College ROI

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West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, PA 14,164 Undergrads 73.1% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$28,394
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$23,331
After Aid
Median Earnings
$64,804
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$23,331
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$64,804
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$61,258
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate73.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age21.3
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients25.5%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time91.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS79.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
78.4%
SAT Avg
1,187
SAT Reading
25th: 56058575th: 650
SAT Math
25th: 54057575th: 620
ACT Composite
25th: 242675th: 28

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
+$574k
+$107k
+$89k
Median Cost$23k/yr
+$490k
+$23k
+$5k
Full Cost$28k/yr
+$472k
+$5k
-$13k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
33
∞
Median Cost$23k/yr
60
6%
Full Cost$28k/yr
Never
-13%
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 Return73%

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-33%
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

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,696
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$88,795
Natl Median: $71,915
Lifetime Value Added
+$176k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$58,359
Natl Median: $65,601
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$43,356
Natl Median: $44,228
Lifetime Value Added
-$178k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$67,434
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$16k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$69,376
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$30k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$79,591
Natl Median: $77,981
Lifetime Value Added
+$107k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$48,432
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$63,667
Natl Median: $58,587
Lifetime Value Added
-$13k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$107,187
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$313k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,891
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$67k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$57,798
Natl Median: $55,753
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$34,156
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$256k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,752
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$81,203
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$119k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$57,470
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$62k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$70,016
Natl Median: $75,399
Lifetime Value Added
+$35k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$66,381
Natl Median: $56,381
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,088
Natl Median: $57,989
Lifetime Value Added
-$34k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$85,287
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
+$150k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,688
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$109k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,671
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$68,522
Natl Median: $67,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$24k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$48,684
Natl Median: $41,421
Lifetime Value Added
-$134k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$85,838
Natl Median: $116,539
Lifetime Value Added
+$154k
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
-
Earnings (5yr)
$63,380
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$16k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$49,905
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$124k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$71,841
Natl Median: $56,955
Lifetime Value Added
+$49k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$98,013
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$259k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$60,550
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$38k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,600
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$225k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,840
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$67k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$45,769
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$158k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,788
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$68k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$60,201
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$55,164
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k

Post-Baccalaureate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,085
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$147,635
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$611k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,235
Natl Median: $66,472
Lifetime Value Added
-$248k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$68,730
Natl Median: $63,968
Lifetime Value Added
-$89k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$40,485
Natl Median: $48,772
Lifetime Value Added
-$326k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $79,463
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,558
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
MastCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$66,675
Natl Median: $46,372
Lifetime Value Added
-$107k
Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$82,251
Natl Median: $64,711
Lifetime Value Added
+$28k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Public Health
MastCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$73,053
Natl Median: $82,751
Lifetime Value Added
-$51k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,035
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,728
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$60,954
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$158k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$70,085
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$52,753
Natl Median: $59,671
Lifetime Value Added
-$233k
Statistics
MastCIP: 2705
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$86,129
Natl Median: $127,189
Lifetime Value Added
+$106k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$57,497
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$189k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$64,770
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$123k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$63,938
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,767
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $94,506
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,509
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,166
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,147
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Other Programs

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,758
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,406
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,802
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.