College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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West Virginia Wesleyan College

Buckhannon, WV 909 Undergrads 55.7% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
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Total Cost
$47,374
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$18,148
After Aid
Median Earnings
$51,593
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$18,148
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$51,593
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate55.7%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients37.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS72.6%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
95.0%
SAT Avg
1,045
SAT Reading
25th: 46054475th: 580
SAT Math
25th: 41853075th: 563
ACT Composite
25th: 182175th: 23

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
+$450k
+$54k
-$34k
Median Cost$18k/yr
+$385k
-$12k
-$100k
Full Cost$47k/yr
+$280k
-$117k
-$205k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$18k/yr
Never
-152%
Full Cost$47k/yr
Never
-120%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year 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 Return-124%

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-93%
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

Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$32,569
Lifetime Value Added
-$234k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$59,412
Lifetime Value Added
-$28k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$80,917
Lifetime Value Added
+$135k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$26,649
Earnings (5yr)
$41,610
Lifetime Value Added
-$174k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$67,096
Lifetime Value Added
+$32k

Master's Degrees

Business/Commerce, General
MastCIP: 5201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,871
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
MastCIP: 2313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$21,508
Lifetime Value Added
-$299k

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.