College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ 6,614 Undergrads 60.1% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$29,596
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$18,533
After Aid
Median Earnings
$61,101
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$18,533
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$61,101
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$61,869
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate60.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average starting age (2015-17)22.3
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients48.9%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time79.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS69.9%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
90.1%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

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
+$538k
+$68k
+$51k
Median Cost$19k/yr
+$471k
+$934
-$15k
Full Cost$30k/yr
+$431k
-$39k
-$55k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
38
∞
Median Cost$19k/yr
Never
-23%
Full Cost$30k/yr
Never
-52%
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 Return0%

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-55%

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
$18,293
Earnings (4yr)
$71,745
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$78k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,676
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
$18,565
Earnings (4yr)
$71,026
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$73k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Biotechnology
BachCIP: 2612
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,097
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$36,941
Natl Median: $63,983
Lifetime Value Added
-$197k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$74,349
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
+$87k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,589
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$67k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$63,108
Natl Median: $58,928
Lifetime Value Added
+$11k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$18,213
Earnings (4yr)
$76,282
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$113k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$20,199
Earnings (4yr)
$58,108
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$30k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$17,354
Earnings (4yr)
$70,705
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$24,192
Earnings (4yr)
$42,632
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$160k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$18,009
Earnings (2yr)
$30,771
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
-$252k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$18,600
Earnings (4yr)
$70,356
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$68k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$44,298
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$146k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$100,079
Natl Median: $75,399
Lifetime Value Added
+$280k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,853
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$41,937
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$20,000
Earnings (4yr)
$46,711
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
-$125k
Try this program with your own numbers →
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$19,934
Earnings (5yr)
$60,034
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$24k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,470
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$17,750
Earnings (4yr)
$54,607
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$19,875
Earnings (4yr)
$66,745
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
+$39k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$17,878
Earnings (4yr)
$61,156
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$5k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$71,340
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$75k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (4yr)
$51,502
Natl Median: $52,119
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (4yr)
$39,553
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$187k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$64,826
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
+$14k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Non-Professional Legal Studies
BachCIP: 2200
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (2yr)
$26,353
Natl Median: $61,959
Lifetime Value Added
-$293k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,861
Earnings (4yr)
$48,101
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$19,750
Earnings (4yr)
$48,985
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$12,780
Earnings (4yr)
$101,328
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$304k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,729
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$171k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$23,196
Earnings (4yr)
$53,253
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$70k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$22,019
Earnings (4yr)
$55,592
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$51k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$60,917
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$17k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$22,651
Earnings (4yr)
$63,203
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$11k
Try this program with your own numbers →

Master's Degrees

Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biotechnology
MastCIP: 2612
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $107,682
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,934
Earnings (5yr)
$96,141
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$157k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$56,584
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$179k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$72,447
Natl Median: $67,030
Lifetime Value Added
-$34k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$25,750
Earnings (4yr)
$75,411
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$8k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,079
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
MastCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,285
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $78,850
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $80,125
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$36,651
Earnings (4yr)
$137,010
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$529k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,035
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
MastCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,330
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$71,699
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$41k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$50,000
Earnings (4yr)
$74,275
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$74,359
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$18k
Try this program with your own numbers →
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $138,131
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

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.