College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Westminster College

New Wilmington, PA 1,041 Undergrads 69.0% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$53,003
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$19,859
After Aid
Median Earnings
$54,065
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$19,859
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$54,065
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$53,861
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate69.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.6
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients28.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS76.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
92.6%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: -58275th: -
SAT Math
25th: -56875th: -
ACT Composite
25th: -2375th: -

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
+$487k
+$21k
+$3k
Median Cost$20k/yr
+$416k
-$51k
-$68k
Full Cost$53k/yr
+$297k
-$170k
-$188k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
60
∞
Median Cost$20k/yr
Never
-96%
Full Cost$53k/yr
Never
-98%
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 Return-88%

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-85%
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

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$26,638
Earnings (4yr)
$76,955
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$111k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$64,772
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$18k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$62,412
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$899
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$53,571
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, Other
BachCIP: 1399
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$46,735
Natl Median: $49,113
Lifetime Value Added
-$130k
Engineering Physics
BachCIP: 1412
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,154
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$46,666
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$138k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$55,637
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,568
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,069
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,339
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,637
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
-$97k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$47,502
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$123k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$57,318
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$43,798
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$286k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$62,598
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k

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.