College ROI

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Wartburg College

Waverly, IA 1,452 Undergrads 67.4% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$42,796
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$23,374
After Aid
Median Earnings
$63,590
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$23,374
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$63,590
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$60,035
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate67.4%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average starting age (2015-17)19.6
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients25.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time96.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS77.9%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
75.8%
SAT Avg
1,136
SAT Reading
25th: 47054075th: 620
SAT Math
25th: 46049075th: 580
ACT Composite
25th: 212375th: 27

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
+$557k
+$87k
+$71k
Median Cost$23k/yr
+$473k
+$3k
-$13k
Full Cost$43k/yr
+$403k
-$67k
-$83k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
35
∞
Median Cost$23k/yr
Never
-16%
Full Cost$43k/yr
Never
-54%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.
  • 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-8%

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-63%

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 →

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$89,696
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$198k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$67,036
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$24k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$74,824
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
+$84k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,852
Earnings (4yr)
$48,433
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$128k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Engineering Science
BachCIP: 1413
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$78,959
Natl Median: $93,782
Lifetime Value Added
+$116k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,459
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$18,154
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$386k
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
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$162k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$75,248
Natl Median: $62,451
Lifetime Value Added
+$76k
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)
$47,110
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$139k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Natl Median: $55,792
Lifetime Value Added
-$212k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,121
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$312k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$52,158
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$105k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$47,698
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$134k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,074
Natl Median: $51,389
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 (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.