College ROI

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Wilkes University

Wilkes-Barre, PA 1,985 Undergrads 60.2% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$57,565
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$25,799
After Aid
Median Earnings
$71,316
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$25,799
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$71,316
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$75,038
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate60.2%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average starting age (2015-17)21.2
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients37.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time95.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS82.7%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
90.6%
SAT Avg
1,136
SAT Reading
25th: 53057075th: 630
SAT Math
25th: 49055075th: 620
ACT Composite
25th: 222775th: 29

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 4 Years to Graduation

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
+$617k
+$147k
+$131k
Median Cost$26k/yr
+$524k
+$54k
+$38k
Full Cost$58k/yr
+$410k
-$60k
-$76k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
30
∞
Median Cost$26k/yr
47
41%
Full Cost$58k/yr
Never
-37%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.
  • 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 Return21%

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-58%

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$75,468
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$81k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$57,332
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$63k
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Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$57,020
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
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Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,975
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,960
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$295k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$47,543
Natl Median: $55,384
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$68,499
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$48k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$86,308
Natl Median: $89,359
Lifetime Value Added
+$163k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$54,563
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,027
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$70,039
Natl Median: $81,171
Lifetime Value Added
+$39k
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Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$72,961
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$61k
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History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,726
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $66,596
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$71,501
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$50k
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Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,729
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$198k
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Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$79,326
Natl Median: $92,135
Lifetime Value Added
+$110k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physical Sciences, General
BachCIP: 4001
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,944
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$32,569
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
-$262k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,369
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$39k
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Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,033
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$140k
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Median Debt
$20,281
Earnings (4yr)
$92,034
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$207k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,006
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$57k
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Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,234
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$105k
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Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $106,375
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,402
Earnings (4yr)
$95,365
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$153k
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Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$68,953
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$79k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$104,444
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$233k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,716
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
MastCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $115,974
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$43,904
Earnings (4yr)
$127,350
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$432k
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Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$37,334
Natl Median: $55,035
Lifetime Value Added
-$381k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,627
Earnings (4yr)
$65,331
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,548
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$165k
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Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$69,069
Natl Median: $65,767
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
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Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
$22,229
Earnings (4yr)
$118,833
Natl Median: $126,911
Lifetime Value Added
+$478k
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Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,031
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$34,690
Earnings (4yr)
$145,853
Natl Median: $138,131
Lifetime Value Added
+$340k
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Professional Degrees

Median Debt
$66,000
Earnings (4yr)
$137,560
Natl Median: $138,348
Lifetime Value Added
+$279k
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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. Note that the institution's average undergraduate net price is used as a proxy for annual cost, which may differ from actual graduate tuition. 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.