Washington & Jefferson College

Washington, PA 1,295 Undergrads 74.9% Grad Rate

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Total Cost

$42,972

Sticker Price

Avg Net Price

$25,002

After Aid

Median Earnings

$66,045

4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$25,002

Peer Midpoint: $20,081

Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation

$66,045

Peer Midpoint: $60,428

Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment

$67,918

Peer Midpoint: $53,763

Graduation Rate74.9%

Peer Midpoint: 58.9%

Average Starting Age19.4

Socio-Economic Diversity

Pell Grant Recipients30.5%

Enrollment Status

Full-Time99.5%

Economic Outcomes

Earn More than HS83.1%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance

80.6%

SAT Avg

SAT Reading

25th: -59075th: -

SAT Math

25th: -58575th: -

ACT Composite

25th: -2675th: -

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

+$583k

+$117k

+$99k

Median Cost$25k/yr

+$493k

+$27k

+$9k

Full Cost$43k/yr

+$429k

-$38k

-$56k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age

Return on Inv. %

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

∞

Median Cost$25k/yr

10%

Full Cost$43k/yr

Never

-36%

Analysis Assumptions:

Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation 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 Return26%

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-52%

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

Accounting and Related Services

BachCIP: 5203

Median Debt

$27,000

Earnings (4yr)

$83,516

Natl Median: $76,194

Lifetime Value Added

+$143k

Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology

BachCIP: 2602

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $65,466

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Biology, General

BachCIP: 2601

Median Debt

$27,000

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $57,214

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Business/Commerce, General

BachCIP: 5201

Median Debt

$26,000

Earnings (4yr)

$72,219

Natl Median: $68,407

Lifetime Value Added

+$56k

Chemistry

BachCIP: 4005

Median Debt

$26,677

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $65,120

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Communication and Media Studies

BachCIP: 0901

Median Debt

$27,000

Earnings (4yr)

$68,066

Natl Median: $56,359

Lifetime Value Added

+$25k

BachCIP: 0502

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $51,710

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Fine and Studio Arts

BachCIP: 5007

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $41,367

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

BachCIP: 1605

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $55,459

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

History

BachCIP: 5401

Median Debt

-$13k

Psychology, General

BachCIP: 4201

Median Debt

$27,000

Earnings (4yr)

$57,026

Natl Median: $50,706

Lifetime Value Added

-$63k

Public Policy Analysis

BachCIP: 4405

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $73,721

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

BachCIP: 1609

Median Debt

$27,000

Earnings (4yr)

$61,972

Natl Median: $55,000

Lifetime Value Added

-$23k

Sociology

BachCIP: 4511

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $52,657

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods

BachCIP: 1312

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. 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.