Wheaton College (Massachusetts)

Norton, MA 1,773 Undergrads 77.3% Grad Rate

School Website|Financial Calculator

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: $20,080.5

Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$57,982

Peer Midpoint: $60,428

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

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

∞

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 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

Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology

BachCIP: 2602

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

Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology

BachCIP: 2611

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $86,713

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Business Administration, Management and Operations

BachCIP: 5202

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

Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

BachCIP: 1612

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

Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft

BachCIP: 5005

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

English Language and Literature, General

BachCIP: 2301

Median Debt

$26,434

Earnings (4yr)

$59,381

Natl Median: $48,590

Lifetime Value Added

-$61k

Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies

BachCIP: 0502

Median Debt

$25,000

Earnings (4yr)

$64,701

Natl Median: $51,710

Lifetime Value Added

-$19k

Film/Video and Photographic Arts

BachCIP: 5006

Median Debt

$24,250

Earnings (4yr)

$54,106

Natl Median: $43,765

Lifetime Value Added

-$104k

Fine and Studio Arts

BachCIP: 5007

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

$38,389

Natl Median: $41,367

Lifetime Value Added

-$237k

Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

BachCIP: 1605

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

International Relations and National Security Studies

BachCIP: 4509

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

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other

BachCIP: 3099

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

Natural Resources Conservation and Research

BachCIP: 0301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $55,012

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Neurobiology and Neurosciences

BachCIP: 2615

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

Political Science and Government

BachCIP: 4510

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

Religion/Religious Studies

BachCIP: 3802

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $41,390

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies

BachCIP: 2313

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $48,471

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

BachCIP: 1604

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

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods

BachCIP: 1312

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. 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.