College ROI

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Western Connecticut State University

Danbury, CT 3,511 Undergrads 54.0% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$26,298
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$16,754
After Aid
Median Earnings
$63,334
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$16,754
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$63,334
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$62,010
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate54.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average starting age (2015-17)21.6
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients39.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time90.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS71.9%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
87.0%
SAT Avg
1,110
SAT Reading
25th: 51056075th: 580
SAT Math
25th: 53055075th: 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
+$555k
+$85k
+$69k
Median Cost$17k/yr
+$495k
+$25k
+$9k
Full Cost$26k/yr
+$461k
-$9k
-$26k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
35
∞
Median Cost$17k/yr
57
15%
Full Cost$26k/yr
Never
-27%
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 Return46%

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-40%

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 →

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
+$155k
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Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,774
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$292k
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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
$20,250
Earnings (4yr)
$52,458
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$70k
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Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$24,052
Earnings (4yr)
$52,385
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$118,324
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$439k
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Median Debt
$19,811
Earnings (4yr)
$66,510
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
+$44k
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Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,955
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
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Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$54,729
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
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Median Debt
$23,362
Earnings (4yr)
$81,768
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$161k
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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
-$91k
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Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$39,609
Natl Median: $41,200
Lifetime Value Added
-$180k
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Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$40,555
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$172k
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Median Debt
$22,337
Earnings (4yr)
$72,291
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
+$89k
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Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$66,878
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
+$47k
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Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$16,625
Earnings (4yr)
$68,490
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$59k
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Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$63,218
Natl Median: $52,119
Lifetime Value Added
+$18k
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Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$24,997
Earnings (4yr)
$35,889
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$212k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,410
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$88k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$43,257
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$149k
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Median Debt
$25,160
Earnings (4yr)
$96,483
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$273k
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Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (5yr)
$43,056
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$158k
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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
$24,125
Earnings (4yr)
$56,058
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$54,262
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
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Median Debt
$25,448
Earnings (4yr)
$56,882
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$34k
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Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$88,576
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$110k
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Median Debt
$30,136
Earnings (4yr)
$74,783
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
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Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$56,867
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
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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
$40,290
Earnings (4yr)
$58,337
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$159k
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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

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.