Back to Colleges
Wilkes University
Wilkes-Barre, PA 1,893 Undergrads 62.8% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$56,956
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$27,700
After Aid
Median Earnings
$63,454
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$27,700
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$63,454
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate62.8%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients32.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time95.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS80.0%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
91.5%
SAT Avg
1,134
SAT Reading
25th: 51057575th: 640
SAT Math
25th: 51357075th: 630
ACT Composite
25th: 202475th: 29
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
+$544k
+$147k
+$59k
Median Cost$28k/yr
+$444k
+$48k
-$40k
Full Cost$57k/yr
+$339k
-$58k
-$146k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
36
∞
Median Cost$28k/yr
Never
-41%
Full Cost$57k/yr
Never
-71%
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-40%
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-74%
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
$25,500
Earnings (5yr)
$85,792
Lifetime Value Added
+$138k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$69,777
Lifetime Value Added
+$18k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$65,279
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$26,885
Earnings (5yr)
$54,942
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other
BachCIP: 0999
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$47,160
Lifetime Value Added
-$162k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$68,499
Lifetime Value Added
+$39k
Engineering, General
BachCIP: 1401
Median Debt
$25,662
Earnings (2yr)
$53,984
Lifetime Value Added
-$79k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$20,140
Lifetime Value Added
-$382k
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
BachCIP: 1414
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$69,726
Lifetime Value Added
+$17k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (2yr)
$50,856
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$25,625
Earnings (5yr)
$60,340
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,729
Lifetime Value Added
-$204k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$84,211
Lifetime Value Added
+$126k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$32,569
Lifetime Value Added
-$268k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$50,297
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$24,990
Earnings (5yr)
$79,269
Lifetime Value Added
+$89k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$47,908
Lifetime Value Added
-$156k
Master's Degrees
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$39,600
Earnings (5yr)
$82,118
Lifetime Value Added
+$235k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$66,654
Lifetime Value Added
+$102k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$76,460
Lifetime Value Added
+$227k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
MastCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$41,390
Earnings (5yr)
$122,887
Lifetime Value Added
+$584k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$66,827
Lifetime Value Added
+$103k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
MastCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$16,045
Earnings (5yr)
$61,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$59k
Doctoral Degrees
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
DocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$37,070
Earnings (5yr)
$143,898
Lifetime Value Added
+$514k
Professional Degrees
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration
ProfCIP: 5120
Median Debt
$66,000
Earnings (5yr)
$132,964
Lifetime Value Added
+$435k
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.