College ROI

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Washington & Jefferson College

Washington, PA 1,295 Undergrads 74.3% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$44,620
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$21,690
After Aid
Median Earnings
$72,922
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$21,690
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$72,922
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$75,646
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate74.3%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.4
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients34.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS83.2%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
80.6%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: -59075th: -
SAT Math
25th: -58575th: -
ACT Composite
25th: -2675th: -

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
+$629k
+$159k
+$143k
Median Cost$22k/yr
+$551k
+$81k
+$65k
Full Cost$45k/yr
+$469k
-$1k
-$18k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
30
∞
Median Cost$22k/yr
41
83%
Full Cost$45k/yr
Never
-11%
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 Return70%

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-41%

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
$26,383
Earnings (4yr)
$83,516
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$157k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,375
Earnings (4yr)
$72,219
Natl Median: $68,407
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$68,066
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
+$38k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$79,272
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$124k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$72,305
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$71k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,646
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$103k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
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)
$38,289
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$196k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
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
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,451
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
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$63,258
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
+$349
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$25,736
Earnings (4yr)
$57,026
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$50k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,721
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$61,972
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,382
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.