College ROI

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Willamette University

Salem, OR 1,592 Undergrads 74.4% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$67,501
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$25,121
After Aid
Median Earnings
$54,450
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$25,121
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$54,450
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$56,911
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate74.4%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.5
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients23.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS62.0%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
77.1%
SAT Avg
1,377
SAT Reading
25th: 640-75th: 730
SAT Math
25th: 600-75th: 710
ACT Composite
25th: 28-75th: 33

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
+$491k
+$24k
+$6k
Median Cost$25k/yr
+$400k
-$67k
-$84k
Full Cost$68k/yr
+$248k
-$219k
-$237k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
56
∞
Median Cost$25k/yr
Never
-93%
Full Cost$68k/yr
Never
-97%
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-88%

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-88%
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, or for more sophisticated analysis, the Guided ROI Interview, with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Bachelor's Degrees

Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$21,508
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$360k
Archeology
BachCIP: 4503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,748
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$45,197
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$162k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$79,592
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
+$112k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,429
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$70,412
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
+$42k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$100,650
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$273k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$44,870
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$164k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$63,255
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
-$13k
Median Debt
$20,250
Earnings (4yr)
$50,060
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$32,256
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$273k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,459
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$17,375
Earnings (5yr)
$58,518
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$22,667
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
-$350k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$42,682
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$168k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,750
Earnings (4yr)
$54,657
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
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
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$89,506
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
+$188k
Median Debt
$20,915
Earnings (4yr)
$63,407
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$24,547
Earnings (5yr)
$46,601
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$158k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$52,597
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$108k
Median Debt
$21,511
Earnings (5yr)
$41,614
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$199k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$21,791
Earnings (5yr)
$49,057
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$25,343
Earnings (4yr)
$59,337
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$44k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,688
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$72,115
Earnings (4yr)
$101,544
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$208k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,087
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,073
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,079
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $101,855
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Professional Degrees

Law
ProfCIP: 2201
Median Debt
$162,945
Earnings (4yr)
$100,524
Natl Median: $107,773
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k

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.