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Westfield State University
Westfield, MA 3,481 Undergrads 64.0% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$26,435
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$18,561
After Aid
Median Earnings
$57,346
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$18,561
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$57,346
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate64.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients34.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time88.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS72.9%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
80.7%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: -54575th: -
SAT Math
25th: -54075th: -
ACT Composite
25th: -2075th: -
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
+$496k
+$100k
+$12k
Median Cost$19k/yr
+$429k
+$33k
-$55k
Full Cost$26k/yr
+$401k
+$4k
-$83k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
51
∞
Median Cost$19k/yr
Never
-83%
Full Cost$26k/yr
Never
-88%
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-60%
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-67%
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
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$24,500
Earnings (5yr)
$64,665
Lifetime Value Added
+$12k
Business/Commerce, General
BachCIP: 5201
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$63,772
Lifetime Value Added
+$5k
City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning
BachCIP: 0403
Median Debt
$23,628
Earnings (5yr)
$54,588
Lifetime Value Added
-$68k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$49,901
Lifetime Value Added
-$107k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$64,493
Lifetime Value Added
+$40k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$67,258
Lifetime Value Added
+$31k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (5yr)
$67,101
Lifetime Value Added
+$30k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (5yr)
$43,352
Lifetime Value Added
-$161k
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies
BachCIP: 0502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$26,896
Lifetime Value Added
-$287k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$23,455
Earnings (5yr)
$42,027
Lifetime Value Added
-$172k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$26,765
Earnings (5yr)
$66,151
Lifetime Value Added
+$23k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (5yr)
$50,185
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
Information Science/Studies
BachCIP: 1104
Median Debt
$18,250
Earnings (5yr)
$61,295
Lifetime Value Added
-$15k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$50,601
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$63,390
Lifetime Value Added
+$2k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
$22,215
Earnings (5yr)
$55,523
Lifetime Value Added
-$61k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (5yr)
$51,088
Lifetime Value Added
-$97k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$50,836
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (5yr)
$86,414
Lifetime Value Added
+$175k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$36,941
Lifetime Value Added
-$196k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$56,371
Lifetime Value Added
-$54k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$32,925
Lifetime Value Added
-$232k
Special Education and Teaching
BachCIP: 1310
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$57,770
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$26,293
Earnings (5yr)
$50,005
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
Master's Degrees
Criminal Justice and Corrections
MastCIP: 4301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$57,318
Lifetime Value Added
+$66k
Psychology, General
MastCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$59,583
Lifetime Value Added
+$55k
Psychology, Other
MastCIP: 4299
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$78,332
Lifetime Value Added
+$219k
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$35,461
Earnings (5yr)
$66,522
Lifetime Value Added
+$117k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,078
Lifetime Value Added
+$69k
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.