College ROI

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Wheaton College (Massachusetts)

Norton, MA 1,773 Undergrads 77.3% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$79,311
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$29,822
After Aid
Median Earnings
$57,982
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$29,822
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$57,982
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$67,725
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate77.3%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.4
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients21.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS73.1%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
67.7%
SAT Avg
1,308
SAT Reading
25th: 64064075th: 720
SAT Math
25th: 58062075th: 670
ACT Composite
25th: 293075th: 33

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
+$519k
+$53k
+$35k
Median Cost$30k/yr
+$412k
-$55k
-$72k
Full Cost$79k/yr
+$234k
-$233k
-$250k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
41
∞
Median Cost$30k/yr
Never
-67%
Full Cost$79k/yr
Never
-88%
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-72%

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

Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$302k
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$21,052
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
-$381k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (4yr)
$43,012
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$197k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $86,713
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$78,769
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$89k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,429
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$71,957
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$59k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$70,388
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$15k
Median Debt
$26,434
Earnings (4yr)
$59,381
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$61k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$64,701
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
-$19k
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (4yr)
$54,106
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
-$104k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$38,389
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$237k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,459
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$25,990
Earnings (4yr)
$48,095
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$154k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
-$225k
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
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$61,194
Natl Median: $62,451
Lifetime Value Added
-$46k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,298
Earnings (4yr)
$53,285
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$54,483
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,169
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$31,305
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$288k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,382
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.