Earnings (4yr)
$53,549
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$47k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,243
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fire Protection
AssocCIP: 4302
Median Debt
$11,200
Earnings (4yr)
$90,602
Natl Median: $73,589
Lifetime Value Added
+$385k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Homeland Security
AssocCIP: 4303
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,829
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,425
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
AssocCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$12,769
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,288
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$18,248
Earnings (4yr)
$71,592
Natl Median: $77,094
Lifetime Value Added
+$214k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
AssocCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,162
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,535
Earnings (4yr)
$63,357
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
+$7k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,473
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$54,289
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$66k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Fire Protection
BachCIP: 4302
Median Debt
$18,750
Earnings (4yr)
$100,060
Natl Median: $86,436
Lifetime Value Added
+$288k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,945
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,301
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Homeland Security
BachCIP: 4303
Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (4yr)
$76,520
Natl Median: $70,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$108k
Median Debt
$28,125
Earnings (4yr)
$94,822
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
+$248k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$20,637
Earnings (4yr)
$50,184
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
Median Debt
$18,699
Earnings (4yr)
$83,151
Natl Median: $86,525
Lifetime Value Added
+$159k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,228
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$32,862
Earnings (4yr)
$76,173
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
-$5k

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.