College ROI

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William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ 6,614 Undergrads 60.7% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$28,476
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$18,745
After Aid
Median Earnings
$59,272
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$18,745
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$59,272
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$57,780
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate60.7%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age22.3
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients45.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time79.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS71.0%

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
+$530k
+$63k
+$45k
Median Cost$19k/yr
+$462k
-$4k
-$22k
Full Cost$28k/yr
+$427k
-$39k
-$57k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
39
∞
Median Cost$19k/yr
Never
-33%
Full Cost$28k/yr
Never
-56%
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-5%

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-54%
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

Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (4yr)
$71,745
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$75k
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
$23,329
Earnings (4yr)
$71,026
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
+$70k
Biotechnology
BachCIP: 2612
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,097
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$63,121
Natl Median: $63,991
Lifetime Value Added
-$1k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$84,306
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
+$159k
Median Debt
$23,638
Earnings (4yr)
$53,589
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$68k
Median Debt
$16,941
Earnings (4yr)
$63,108
Natl Median: $58,928
Lifetime Value Added
+$9k
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$76,282
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$110k
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$58,108
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$31k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (4yr)
$70,705
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$67k
Median Debt
$24,750
Earnings (4yr)
$42,632
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$161k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$30,771
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
-$253k
Median Debt
$19,786
Earnings (4yr)
$70,356
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$65k
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (4yr)
$44,298
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$146k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$88,706
Natl Median: $75,399
Lifetime Value Added
+$192k
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
Median Debt
$24,500
Earnings (4yr)
$46,711
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
-$126k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$20,306
Earnings (5yr)
$52,185
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$89k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,470
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
-$103k
Median Debt
$20,750
Earnings (4yr)
$54,607
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$60k
Median Debt
$22,250
Earnings (4yr)
$66,745
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
+$37k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$61,156
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$7k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$24,020
Earnings (4yr)
$71,340
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$72k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,502
Natl Median: $52,119
Lifetime Value Added
-$86k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$24,256
Earnings (4yr)
$39,553
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$187k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$39,369
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
-$175k
Non-Professional Legal Studies
BachCIP: 2200
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,578
Natl Median: $61,959
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$22,875
Earnings (4yr)
$48,101
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$114k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$22,093
Earnings (4yr)
$48,985
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$107k
Median Debt
$21,793
Earnings (4yr)
$101,328
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$301k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,852
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$99k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,253
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,592
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$52k
Median Debt
$20,750
Earnings (5yr)
$56,313
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
Median Debt
$20,834
Earnings (4yr)
$63,203
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$9k

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
$21,066
Earnings (5yr)
$99,596
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$185k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$56,584
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$179k
Median Debt
$40,758
Earnings (4yr)
$72,447
Natl Median: $67,030
Lifetime Value Added
-$36k
Median Debt
$26,449
Earnings (4yr)
$75,411
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k
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
-
Earnings (4yr)
$137,010
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$527k
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
-
Earnings (4yr)
$71,699
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$42k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$49,500
Earnings (4yr)
$74,275
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$20k
Median Debt
$27,245
Earnings (4yr)
$74,359
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$19k
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

Other Programs

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,308
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.