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Widener University
Chester, PA 2,765 Undergrads 64.5% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$68,305
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$30,470
After Aid
Median Earnings
$70,920
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$30,470
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$70,920
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate64.5%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients22.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time93.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS83.4%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
84.0%
SAT Avg
1,170
SAT Reading
25th: 53058875th: 640
SAT Math
25th: 52059075th: 620
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -
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
+$600k
+$203k
+$115k
Median Cost$30k/yr
+$490k
+$94k
+$6k
Full Cost$68k/yr
+$354k
-$42k
-$130k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
31
∞
Median Cost$30k/yr
60
5%
Full Cost$68k/yr
Never
-53%
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-8%
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-66%
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
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$80,500
Lifetime Value Added
+$88k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$75,276
Lifetime Value Added
+$49k
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
BachCIP: 1405
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$52,107
Lifetime Value Added
-$105k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$67,527
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other
BachCIP: 5299
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$69,187
Lifetime Value Added
+$3k
Chemical Engineering
BachCIP: 1407
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$99,021
Lifetime Value Added
+$227k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$26,998
Earnings (5yr)
$78,441
Lifetime Value Added
+$73k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$52,107
Lifetime Value Added
-$105k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$66,101
Lifetime Value Added
-$20k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (5yr)
$90,156
Lifetime Value Added
+$160k
Hospitality Administration/Management
BachCIP: 5209
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$55,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$97,717
Lifetime Value Added
+$217k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Lifetime Value Added
-$237k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$59,893
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Psychology, Other
BachCIP: 4299
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$73,670
Lifetime Value Added
+$37k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$97,249
Lifetime Value Added
+$213k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$54,986
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,019
Lifetime Value Added
-$320k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$55,163
Lifetime Value Added
-$107k
Master's Degrees
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$61,500
Earnings (5yr)
$105,132
Lifetime Value Added
+$427k
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other
MastCIP: 5299
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$84,653
Lifetime Value Added
+$296k
Business/Commerce, General
MastCIP: 5201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$90,865
Lifetime Value Added
+$305k
Education, Other
MastCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$60,266
Lifetime Value Added
+$39k
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies
MastCIP: 2202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$72,106
Lifetime Value Added
+$144k
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$82,000
Earnings (5yr)
$68,978
Lifetime Value Added
+$117k
Doctoral Degrees
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
DocCIP: 4228
Median Debt
$165,000
Earnings (5yr)
$86,737
Lifetime Value Added
+$90k
Education, Other
DocCIP: 1399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$69,338
Lifetime Value Added
-$6k
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
DocCIP: 5123
Median Debt
$97,000
Earnings (5yr)
$86,070
Lifetime Value Added
+$85k
Professional Degrees
Law
ProfCIP: 2201
Median Debt
$131,126
Earnings (5yr)
$87,974
Lifetime Value Added
+$99k
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.