Whittier College

Whittier, CA 764 Undergrads 67.0% Grad Rate

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Total Cost

$63,664

Sticker Price

Avg Net Price

$25,757

After Aid

Median Earnings

$57,988

4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$25,757

Peer Midpoint: $20,081

Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation

$57,988

Peer Midpoint: $60,428

Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment

$59,492

Peer Midpoint: $53,763

Graduation Rate67.0%

Peer Midpoint: 58.9%

Average Starting Age19.7

Socio-Economic Diversity

Pell Grant Recipients32.9%

Enrollment Status

Full-Time97.5%

Economic Outcomes

Earn More than HS69.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance

80.8%

SAT Avg

SAT Reading

25th: -63575th: -

SAT Math

25th: -59575th: -

ACT Composite

25th: -2675th: -

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$26k/yr

+$427k

-$40k

-$58k

Full Cost$64k/yr

+$290k

-$176k

-$194k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age

Return on Inv. %

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

∞

Median Cost$26k/yr

Never

-62%

Full Cost$64k/yr

Never

-85%

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-65%

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-82%

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 (4yr)

Natl Median: $46,676

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology

BachCIP: 2602

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $65,466

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Biology, General

BachCIP: 2601

Median Debt

$25,000

Earnings (5yr)

$56,770

Natl Median: $57,214

Lifetime Value Added

-$77k

Business Administration, Management and Operations

BachCIP: 5202

Median Debt

$24,000

Earnings (4yr)

$73,792

Natl Median: $68,257

Lifetime Value Added

+$66k

Chemistry

BachCIP: 4005

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $65,120

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft

BachCIP: 5005

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $39,775

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

BachCIP: 1603

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $51,642

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Economics

BachCIP: 4506

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $82,686

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Education, General

BachCIP: 1301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $49,808

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

English Language and Literature, General

BachCIP: 2301

Median Debt

$24,125

Earnings (4yr)

$55,536

Natl Median: $48,590

Lifetime Value Added

-$78k

Fine and Studio Arts

BachCIP: 5007

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $41,367

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

History

BachCIP: 5401

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $50,680

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services

BachCIP: 1907

Median Debt

$25,750

Earnings (4yr)

$44,877

Natl Median: $48,568

Lifetime Value Added

-$167k

International/Globalization Studies

BachCIP: 3020

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $59,972

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

BachCIP: 2401

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $53,072

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods

BachCIP: 5213

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $86,176

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Mathematics

BachCIP: 2701

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $69,562

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 (2yr)

$25,194

Natl Median: $55,012

Lifetime Value Added

-$329k

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

Earnings (4yr)

$55,853

Natl Median: $63,293

Lifetime Value Added

-$75k

Psychology, General

BachCIP: 4201

Median Debt

$21,500

Earnings (4yr)

$58,397

Natl Median: $50,706

Lifetime Value Added

-$54k

Religion/Religious Studies

BachCIP: 3802

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $41,390

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

BachCIP: 1609

Median Debt

Earnings (5yr)

$40,976

Natl Median: $55,000

Lifetime Value Added

-$207k

Social Sciences, General

BachCIP: 4501

Median Debt

$24,937

Earnings (4yr)

$64,736

Natl Median: $53,366

Lifetime Value Added

-$4k

Social Work

BachCIP: 4407

Median Debt

Earnings (2yr)

$33,281

Natl Median: $51,790

Lifetime Value Added

-$255k

Sociology

BachCIP: 4511

Median Debt

Earnings (5yr)

$60,980

Natl Median: $52,657

Lifetime Value Added

-$43k

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness

BachCIP: 3105

Median Debt

$25,497

Earnings (4yr)

$47,719

Natl Median: $54,562

Lifetime Value Added

-$143k

Master's Degrees

Education, General

MastCIP: 1301

Median Debt

$37,098

Earnings (4yr)

$79,462

Natl Median: $65,824

Lifetime Value Added

+$13k

Graduate Certificates

Education, General

Gr-CertCIP: 1301

Median Debt

Earnings (4yr)

Natl Median: $69,448

Lifetime Value Added

N/A

Professional Degrees

Law

ProfCIP: 2201

Median Debt

$227,419

Earnings (4yr)

$81,959

Natl Median: $107,773

Lifetime Value Added

-$132k

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.