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William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ 6,526 Undergrads 61.7% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$26,555
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$17,764
After Aid
Median Earnings
$57,780
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$17,764
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$57,780
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate61.7%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients45.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time78.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS71.0%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
92.5%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
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
+$499k
+$103k
+$15k
Median Cost$18k/yr
+$436k
+$39k
-$49k
Full Cost$27k/yr
+$404k
+$7k
-$80k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
49
∞
Median Cost$18k/yr
Never
-76%
Full Cost$27k/yr
Never
-84%
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-54%
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-65%
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
$22,000
Earnings (5yr)
$66,639
Lifetime Value Added
+$30k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$23,329
Earnings (5yr)
$74,145
Lifetime Value Added
+$86k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$63,121
Lifetime Value Added
+$2k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$84,306
Lifetime Value Added
+$162k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$23,638
Earnings (5yr)
$50,256
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (5yr)
$93,901
Lifetime Value Added
+$234k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (5yr)
$61,098
Lifetime Value Added
-$13k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (5yr)
$64,426
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$24,750
Earnings (5yr)
$47,825
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies
BachCIP: 0502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,771
Lifetime Value Added
-$249k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$19,786
Earnings (5yr)
$75,574
Lifetime Value Added
+$97k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (5yr)
$42,774
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations
BachCIP: 5218
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$88,706
Lifetime Value Added
+$195k
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
BachCIP: 4006
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,937
Lifetime Value Added
-$149k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$61,432
Lifetime Value Added
-$11k
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
BachCIP: 5100
Median Debt
$24,500
Earnings (5yr)
$66,462
Lifetime Value Added
+$28k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$20,306
Earnings (5yr)
$52,185
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
International Business
BachCIP: 5211
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$53,757
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$20,750
Earnings (5yr)
$55,634
Lifetime Value Added
-$57k
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
BachCIP: 5213
Median Debt
$22,250
Earnings (5yr)
$62,355
Lifetime Value Added
-$4k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (5yr)
$66,294
Lifetime Value Added
+$27k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$24,020
Earnings (5yr)
$70,526
Lifetime Value Added
+$59k
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
BachCIP: 5115
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$58,166
Lifetime Value Added
-$37k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$24,256
Earnings (2yr)
$24,904
Lifetime Value Added
-$303k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
BachCIP: 0301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,369
Lifetime Value Added
-$171k
Non-Professional General Legal Studies (Undergraduate)
BachCIP: 2200
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,578
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$22,875
Earnings (5yr)
$55,485
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$22,093
Earnings (5yr)
$53,752
Lifetime Value Added
-$72k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$21,793
Earnings (5yr)
$96,443
Lifetime Value Added
+$253k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,852
Lifetime Value Added
-$96k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$52,509
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$20,750
Earnings (5yr)
$56,313
Lifetime Value Added
-$52k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$20,834
Earnings (5yr)
$62,718
Lifetime Value Added
-$705
Master's Degrees
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$21,066
Earnings (5yr)
$99,596
Lifetime Value Added
+$403k
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
MastCIP: 4228
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$44,971
Lifetime Value Added
-$54k
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
MastCIP: 5102
Median Debt
$40,758
Earnings (5yr)
$77,676
Lifetime Value Added
+$215k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
$26,449
Earnings (5yr)
$89,937
Lifetime Value Added
+$320k
Special Education and Teaching
MastCIP: 1310
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$71,625
Lifetime Value Added
+$163k
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
MastCIP: 1311
Median Debt
$49,500
Earnings (5yr)
$60,613
Lifetime Value Added
+$66k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$27,245
Earnings (5yr)
$65,714
Lifetime Value Added
+$111k
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.