College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
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Whittier College

Whittier, CA 812 Undergrads 66.6% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$63,925
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$29,871
After Aid
Median Earnings
$59,492
10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$29,871
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$59,492
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate66.6%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients33.2%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time96.8%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS69.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
85.4%
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
+$513k
+$116k
+$29k
Median Cost$30k/yr
+$405k
+$9k
-$79k
Full Cost$64k/yr
+$283k
-$114k
-$201k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
43
∞
Median Cost$30k/yr
Never
-73%
Full Cost$64k/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-71%

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-83%
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
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$56,770
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (5yr)
$61,761
Lifetime Value Added
-$52k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$24,125
Earnings (5yr)
$32,702
Lifetime Value Added
-$292k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$25,497
Earnings (5yr)
$45,155
Lifetime Value Added
-$187k
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
BachCIP: 1907
Median Debt
$25,750
Earnings (5yr)
$45,651
Lifetime Value Added
-$183k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$343k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$63,587
Lifetime Value Added
-$37k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$49,534
Lifetime Value Added
-$150k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$40,976
Lifetime Value Added
-$222k
Social Sciences, General
BachCIP: 4501
Median Debt
$24,937
Earnings (2yr)
$26,715
Lifetime Value Added
-$330k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,281
Lifetime Value Added
-$270k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$60,980
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k

Master's Degrees

Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$37,098
Earnings (5yr)
$75,643
Lifetime Value Added
+$175k

Professional Degrees

Law
ProfCIP: 2201
Median Debt
$227,419
Earnings (5yr)
$93,045
Lifetime Value Added
+$138k

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.