College ROI

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Waldorf University

Forest City, IA 1,827 Undergrads 43.7% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$45,052
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$24,003
After Aid
Median Earnings
$72,736
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$24,003
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$72,736
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$58,667
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate43.7%
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 Recipients40.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time68.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS80.0%

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)

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$628k
+$158k
+$142k
Median Cost$24k/yr
+$542k
+$71k
+$55k
Full Cost$45k/yr
+$466k
-$4k
-$21k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
30
∞
Median Cost$24k/yr
43
64%
Full Cost$45k/yr
Never
-13%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.⚠️ 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

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 Return67%

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-42%

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Certificates

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

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,549
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$39k
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
-
Earnings (4yr)
$90,602
Natl Median: $73,589
Lifetime Value Added
+$380k
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
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,288
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,069
Earnings (4yr)
$71,592
Natl Median: $77,094
Lifetime Value Added
+$209k
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
$24,310
Earnings (4yr)
$63,357
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
-$7k
Median Debt
$24,625
Earnings (4yr)
$49,473
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$122k
Median Debt
$22,750
Earnings (4yr)
$54,289
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
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
$20,251
Earnings (4yr)
$100,060
Natl Median: $86,436
Lifetime Value Added
+$275k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,945
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$71,663
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
+$47k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Homeland Security
BachCIP: 4303
Median Debt
$23,060
Earnings (4yr)
$76,520
Natl Median: $70,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$95k
Median Debt
$25,747
Earnings (4yr)
$94,822
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
+$235k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,184
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$116k
Median Debt
$24,025
Earnings (4yr)
$83,151
Natl Median: $86,525
Lifetime Value Added
+$146k
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
$21,133
Earnings (4yr)
$49,228
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$124k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$38,293
Earnings (4yr)
$76,173
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k

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.