College ROI

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Western Connecticut State University

Danbury, CT 3,511 Undergrads 55.8% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$24,877
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$17,604
After Aid
Median Earnings
$60,346
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$17,604
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$60,346
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$59,115
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate55.8%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age21.6
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients35.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time90.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS72.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
87.0%
SAT Avg
1,110
SAT Reading
25th: 510-75th: 580
SAT Math
25th: 530-75th: 590
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

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
+$538k
+$72k
+$54k
Median Cost$18k/yr
+$475k
+$8k
-$9k
Full Cost$25k/yr
+$449k
-$18k
-$35k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
37
∞
Median Cost$18k/yr
Never
-15%
Full Cost$25k/yr
Never
-40%
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-43%
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

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (4yr)
$80,895
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$149k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,774
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$294k
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,997
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,458
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,543
Earnings (4yr)
$52,385
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$118,324
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$434k
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (4yr)
$66,510
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
+$39k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,955
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,993
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$219k
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (4yr)
$81,768
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$156k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,967
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Median Debt
$22,019
Earnings (4yr)
$39,609
Natl Median: $41,200
Lifetime Value Added
-$182k
Median Debt
$26,782
Earnings (4yr)
$40,555
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$174k
Median Debt
$21,082
Earnings (4yr)
$72,291
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$84k
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$66,878
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
+$42k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$19,750
Earnings (4yr)
$68,490
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$55k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,239
Earnings (4yr)
$63,218
Natl Median: $52,119
Lifetime Value Added
+$14k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$35,889
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$215k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$50,410
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$43,257
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$151k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$96,483
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$268k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$36,844
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$213k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,366
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$56,058
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$35,060
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$210k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$56,882
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$37k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$88,576
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$108k
Median Debt
$23,203
Earnings (4yr)
$74,783
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$13k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$69,764
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $79,463
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,132
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
MastCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,035
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$40,519
Earnings (4yr)
$58,337
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$160k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities
DocCIP: 5132
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $107,610
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.